FRANK CARTER & THE SEX PISTOLS // BUSH HALL, LONDON
FRANK CARTER & THE SEX PISTOLS PLAY THREE SPECIAL SOLD-OUT INTIMATE SHOWS FOR CHARITY AT LONDON’S BUSH HALL
★★★★☆ (4/5)
FRANK CARTER & THE SEX PISTOLS LIVE AT LONDON'S BUSH HALL
PHOTOCREDIT: JEMMA DODD
Enthusiasm for the latest iteration of the Sex Pistols reunion demonstrates just how perennial the influence of ‘Never Mind the Bollocks’ continues to be. The 1977 album still holds up as the album many consider brought punk into the mainstream. Having reunited with the ‘original’ lineup of Paul Cook, Steve Jones, Glen Matlock (the predecessor to the infamous Sid Vicious) and John Lydon in the late 90s and 00s, a breakdown in the relationship between Lydon and the rest of the band has largely put an end to any future reunion plans. However, In aide of a fundraiser for the iconic Bush Hall venue in London’s Shepherd’s Bush (a venue close to the band’s hearts as Shepherd’s Bush natives) Sex Pistols tonight bring in the services of Frank Carter for lead vocals in lieu of Lydon. Current frontman of ‘Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes’ and ex-frontman of the influential hardcore punk band ‘Gallows’, Carter’s addition to the band brings a new tint to ‘Never Mind the Bollocks’, which the band play from start to finish over three intimate shows on consecutive nights.
Despite being a similarly fiery haired punk frontman, it’s clear from the outset that Carter aims to do his own thing with Sex Pistols rather than attempt a John Lydon impression. Opening with ‘Holidays in the Sun’, the band tightly tear through one of rock music’s most iconic album openers. Carter bounds about the stage with his signature madly glinting eyes and rabid intensity, often taking time out to run through the crowd and get close to the small but tightly packed audience. Now in their late 60s, time has been kind to the original members of the Sex Pistol. They look the part and have energy in their performance, Paul Cook especially keeping things tied down behind the kit. The show feels far from being a vast arena show production – a definite a rawness in the performance that feels fitting to the 400-capacity Bush Hall and the integrity of the band’s original ethos.
One benefit of Sex Pistol’s limited discography is that no fan is left disappointed tonight. Every song from NMTB gets its performance along with B-sides ‘Did You No Wrong’ and ‘Satellite’. A cover of Iggy and the Stooges’ ‘No Fun’ also makes the setlist. The energy in the room was of course the most palpable for album staples ‘Pretty Vacant’, ‘E.M.I’, ‘God Save the Queen’ (Carter fittingly editing to ‘God Save the King’) and a raucous ‘Anarchy in the UK’ which also had some lyrical changes to reflect the current political landscape. The political power of the Sex Pistols is enduring and a modern update on the Pistols’ tunes helps to show how punk as political genre is still painfully relevant.
With a much larger show scheduled at Kentish Town’s Forum, it seems as if this latest Sex Pistols reunion will be opened up to larger audiences. It’s a must-see for any punk fan.
