Estranged frontman of iconic punk band says he will never return to ‘woke’ group

As his Sex Pistols bandmates gear up for their first U.S. tour in more than two decades, John Lydon vows to “never” return to the “woke” group.

Lydon told The Independent that he would never rejoin Sex Pistols “not after what I consider their dirty deeds.”

“They’ve killed the content, or done their best to, and turned the whole thing into a rubbish, childishness, and that’s unacceptable,” Lydon told the news outlet. “Sorry, I’m not going to give a helping hand to this any longer, as far as I am concerned, I am the Pistols, and they’re not.”

Lydon (whose stage name is Johnny Rotten) has publicly clashed with his former bandmates repeatedly over the years, including a high-profile court battle against the rest of the band in a bid to stop Sex Pistols songs being used in a Disney+ series of their story, called “Pistol.”

Lydon has also reportedly dismissed Sex Pistols for replacing him with singer Frank Carter — an English musician known for his work with punk bands like Gallows, Pure Love and Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes. Carter has fronted multiple U.K. shows for Sex Pistols up until last month.

Lydon was initially “insulted” by the group performing without him, but now finds the situation “hilarious,” according to The Independent. He last performed with Sex Pistols in 2008.

“The last thing he wants to do is have anything to do with us right now,” Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones told The Associated Press while referring to the lawsuit.

“Good luck to him,” bassist Glen Matlock told the news outlet. “I wish he thinks, maybe, ‘good luck’ to us. Probably doesn’t. But over the years, John (has had) all our phone numbers, and I can’t see many missed calls from him.”

Lydon is preparing for his own tour with Public Image Limited (Pil), The Independent reported.

Formed in London in 1975, the Sex Pistols’ original lineup consisted of Lydon, Jones, Cook and Matlock who was later replaced by Sid Vicious who died in 1979. The band only released one studio album, 1977’s “Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols.” The album featured songs including “Pretty Vacant,” “Anarchy in the U.K.” and “God Save the Queen.”

Jones, Cook and Matlock first reunited last year to play the 1977 album with Carter as lead vocalist. Last month it was revealed that Sex Pistols would play North American shows this fall for the first time since 2003. The North American tour begins in mid-September and last four weeks. The new shows will feature original band members Jones, Cook and Matlock along with Carter who will take over for Lydon.

“I think everybody needs this band right now. I think the world needs this band right now,” Carter told the AP. “I think definitely America is screaming out for a band like the Sex Pistols.”

Tickets for the Sex Pistols’ 2025 North American tour go on sale Friday, April 4 at 10 a.m. Fans can shop for tickets using reliable third-party ticket sellers like StubHub, VividSeats and SeatGeek.

A full list of tour dates is below:

• Sept. 16 — Longhorn Ballroom — Dallas, Texas
• Sept. 23 — 9:30 Club — Washington, D.C.
• Sept. 26 — Fillmore — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Sept. 27 — TBD — Brooklyn, New York
• Sept. 30 — Mtelus — Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• Oct. 1 — History — Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Oct. 3 — Agora Theatre — Cleveland, Ohio
• Oct. 4 — Fillmore — Detroit, Michigan
• Oct. 7 — Fillmore — Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Oct. 10 — Mission Ballroom — Denver, Colorado
• Oct. 13 — Showbox SoDo — Seattle, Washington
• Oct. 15 — Warfield — San Francisco, California
• Oct. 16 — Hollywood Palladium — Los Angeles, California