John Lydon is said to be furious after the Sex Pistols announced reunion gigs with the frontman replaced by another singer.
The band’s guitarist Steve Jones, 68, announced on Instagram last Monday that he would be reuniting with drummer Paul Cook and bassist Glen Matlock for two benefit concerts in London in August.
Tickets for the shows sold out within minutes, with some fans claiming they were already sold out by the time general sales began at 9 a.m. on June 5.
But it is former frontman John, known as Johnny Rotten, who is said to be most upset about the dates, after being replaced by singer Frank Carter.
A source said Sun that John, 68, “thinks he IS the Pistols” and has told friends that upcoming shows will be “shit.”
John Lydon is said to be furious after the Sex Pistols announced reunion gigs on Instagram last Monday, with the frontman replaced by another singer (John pictured in 2022).
The band have recruited singer and tattoo artist Frank, of Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, to join them and play their album Never Mind The Bollocks on August 13, 14 and 15.
The Frank Carter & Sex Pistols concerts will be for charity, in a bid to raise money to save Bush Hall, a famous live music venue in Shepherd’s Bush.
The publication’s source said that the benefit concerts are not only to raise money for the venue, but also a way to get back at John.
Former singer John has had an ongoing feud with the band since their split in 1978, as he has tried to prevent their music from being used on television programmes.
A source said: “These Pistols concerts aren’t just for charity, they’re to show Rotten how bad they think he’s been to the rest of the band over the years by fighting to stop them from earning royalties for their music. “.
‘Rotten thinks he IS the Pistols and has the rights to all their music, but these concerts will prove they don’t need him anymore.
“As usual, John has told his friends that he thinks the upcoming concerts will be shit.”
MailOnline has contacted representatives for John and the Sex Pistols for comment.
The band’s guitarist Steve Jones, 68, announced on Instagram last Monday that he would be reuniting with drummer Paul Cook and bassist Glen Matlock for two benefit concerts in London in August.
John fronted The Sex Pistols during the 1970s, but has since criticized Boyle’s decision to document their rise and fall (pictured in 1976).
Former singer John has had an ongoing feud with the band since their split in 1978, as he has tried to prevent their music from being used on television shows (band pictured in 1977).
Taking to social media last week, Steve shared a poster of the concerts on his account.
He said: ‘Tickets go on sale Wednesday June 5 at 9am London time, with all proceeds going to Bush Hall.
“I can promise you it will be hot, sweaty and moving, see you there.”
Fans were absolutely ecstatic at the announcement, but many were disappointed as tickets sold out at record speed.
They commented: ‘Curiously, the tickets were sold out before going on sale at 9 in the morning…’; ‘Is it possible that the tickets were sold out before 9am?’;
‘Have you ever had the feeling that you have been deceived? There are no tickets on sale to the general public at 9:00 am…..,’;
‘Why were the tickets sold out BEFORE they went on sale??! I really wanted to go to this’;
‘I can’t believe they went so fast, at 9:00 am, start at 9:01 am, tickets were sold out, how? He was so hoping to see this > :-(, ‘;’ Gutted, didn’t get one. Sold out instantly.’
Fans were absolutely elated at the announcement, but many were left disappointed as tickets sold out at record speed.
Steve (pictured right with Paul Cook) urged his former bandmate John to “grow up and move on” after he expressed his annoyance with the new Pistol series in 2022.
Steve said that if Danny Boyle had wanted to adapt a show from John’s memoirs, then he, Paul and Glen Matlock (all pictured with John in 2002) would have been “delighted”.
In 2022, a six-part series directed by Danny Boyle documenting the rise and fall of punk pioneers premiered on Disney+, reigniting the feud between John and his former bandmates.
John, who was not involved in the production of the show, was highly critical of the project and condemned perceived historical inaccuracies.
But Steve responded to his comments and urged him to “grow up and move on” as he said he doesn’t understand why John is so upset about the series.
Steve insisted that the show is about him and not John, as it is based on his memoir Lonely Boy: Tales From A Sex Pistol.
“I don’t have time for all that shit anymore,” Steve said. Sun At the time.
‘You just have to grow up and move on. The show is about me, not about John, although he is obviously a big part of it.”