In a rare, unfiltered moment, John Lydon — once the snarling frontman of the Sex Pistols — admitted something unexpected: when it comes to his old band and the legacy members still touring under the Pistols name, “I don’t feel anything for them.” The remark startled fans and sparked fresh conversation about loyalty, legacy and what it really means to “be the Pistols.”
Lydon’s anger is rooted in a deeper rift that’s simmered for years. He has repeatedly expressed disdain for the current lineup of the Sex Pistols, which he feels has abandoned the original band’s spirit in favour of commercial revival. As he put it in a recent interview:
“Let them wallow in Walt Disney woke expectations … I am the Pistols, and they’re not.”
It’s more than sniping at former friends; for Lydon, it’s about identity. Back in the late 1970s the band kicked up enough chaos to redefine punk-rock, but Lydon says the current incarnation has turned that raw spark into a safely packaged brand. He called their recent reunion shows “karaoke with really mediocre results.”
That level of bitterness comes from more than pride. In 2022 Lydon lost a legal battle over use of the Pistols’ music in a TV series. He says the fight exposed how much control he lost — and how little the newer version of the band understands what they once were. “They’ve killed the content, or done their best to,” he said.
Still, despite the public feuding, Lydon shows no signs of stopping. He continues to tour with his band, Public Image Ltd., and repeatedly reinforces that if the band name lives, the spirit must too. But if the original fire is gone, he says, then the badge means nothing.
For fans of punk history, this isn’t just another rock dispute — it’s a reminder of how fragile legacy can be. And how easily the names we trust to hold meaning can turn into something unrecognizable.
