Live music review: Nevermind the Bollocks, Here’s My Sex Pistols Review
Getting your first copy of Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols is a rite of passage for kids getting into punk rock. Somewhere around 13–16 years old, everyone manages to get a copy of that record, either as a gift, a burned CD, or because someone’s hot older sister shoved it into your hands. Well, that’s how it went in my day. Now we’ve got playlists and Spotify, so the natural order of things has changed. But whatever. Kids are still finding out about the Sex Pistols, and that’s always a good thing like they did September 12 at Emo’s.
Now, nearly 50 years after Never Mind the Bollocks came screaming and kicking into the world, the Sex Pistols are back on American stages for their first North American run in more than two decades. Only this time, John Lydon — Johnny Rotten himself — isn’t at the wheel. Rotten has spent the last several years publicly backing Trump and wearing MAGA gear because, apparently, he’s an asshole.
Instead, Frank Carter, formerly of Gallows and best known more recently for Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes, has stepped into one of the most thankless jobs in punk rock: singing Sex Pistols songs without trying to become Johnny Rotten. Behind him, though, are the genuine articles — guitarist Steve Jones, drummer Paul Cook and original bassist Glen Matlock. And yes, Matlock is the OG; Sid Vicious replaced him in 1977 before being charged with murdering his girlfriend Nancy Spungen and eventually overdosing on heroin in 1979.
This version of the band first got together with Carter in 2024 for a series of benefit shows in London, and apparently everybody had enough fun that they decided to keep the party going. After dates overseas, the Pistols announced a North American tour for 2025, only to postpone it when Jones broke his wrist. The rescheduled 2026 run finally kicked off Sept. 11 at Dallas’ Longhorn Ballroom before landing at Emo’s in Austin the following night.
The premise is refreshingly uncomplicated: play Never Mind the Bollocks front to back, throw in some covers and remind everyone why 12 songs released in 1977 are still capable of getting people bouncing all these years later.
The show itself was a lot of fun, with Carter handling the duties of karaoke leader with respect for the music and the band’s legacy. I say “karaoke” with the utmost respect and love. Carter is a fan, and he treats his time singing like he’s living a childhood dream. Many of us cut our teeth on that record, so it’s a beautiful thing to see someone with his own career pay tribute rather than act like a tribute act. We have enough faux Elvises in the world.
The band played the songs with a genuine “why not us?” ferocity instead of simply buckling down on nostalgia. And good for them: the Pistols are in high form, doing a bang-up job keeping both the old heads and the new kids enthralled.
I got my copy of Never Mind the Bollocks back in 1994, and 13-year-old me was thrilled to scream along to “E.M.I.” and “Bodies.” I think plenty of us in that room felt the same way. The older we get, and the more complicated the world becomes, sometimes throwing it way the fuck back is exactly what you need.
The Sex Pistols continue their North American tour next month on October 10 in Salt Lake City. Check tour dates for upcoming shows stateside and UK in December.
Featured photo by Patrick Arfi courtesy of L’Oeil on Scenes
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