Steve Jones Says He Hasn’t Spoken to Johnny Rotten in 16 Years

Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones says he hasn’t spoken to his former bandmate John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) for well over a decade.

“I haven’t spoken to him in years,” Jones admitted during a recent appearance on the Rockonteurs podcast. “2008 was the last time I spoke to him. We did 30 shows around Europe. We did a bunch of festivals and all that, Japan, Australia. We ended up at Hammersmith Odeon, Hammersmith Apollo, and then we had one more show in the Basque country and that was it.”

Much like in their previous breakups, tensions within the Sex Pistols proved too difficult to overcome. The band’s last show with Lydon took place on Sept. 5, 2008.

“I was done after that, no more,” Jones explained, expressing his exacerbation with the situation. “Too much. Too old, too much, not enough done.”

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Since then, the Sex Pistols members have gone onto their own projects. In 2022, the band was back in the headlines thanks to Pistol, a limited TV series focused on the band’s tumultuous history. Lydon unsuccessfully sued his former bandmates in an attempt to stop the shows’ release.

Steve Jones Confirms Sex Pistols Will Continue Without Johnny Rotten

Earlier this year, Jones reunited with drummer Paul Cook and bassist Glen Matlock to revive the Sex Pistols. Frank Carter, frontman of English punk group Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, took Lydon’s place on vocals. The group played a total of nine shows together, garnering overwhelmingly positive reactions from fans and critics alike.

“This is different,” Jones declared of the Sex Pistols’ new lineup during his Rockonteurs appearance. “It’s a different vibe. Night and day.”

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“He doesn’t try to be John,” the guitarist continued, praising Carter’s talents as a frontman. “It’s just fun. You know what I mean? And it comes across as fun. Plus we’re playing it how it should be played. And you got this lunatic jumping around all over the place. And he brings a big element to the fun part of it.”

Though the band’s 2024 touring appears to be done, Jones confirmed the Sex Pistols new lineup will be back in 2025. “We are going to go on the road next year.”