Steve Jones has revealed he hasn’t spoken to his former Sex Pistols bandmate John Lydon since the band’s final tour in 2008.
The guitarist, 69, has revived the band with drummer Paul Cook and bass player Glen Matlock, with Frank Carter of Gallows and The Rattlesnakes taking the place of John, 68, as lead vocalist.
The group performed two sold-out charity gigs in London in August, before embarking on a UK tour the following month, which was said to have infuriated John.
But Steve has now revealed that he and the singer, known as Johnny Rotten, have not shared any verbal communication since their last gig together at Spain’s Azkena Rock Festival, over 15 years ago.
Speaking on the Rockonteurs podcast, he said: ‘I haven’t spoke to him in years, 2008 was the last time I spoke to him, we did 30 shows around Europe.’
We did a bunch of festivals and all that, Japan, Australia, we ended up at Hammersmith Odeon (now Hammersmith Apollo), and then we had one more show in the Basque Country, and that was it.’
Steve Jones has revealed he hasn’t spoken to his former Sex Pistols bandmate John Lydon since the band’s final tour in 2008 (pictured in August)
The guitarist, 69, revealed that he and the singer, known as Johnny Rotten, have not shared any verbal communication since their last gig together at Spain ’s Azkena Rock Festival, over 15 years ago (John pictured in 2008)
The musician admitted: ‘I was done after that, no more, it’s too much, too old, too much, not enough done.’
When asked by host and Spandau Ballet guitarist Gary Kemp why he had chosen to go back on tour, Steve explained that without John, the band was a ‘different vibe’.
He said: ‘This is different, it’s a different vibe mate, it’s night and day.’
He also said that new member Frank ‘doesn’t try to be John’, praising him for becoming ‘more comfortable’ with the band as they did more performances.
Steve went on: ‘We got the idea of, why don’t we just do all Pistols songs with a different singer, because it ain’t going to happen with John.’
Former lead singer John has had an ongoing feud with the group since their split in 1978, as he has tried to stop its music being used in TV shows.
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.
He also said that new member Frank ‘doesn’t try to be John’, praising him for becoming ‘more comfortable’ with the band as they did more performances (Frank pictured with Sex Pistols in August)
Former lead singer John has had an ongoing feud with the group since their split in 1978, as he has tried to stop its music being used in TV shows (pictured last September)
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 (band pictured in 1977)
But Steve hit back at his remarks and urged him to ‘grow up and move on’ as he said he didn’t understand why John is so upset about the series.
He 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.’
Steve and Paul were recently logged in a High Court battle with John, who wished to block the use of their songs in the TV series.
After he lost the legal fight, John went on to brand his former bandmates ‘greedy’, ‘nasty’ and ‘evil, later claiming the case financially ‘ruined’ him.
After he lost the legal fight, John went on to brand his former bandmates ‘greedy’, ‘nasty’ and ‘evil, later claiming the case financially ‘ruined’ him (pictured in May)
The Sex Pistols during their final tour The Sex Pistols were formed in 1975 as one of the first British punk groups, but disbanded in 1978 (pictured John, Sid Vicious, Steve and Paul)
He told The Daily Telegraph: ‘I’m seriously in a state of ruin. I’ve got no more savings, no more loans, no pensions. I’ve got nothing.’
The rocker added that the Sex Pistols were now finished for ever, declaring: ‘For me, that band has ceased to exist.’
The Sex Pistols were formed in 1975 as one of the first British punk groups, but disbanded in 1978.
They went on to perform several live shows together, with the Filthy Lucre tour in 1996, and shows in 2002, 2003 and 2007 and the last being the Azkena Rock Festival in 2008.
