Steve Jones Opens Up on Sex Pistols’ Fractured Bond with Johnny Rotten Ahead of 2025 Tour
The Sex Pistols are gearing up to storm the U.S. once again, but don’t expect Johnny Rotten to lead the charge. In a candid new interview with Rolling Stone Australia, guitarist Steve Jones dropped a bombshell about the band’s estranged frontman, saying it “wasn’t even worth asking” him to join their upcoming tour. With the punk pioneers—Jones, Paul Cook, and Glen Matlock—teaming up with Frank Carter of Gallows fame, this revival is set to reignite their anarchic legacy. But the absence of Johnny Rotten, aka John Lydon, looms large. So, what’s the story behind this fractured relationship, and what can fans expect
from the Sex Pistols in 2025? Sex Pistols’ Steve Jones Talks Relationship with Johnny Rotten
The Sex Pistols haven’t toured the U.S. since 2003, and their last stateside gig was in 2008. Now, nearly two decades later, they’re plotting a return that’s already generating buzz. Jones, the band’s riff-wielding backbone, spilled the tea to Rolling Stone Australia ahead of this yet-to-be-fully-announced tour. When asked if Lydon was invited to join, Jones didn’t mince words: “It wasn’t even worth asking.” The bluntness speaks volumes about a rift that’s simmered for years, turning one of punk’s most iconic partnerships into a relic of the past. Recommended: The Goonies Sequel Is Coming: What Fans Can Expect from the Next Chapter of the Classic Adventure
This isn’t the first time the Sex Pistols have moved forward without Lydon. In 2024, Jones, Cook, and Matlock reunited for acclaimed UK shows with Carter stepping in as vocalist. The chemistry clicked—Carter’s raw energy meshed with the band’s chaotic DNA, earning rave reviews. But Lydon’s absence has always been the elephant in the room. Once the sneering voice of “Anarchy in the U.K.,” he’s been at odds with his former bandmates since their infamous 1978 implosion at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom, where he famously quipped, “Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?” Steve Jones Says He Hasn’t Spoken to Johnny Rotten
The Sex Pistols’ breakup wasn’t just a dramatic exit—it was a fracture that never fully healed. After that chaotic ’78 U.S. tour, Lydon walked away, fed up with manager Malcolm McLaren’s antics and the band’s internal turmoil. Sid Vicious’ heroin spiral and eventual death in 1979 only deepened the scars. Reunions in 1996 and 2008 brought temporary truces, but the peace was fleeting. By 2008’s Azkena Rock Festival in Spain—the last time Jones and Lydon shared a stage—tensions had boiled over again. “I haven’t spoken to him since,” Jones told the Rockonteurs podcast in November 2024, calling that tour “too much.”
Legal battles didn’t help. In 2021, Lydon lost a High Court case against Jones and Cook over the use of Sex Pistols music in Danny Boyle’s biopic Pistol, based on Jones’ memoir Lonely Boy. Lydon slammed the series as inaccurate, but the defeat widened the chasm. Add in Lydon’s vocal support for Donald Trump—a stark contrast to punk’s anti-establishment ethos—and you’ve got a recipe for irreconcilable differences. Jones, ever the pragmatist, seems done looking back. “It’s a different vibe now,” he said of the Carter-led lineup. “Night and day.”
This U.S. tour follows the release of three Live in the USA 1978 albums in early 2025, revisiting that infamous first American run. Back then, McLaren booked obscure venues, and hostile crowds pelted the band with everything from insults to beer cans. Jones called it “a fucking circus” in his memoir—hardly a nostalgia trip he’d replay. But with Carter, a seasoned crew, and a legacy to uphold, this 2025 tour promises a different beast: controlled chaos, punk purity, and maybe a middle finger to the past.
What’s Next for the Sex Pistols?
Fans are buzzing with questions. Where will they play? Will new music drop? Jones has hinted at keeping things classic—“If you do anything new live, people go get a drink,” he told the Mail—but the Teenage Cancer Trust gig with Carter in 2025 suggests they’re open to surprises. The Royal Albert Hall show will raise funds for a cause close to their hearts, blending punk rebellion with purpose. Sex Pistol Steve Jones hasn’t spoken to his former bandmate
Meanwhile, Lydon’s off doing his own thing—grieving his late wife Nora, who passed in 2023, and fronting Public Image Ltd. His recent slams at the Sex Pistols’ “karaoke” reunion (per Rolling Stone, February 2025) show he’s not softening. But Jones isn’t biting the bait. “I’m not bothered,” he told Rolling Stone Australia. “We’re doing our thing.”
Why This Matters Now
The Sex Pistols remain punk’s beating heart, even fractured. Their 2025 U.S. tour isn’t just a nostalgia grab—it’s a testament to resilience. Jones, now 69, could’ve hung up his guitar, but he’s choosing to roar again. Lydon’s absence stings, sure, but it’s also a chance to redefine what the band can be. For fans old and new, this is punk’s next chapter: raw, real, and unapologetic.
So, mark your calendars (even if the dates are TBD) and brace for impact. The Sex Pistols are coming, Johnny or not. What do you think—can Carter carry the torch, or is Rotten irreplaceable? Sound off below!
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