After 29 Years Sex Pistols Return To Melbourne’s Festival Hall #Review

The one criticism I must say about Sex Pistols 2025 is that unlike 1977, we now have musicians who can play and a singer who can sing. You’ve also got to love that three guys fast approaching 70 have made their career for the past half a century out of a lyric that goes “No future for you, no future me”. As that wise old philosopher Alanis Morissette once said, “isn’t it ironic, don’t you think?”.

At age 40 UK punk singer Frank Carter is perfect match for Steve Jones, Paul Cook and Glen Matlock. For one thing, he is NOT John Lydon and doesn’t try to be. That is a good thing. Jones, Cook and Matlock have refined their sound over time. They now sound like a rock band, not a punk band. That might play with the purists (if there is such a thing in the world of the Pistols). There was nothing sloppy about this band like the ’77 era. Carter’s focus compared to loose-cannon Lydon, gives this show a structure and the band border on (dare I say) tight. When Frank sang ‘My Way’ (sung by Sid Vicious on the ‘Great Rock and Roll Swindle’ soundtrack) Frank sounded more like Frank (Sinatra) than Sid.(And where was the fucking “to think I killed a cat” line. There was NO “To think I killed a cat” line in your version FFS. That was inSIDeous.

It is incredible that Sex Pistols have any longevity or importance in the History of Rock and Roll. There was only one studio album plus the soundtrack to a very disjointed movie. (Fun Fact: Great Train Robber Ronald Biggs was also in the movie and even sings a few songs on the soundtrack album).

This is a condensed show. 13 songs over exactly one hour and a two-song encore, and we were on our way home 70 minutes later. One thing of note, there is no mention of Sex Pistols name on stage or on the Australian tour t-shirt with the concert dates. Paul Cook’s drum kit just has the letters ‘NBTB’ (Never Mind The Bollocks). The backdrop is two speakers with the words ‘Nowhere’ on one speaker and ‘Boredom’ on the other. I know some grumpy ‘rotten’ scoundrel back in England keeps barking about this band. I’m just guessing but I would suggest these guys are keeping the imaging clean incase the ‘rotten’ scoundrel wants to take legal action over the name. This way, there are no visuals to claim copyright over. Clever!.

This was not a young crowd either. I’m guessing a good chunk of this audience was at the last Pistols show in Melbourne 29 years ago. The younger demographic provided the visuals for this part. Carter included an “audience participation moment” where he created chaos coming to the centre of the audience for a Circle Pit to sing ‘Bodies’ while the crowd crushed in a crowd surfed around him.

You’ve also got to love the fact that this Sex Pistols show was held at the Hillsong Church owned Festival Hall. The ‘Anarchy In The UK’ lyric “I am an Antichrist / I am an anarchist” never had more meaning.

Sex Pistols never made it to Australia in the 70s. The 1996 tour (with John Lydon) and the 2025 tour (with Frank Carter) are the only two times they’ve been to Australia. The ’96 tour was also the four piece with this band Steve Jones (guitar), Glen Matlock (bass) and Paul Cook (drums). There were no additional musicians, there were no backing singings, there were no backing tapes, there were no special effects. This was 100% a performance from four people in a rock and roll band playing real instruments and with real vocals.

I was at the 1996 show. For this 2025 show I stood in exactly the same spot as 29 years ago, right of stage down the front at the barrier. And that wasn’t a privileged allocated spot either. Just like last time, it was general admission, and you positioned wherever you wanted to be. I chose to return to the scene of the crime nearly three decades ago.

How threatening are Sex Pistols in 2025? Well, Triple M Melbourne play them as “classic hits”. Enjoy the songs, the message is long gone.

: The Sex Pistols Frank Turner photo by Andrew Sladins

: The Sex Pistols Glen Matlock photo by Andrew Sladins

: The Sex Pistols Paul Cook photo by Andrew Sladins

: The Sex Pistols founders Steve Glen and Paul photo by Andrew Sladins

: The Sex Pistols Steve Jones photo by Andrew Sladins

Sex Pistols, Melbourne, Festival Hall, 5 April, 2025

Holidays in the Sun (Never Mind The Bollocks, 1977)
Seventeen (Never Mind The Bollocks, 1977)
New York (Never Mind The Bollocks, 1977)
Pretty Vacant (Never Mind The Bollocks, 1977)
Bodies (Never Mind The Bollocks, 1977)
Silly Thing (from The Great Rock and Roll Swindle, 1979)
Liar (Never Mind The Bollocks, 1977)
God Save the Queen (Never Mind The Bollocks, 1977)
No Fun (The Stooges cover) (from Sex Pistols box set, 2002)
Satellite (from Sex Pistols box set, 2002)
No Feelings (Never Mind The Bollocks, 1977)
Problems (Never Mind The Bollocks, 1977)
E.M.I. (Never Mind The Bollocks, 1977)

Encore:
My Way (from The Great Rock and Roll Swindle, 1979)
Anarchy in the U.K. (Never Mind The Bollocks, 1977)

As a contrast here is Sex Pistols setlist from the previous time they played in Melbourne, 19 October, 1996 at Festival Hall

Bodies (Never Mind The Bollocks, 1977)
Seventeen (Never Mind The Bollocks, 1977)
New York (Never Mind The Bollocks, 1977)
No Feelings (Never Mind The Bollocks, 1977)
Did You No Wrong (from Sex Pistols box set, 2002)
God Save the Queen (Never Mind The Bollocks, 1977)
Liar (Never Mind The Bollocks, 1977)
Satellite (from Sex Pistols box set, 2002)
I’m Not Your Stepping Stone (from The Great Rock and Roll Swindle, 1979)
Submission (Never Mind The Bollocks, 1977)
Holidays in the Sun (Never Mind The Bollocks, 1977)
Pretty Vacant (Never Mind The Bollocks, 1977)
E.M.I. (Never Mind The Bollocks, 1977)

Encore:
Anarchy in the U.K. (Never Mind The Bollocks, 1977)
Problems (Never Mind The Bollocks, 1977)

SEX PISTOLS FEATURING FRANK CARTER – 2025 AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND TOUR
Wednesday April 2 Town Hall, Auckland (completed)
Thursday April 3 Town Hall, Christchurch (completed)
Saturday April 5 Festival Hall, Melbourne (completed)
Sunday April 6 Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide
Tuesday April 8 Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
Wednesday April 9 Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane
Friday April 11 Fremantle Prison, Fremantle

The Sex Pistols tickets from Live Nation.

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