John Lydon is said to be furious after the Sex Pistols announced reunion gigs with the frontman replaced by another singer.
The band’s guitarist Steve Jones, 68, announced on Instagram last Monday that he would be reuniting with drummer Paul Cook and bassist Glen Matlock for two charity gigs in London in August.
The shows were sold out in minutes, with some fans claiming they were already gone by the time the general sale started at 9am on June 5.
But it’s former frontman John, known as Johnny Rotten, who is said to most upset about the dates – after being replaced by singer Frank Carter.
A source told The Sun that John, 68, ‘thinks he IS the Pistols’ and has told friends that the upcoming shows will be ‘b***cks’.
John Lydon is said to be furious after the Sex Pistols announced reunion gigs on Instagram last Monday, with the frontman replaced by another singer (John pictured in 2022)
The band has recruited singer and tattoo artist Frank, of Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, to join them to play their Never Mind The Bollocks album on August 13, 14 and 15.
The Frank Carter & Sex Pistols gigs will be for charity, in a bid to raise money to save Bush Hall, a famous live music venue in Shepherd’s Bush.
The publication’s source said the charity gigs are not just to raise money for the venue, but also a way of getting back at John.
Former lead singer John has had an ongoing feud with the band since their split in 1978, as he has tried to stop its music being used in TV shows.
A source said: ‘These Pistols gigs aren’t just for charity, they’re to show Rotten how rotten they think he’s been to the rest of the band over the years by battling to stop them earning royalties from their music.
‘Rotten thinks he IS the Pistols and has the rights to all their music, but these gigs will show they don’t need him any more.
‘In typical fashion, John has told pals he thinks the upcoming gigs will be b****cks.’
MailOnline has approached representatives for John and the Sex Pistols for comment.
The band’s guitarist Steve Jones, 68, announced on Instagram last Monday that he would be reuniting with drummer Paul Cook and bassist Glen Matlock for two charity gigs in London in August
John fronted The Sex Pistols during the 1970s, but has since been critical of Boyle’s decision to document their rise and fall (pictured in 1976)
Former lead singer John has had an ongoing feud with the band since their split in 1978, as he has tried to stop its music being used in TV shows (Band pictured in 1977)
Taking to social media last week, Steve shared a poster for the gigs on his account.
He said: ‘Tickets go on sale 9am Wednesday the 5th of June London time, all proceeds go to Bush Hall.
‘I can promise you it’s gonna be hot, sweaty and rocking, see ya there.’
Fans were absolutely ecstatic at the announcement, but many were left disappointed as the tickets sold out in record speed.
They commented: ‘Strangely, the tickets were sold out before they went on sale at 9am…,’; ‘Is it possible that tickets were sold out before 9 00?’;
‘Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?? No tickets on sell to the general public at 9am…..,’;
‘Why were the tickets sold out BEFORE they went on sale??! I really wanted to go to this,’;
‘I cant believe they went so quick, 9.00am start 9.01am sold out how ? I was so hoping to see this>:-(,’; ‘Gutted I didn’t get one. Sold out instantly.’
Fans were absolutely ecstatic at the announcement, but many were left disappointed as the tickets sold out in record speed
Steve (pictured right with Paul Cook) urged his former bandmate John to ‘grow up and move on’ after he expressed his annoyance with new series Pistol in 2022
Steve said if Danny Boyle had wanted to adapt a show from John’s memoir, then he, Paul, and Glen Matlock (all pictured with John in 2002) would have been ‘thrilled’
In 2022, a Danny Boyle-directed six-part series documenting the rise and fall of punk pioneers was released on Disney+, reigniting the feud between John and his former bandmates.
John, who had no involvement in the show’s production, was highly critical about the project and condemned its perceived historical inaccuracies.
But Steve hit back at his remarks and urged him to ‘grow up and move on’ as he said he doesn’t understand why John is so upset about the series.
Steve insisted the show is about him and not John as it is based on his memoir Lonely Boy: Tales From A Sex Pistol.
‘I ain’t got time for all that c**p any more,’ Steve told The Sun at the time.
‘You’ve just got to grow up and move on. The show is about me, it ain’t about John, even though he is obviously a big part of it.’
