Watch Sex Pistols + Frank Carter’s debut gig in London on Monday!

Even YUNGBLUD got in on the act!

“I’m having the time of my fucking life here!” Gallows/Rattlesnakes frontman Frank Carter yelped at one point. Why shouldn’t he? He was now singing for the Sex Pistols.

The ‘Stack announced over two months ago that Carter would join OG Pistols Steve Jones, Paul Cook and friend of The ‘Stack Glen Matlock at London’s Bush Hall to play the whole of Never Mind The Bollocks, to raise funds in aid of the ailing Shepherd’s Bush venue.

Obviously, John Lydon will never play with the Pistols again, after the whole legal brouhaha he lost over usage of their material in the Pistol miniseries. And yes, it’s hard to imagine the Pistols without Johnny Rotten. But I said at the time that if anyone could match the Rotten ferocity, it’s Carter. And as Matlock shrugged to Mojo:  “Lots of bands these days don’t have the original singer.”

It’s obvious from watching the gig footage from Monday night no one in the band regrets taking Matlock’s son Louis’ recommendation of Carter, 40. He doesn’t try to be Johnny Rotten. He openly displays his credentials as part of punk’s umpty-umpth generation, in his shouty, leather-lunged delivery, several kilometers away from his predecessor’s venomous sarcasm. And he’s obviously all muscles, tattoos, piercings and facial hair, as opposed to Rotten’s electrical wire stage presence in the day. Nobody cares. Carter’s stoked to be there, and the frothing, rabid throng shoving each other up front are equally pumped – they’re seeing the Sex Pistols!!

The instrumental Pistols are as they ever were: Brawny in tone, unrelentingly physical, explosive. They are how all rock ‘n’ roll should sound, a more heavy metal take on everything The Stooges and New York Dolls accomplished. As Carter punches out all the classics (Do I have to list them?!), he delivers all the requisite anger and attitude over Jones’ towering, miles-wide skyscrapers of guitar. Matlock proves who actually played bass in the Pistols, underpinning the proceedings with nimble, r&b-influenced fatback. But the hardest working man on the stage is Paul Cook, 68 years young as of the 20th of last month. But he does not look the least bit frail, walloping his kit with every bit of ferocity and swing he possesses. And look at his expression: That’s joy. He’s as joyful as Carter, gathering the old firm behind such a worthy contender for the front mic stand.

Come “God Save The Queen,” given the appropriate lyrical gender swap by Carter, one audience member can no longer contain himself: Fellow umpty-umpth generation punk rocker YUNGBLUD. Carter spots him going mental and waves him onto the stage, handing him the mic. Mr. BLUD’s enthusiasm is even more OTT than Carter’s, and he spills some onto Jones, who looks appropriately startled! But I’m sure we all get it: He’s singing with the Sex Pistols! 

This is a joyous occasion, full of good spirits. They even cover PiL for the encore! [I’m still awaiting video evidence of that one!] No one – performers, audience – appears to regret this decision. This isn’t punk’s version of Queen + Adam Lambert. The first of their three nights is done. Dates at Italy’s AMA Music Festival in two weeks and Kentish Town Forum on September 26 have just been announced, and Matlock told Mojo more could be in the works. Going by the evidence here, I don’t think new material from this aggregation should be out of the question. The Sex Pistols have just proven Johnny Rotten is replaceable.

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