Sex Pistols to play first US shows in 17 years: “Is the world ready for a new Sex Pistols record?”

It’s been 17 years since punk icons the Sex Pistols last performed on US soil and 22 since the band last toured there. On both occasions, they were fronted by original singer and founding member John Lydon.

Lydon feud with former Pistols bandmates

A lot has happened in the intervening years - including a bitter fallout between Lydon and his three ex-bandmates, Steve Jones, Glen Matlock and Paul Cook over Danny Boyle’s six-part miniseries Pistol which aired in 2022.

Lydon attempted to block Boyle from using the Pistols’ music in the documentary, which he claimed was, “The most disrespectful shit I’ve ever had to endure,” but lost the ensuing legal case.

Since then Jones, Matlock and Cook haven’t been in speaking terms with Lydon but have kept the band going under the original name with Frank Carter stepping in as lead singer.

The Pistols with Carter at the helm performed a handful of shows last year and will be heading out to the US in the fall for a run of shows.

The Sex Pistols and Frank Carter’s North American Tour kicks off on September 16 at Longhorn Ballroom in Dallas - a venue they know well. It was where they played the fifth show of their ill-fated 1978 tour - and where bass player Sid Vicious was punched slap in the face by a female fan. Vicious continued playing with blood dripping down his face and onto his guitar.

The 1978 Dallas show was recorded and features in a new three-album set of live recordings from that US tour which go on general release, Union Jack-themed colored vinyl, next month.

Pistols return to Dallas

It’s the only place that the Pistols will be revisiting - most no longer exist or have been long demolished - such was the case with Winterland, the scene of the last show on the 78 tour before the group disbanded.

Carter and the Pistols

will continue with dates in Washington, Philly, Seattle, Detroit as well as a stopover in Canada before winding the tour up in Los Angeles on October 16.

While Lydon sneers that the Pistols without him is "karaoke“, founding member Steve Jones points out we’re in a different world and fans have moved on - while it’s largely irrelevant for the new, younger fans.

“You think you’re gonna get a negative thing by doing it without John, but I’m surprised. There was no backlash whatsoever,” he explained in an interview with NME. “There was a few die-hards on Instagram, but they hadn’t even seen us. They just can’t see it without John, which I get, but even the ones that came out of curiosity were into it after a couple of songs.”

Tickets will be available through Ticketmaster from Tuesday April 1 2025 at 10:00 a.m. ET.

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