Somewhat amusingly, the sign outside Birmingham’s O2 Academy on Saturday stated that the evening’s entertainment was to be provided by “Frank Carter and Members of the Sex Pistols”. In a way, it was a bit misleading, suggesting that the original and greatest British punk band was going to be backing a relative newcomer rather than that they were touring with a new front man and, no doubt was more driven by John Lydon’s lawyer than what was going to happen on stage.
So, with the former Johnny Rotten having taken a hissy fit and leaving the fold, the Sex Pistols rocked up in the Brum to play the majority of their magnificent Never Mind the Bollocks album and assorted B-sides with the Gallows and Rattlesnakes’ front man. It was a smart move, as Carter brought some serious fire to the stage with a group who may look surprisingly youthful but are actually all old enough to claim their free bus passes. And as bassist, Glen Matlock recently said, lots of bands replace their singers at some point or another. It certainly never did Blag Flag, the Buzzcocks or Iron Maiden any harm.
Nevertheless, prior to Steve Jones, Paul Cook and Glen Matlock ushering Carter onto the stage in front of their Nowhere-Boredom backdrop, there had been a nagging concern that the show was going to be an exercise in punk karaoke, much like last year’s disappointing Generation Sex shows with Billy Idol and Tony James. However, once Steve Jones hit the primal chords of a riotous “Holidays in the Sun” any such worries were emphatically banished, and the multi-generational audience were immediately howling along with every word.
From “Seventeen” to “New York” and “God Save the Queen” to “Bodies”, Carter looked as happy as a pig in shit, spurring on both the legends behind him and the heaving masses to the front. With the majority of the audience far closer to retirement than their school days, though, there was inevitably less movement in front of the stage than there would have been in punk’s first blooming in the late 1970s. However, with the suburbia-baiting “Satellite” things really exploded, as the crowd formed a circle pit and the singer dived in to be held aloft and passed around the upstretched hands.
Carter may have crawled back on to the stage before the band attacked an incendiary “No Feelings” but the audience didn’t calm down one iota. In fact, by the time the Pistols ploughed into the Stooges’ “No Fun”, the vocalist was shirtless, there was some energetic crowd surfing going on and Security was handing out pints of water in the rising heat.
After an explosive “EMI” rounded off the main set, the band returned for an encore of Sid Vicious’ take on “My Way” and, finally, a spirited “Anarchy in the UK”. Again, sweaty bodies bounced off one another as the mosh pit went wild and plastic beer glasses went flying. It was a magnificent ending to a tremendous show and, while we may not have seen the authentic Sex Pistols, it was certainly Sex Pistols enough for anyone who witnessed it.
