SINGER John Lydon has vowed to NEVER get back on stage with his ex-bandmates in The Sex Pistols.
Three surviving members of the legendary punk rock outfit — Paul Cook, Steve Jones and Glen Matlock — are reforming for a series of festival gigs this summer.
But they’ll take to the road with a different singer — Frank Carter.
Guitarist Steve, 69, said recently that he is ready to make peace with original singer John, whom he hasn’t spoken to for 16 years.
However, the original frontman, who lost a court case to stop his old bandmates using his songs in a Danny Boyle film about the band, has ruled out any Sex Pistols reunion — no matter how lucrative the offer. John told The Irish Sun: “Never! I will never earn them another shilling.
“And I wouldn’t p*** on them if they were on fire! They are the world’s worst karaoke band.
“Since the band split, they haven’t come up with anything of their own. What else are they going to do?
“They want to disrespect me and all of that but you’re using my songs. My words and my images. What kind of lunacy is that?”
Johnny will earn royalties from The Sex Pistols’ tour because Frank is singing songs he co-wrote, including Anarchy in the UK and Pretty Vacant. But that doesn’t make him happy.
He said: “Unfortunately for them I get paid. Does it lighten my load? No, it makes it worse.
“A royalty cheque for someone desecrating your brilliant work? What an upside universe I live in. I feel quite sorry for the lead singer. Those are not his songs.
“He doesn’t understand the sentiments fully, let alone the band who propagate such nonsense that belongs on a cruise ship. It is very sad really.
“They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery. But not from where I’m standing.”
While his ex-bandmates perform around the UK and Ireland, John will be on tour with his own band PiL.
They play Dublin’s Olympia in June, then Limerick and Cork, before returning to Ireland in September for a nationwide spoken word tour, including dates in Cavan, Dundalk, Ballybofey, Kilkenny, Galway and Cork.
LANGUAGE LESSON
But John, who grew up in London to Irish parents, has banned any questions being asked as Gaeilge during his speaking tour.
He explained: “Please don’t start speaking Irish.
“Only because my parents spoke Irish at home, growing up but couldn’t understand each other, as one spoke Galway Irish and the other spoke Cork Irish.
“Their only meeting place was English in the middle. You need to bear in mind both my parents were fluent Gaelic speakers but that was beaten out of them when they moved to England. Having been brought up listening to Irish, I’m a little more clued in than most.”
‘I DON’T FEEL I HAVE A HOME ANYMORE’
John decided to go on the road after the death of wife Nora, who he nursed through Alzheimer’s until she passed away at home in California in April 2023, aged 80.
He said: “I want to go out and tour because I don’t feel I have a home anymore.
“After Nora died, I spent a lot of time alone. Now she’s gone because I live alone, it’s got no emotional pull for me. So each gig, each night will be my home.”
TRUMP FAN
And John sounds positively optimistic about 2025 and what US President Donald Trump might do.
He said: “Donald Trump wasn’t voted in for his personality. The man will fix things.
“I live in the US and have experienced the disaster of Biden’s government and it has to be repaired.”
- SEE Pilofficial.com for PiL and John Lydon dates.
