‘That album is almost 50 years old and it’s never been more relevant than it is today,’ asserts a passionate Frank Carter. The album in question is Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols, the foundational LP his new bandmates released in 1977 and find themselves still touring to this day. Carter has been Sex Pistols’ leading man since early 2024, and he and original member Steve Jones sounded genuinely offended by the mere suggestion of punk being dead (The Exploited’s 1981 debut album, Punk’s Not Dead, has inspired a myriad of column inches and pub debates which have examined that very statement).

‘Punk’s always been for the underdogs, the outsiders, the people that don’t really fit in or they want to question the society we have and hold the people up top to account,’ says Carter. ‘In this day and age, you’ve got billionaire sympathisers who have turned us against ourselves; so, no, punk will never die, and arguably it’s never been healthier than it is right now.’

It’s no surprise to hear Carter’s optimism about the state of punk, given that Sex Pistols are set to welcome tens of thousands of punters to Bellahouston Park for the Punk All Dayer, where they’ll be propped up by the likes of The Stranglers, Skids and Buzzcocks. ‘When we do Never Mind The Bollocks, a lot of people find it as a release, and that they don’t have to look at all the bollocks in the world,’ reflects Jones, who admits it was impossible to imagine the band ever reforming while he lived through the Sex Pistols’ messy break-up in the late 70s. ‘They can have a good time for an hour and a half and you see the joy that we’re creating. It’s a love fest. It’s not a fucking hate fest, you know?’

While there’s clearly an appetite for large-scale performances from well-established groups, Sorley Mackay, frontman of Glasgow post-punk outfit Doss, believes that accessibility is crucial to the survival of counter-cultural art. ‘What matters more now is grassroots music, connecting with people on the ground, bringing together folk from different backgrounds, and building something real,’ contends Mackay. ‘Community’s been ripped apart in recent years, but creating affordable, inclusive creative spaces is key. Those spaces can become powerful catalysts for solidarity, expression and genuine movements.’

Punk isn’t necessarily dead, according to Mackay, though he believes it now tends to manifest in less conventional ways. ‘For Doss, and for me as a songwriter, punk is more about attitude than sound… bands like Kneecap might not sound traditionally punk, but their message and approach embody the spirit.’ For Frank Carter, the Northern Irish rap trio’s steadfast commitment to brutal honesty shows that the modern punk spirit is alive and well. ‘There will always be a whipping boy, and usually it’s the person that’s telling the truth.’

There are few people more clued up about the state of modern punk than Tony Gaughan, owner of the aptly named record shop Blitzkrieg, who believes he has seen enough promising local acts to leave him feeling optimistic. ‘Honestly there’s a whole new punk scene full of bands that are coming up now. There are so many cool young bands like Gallus and Brògeal; Spires as well… I think the punk thing is back and living with us now.’

Blitzkrieg, which is nestled into the heart of The Barras, is a constant hive of DIY music activity, with young bands streaming in and out of the multi-purpose punk haven to pin gig posters to the shop’s community board, pick up new kit and perform sets in-store. ‘I think bands have got it in their own hands now; they don’t need to go begging to major record labels,’ remarks Gaughan, who says he’s reminded of the spirit of Sniffin’ Glue fanzine when he sees bands going lamppost to lamppost with QR codes and flyers. It’s hard not to feel enthusiastic about the future of punk in Glasgow while listening to Gaughan speak so passionately about his community in Gallowgate. And it came as no surprise to hear his blunt response when asked if punk is dead: ‘absolutely not.’

Sex Pistols Featuring Frank Carter headline the Summer Sessions Punk All Dayer, Bellahouston Park, Glasgow, Saturday 21 June; Doss play Old Hairdresser’s, Glasgow, Thursday 17 July, Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, Friday 18 July, and appear at Back Doune The Rabbit Hole, Cardross Estate, Stirlingshire, Saturday 2 August; more info on Blitzkrieg can be found at their website; main picture: Stewart Fullerton.