Glen Matlock has made his position clear: a Sex Pistols reunion with John Lydon is not going to happen. In a new interview tied to the release of the documentary I Was A Teenage Sex Pistol, Matlock was asked whether he, Paul Cook, and Steve Jones might ever welcome Lydon back into the fold. His answer was blunt and immediate: “It’s just not gonna happen.”
Matlock said Lydon was not even approached for the documentary and suggested the former singer has already moved on from the Sex Pistols, pointing instead to his work with Public Image Ltd. He added that the idea of the band returning to its original lineup has run its course, arguing that Lydon has effectively put himself in a separate lane now.
The bassist also pushed back on the idea that the current Pistols are some kind of fake version of the band. Responding to criticism that they are “a tribute band without John,” Matlock said there are still three original members involved and that Lydon is the only one operating as a “Public Imager.” He joked that Lydon has “painted himself into a corner of a very big hallway,” a line that captures just how unlikely any reconciliation sounds from Matlock’s point of view.
Instead of focusing on what is missing, Matlock praised the energy brought by Frank Carter, who has fronted the band’s recent live shows in place of Lydon. Carter, best known for his work with Gallows and Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, has given the Pistols a different kind of live presence, one that Matlock says reminded him of the band’s earliest days before fame took over. He said Carter has given the group “a new lease on life” and compared the mood to the period before the band’s image became a media obsession.
Matlock even shared a comment from Jenny Cook, Paul Cook’s wife, who reportedly told the band that it was the first time she had ever seen them come off stage smiling. That anecdote helps underline Matlock’s point: the current lineup feels lighter, looser, and more enjoyable for the people actually playing the music.
The article also notes that Matlock is still interested in what might come next creatively. While a Lydon reunion appears dead in his eyes, he said he is hopeful the Pistols could write new material together. The main obstacle, he explained, is geography and logistics: Steve Jones lives in Los Angeles, Matlock lives in London, and Frank Carter is hard to pin down.
This latest comment fits a longer pattern. The surviving Pistols reunited again in 2024 with Frank Carter on vocals, performing Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols in full, and the tour was later extended into 2026 after strong audience response. Lydon, meanwhile, has repeatedly blasted the reunion, calling it “karaoke” and rejecting the idea that it carries the spirit of the original band.
So while fans may keep hoping for one last all-original Pistols blast, Matlock’s message is not subtle. The Lydon chapter, in his view, is closed. The band’s future, if there is one, appears to lie elsewhere — with Carter, with new songs, and with the surviving Pistols deciding to keep moving instead of looking backward.
