Nearly 50 years have passed since the Sex Pistols’ abrasive introduction, and the message from a veteran Glasgow crowd on a trip down memory lane was clear: punk’s not dead, it’s just had a makeover. Following a public spat with former frontman John Lydon, his former colleagues Paul Cook, Steve Jones and Glen Matlock turned to Frank Carter (of The Rattlesnakes fame) to lead the line on their 2024 dates.

Carter, who was born five years after the tragic passing of Sid Vicious, cut a vibrant, sprightly figure on stage alongside this trio of punk icons, and has clearly put effort into his impressive take on Lydon’s distinct voice, leaving him hoarse as he attempted to banter with the Academy crowd between each hit. Who will be on the receiving end of the invoice he sends for the trousers he ripped during one of his many ventures into the crowd is unclear. But his presence allowed the band to stand back and focus on the music, which sounded solid all night. 

Carter’s showmanship did occasionally feel tired: standing in the stalls and organising a ‘circle pit’ during ‘Satellite’, for example, felt like a rather forced attempt at generating atmosphere and is arguably not, as he declared, ‘exactly what the Sex Pistols is all about’. However, in spite of the rather steep £60 ticket price, this new-look line-up breathed fresh life into a well-documented catalogue and left a crowd of punk revisionists feeling satisfied on a dark and dismal autumnal evening.

Reviewed at O2 Academy Glasgow.