“Tattooed and charged with energy, he didn’t join the band to replace anyone, but to shake up the world,“ wrote Kerrang!, one of the most influential British hard rock magazines. They added that Carter not only breathes new life into the band but is redefining it entirely, concluding that audiences, even those unfamiliar with him, can’t and don’t want to take their eyes off his electrifying stage presence.
The Guardian describes him as “a new burst of energy and charisma for this legendary punk band,“ highlighting his authenticity on stage: “The wired, muscular Carter, a punk rock veteran himself, hurls himself into these songs and into the mosh pit, favouring wide-eyed intensity over Johnny Rotten’s arch, mocking sneer.“ That’s precisely what the band needed after nearly half a century, as critics assert, “the Pistols are not good despite the absence of John Lydon, they are great because Carter is here,“ Kerrang! concludes.
As noted by prominent British music critic Ian Winwood, the band now plays with the kind of freedom that eluded them for decades, ever since Steve Jones swore on national television back in 1976, turning the group into the most dangerous symbol of an entire era. “They were wanted men, persecuted men,” writes Winwood. “Not any more, though.”
Their recent performances have been embraced by some of the world’s top music critics. British magazine Mojo wrote enthusiastically about “a concert full of adrenaline, spirit, and devastating sincerity.” According to the respected music outlet Bring the Noise UK, Carter “took command of the stage as if it had always been his,” while Kerrang! highlights that his “lust for life brings the Sex Pistols together for the first time in almost half a century.”
The band that “cut the cord between the masses and the establishment” back in the 1970s left an indelible mark on global music history. When they released “God Save the Queen” in May 1977, censorship couldn’t stop the anthem from echoing through the streets, as they performed on a boat right in front of Parliament. That rebellious spirit returned to the stage in August 2024, during a series of charity concerts at Bush Hall, when the world learned that Frank Carter was becoming the band’s new frontman.
Following the London shows came a UK tour, which only solidified what was already felt at Bush Hall – that the Sex Pistols didn’t just survive the change, they turned it into a new source of power. The Independent wrote that the band “still has plenty of punk in them, even without Lydon,“ while the Evening Standard noted that Carter was “wild-eyed, roaring, frothing with anarchic energy – serving exactly what was promised: absolute chaos.” Bring the Noise UK emphasized that Carter “wasn’t trying to emulate Lydon; he was himself, and arguably that made it even better.”
An Australian tour is set for April, which Rolling Stone calls “legendary chaos,” highlighting that Carter “is not trying to be Johnny Rotten, but brings his own chaos, voice, and charisma.” Concerts in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane confirmed what the world’s top music critics have agreed on: Carter is a wild presence on stage, politically outspoken, and painfully honest – everything punk was ever meant to be.
As the crowning moment of their comeback tour and a statement of this new chapter, the Sex Pistols released a triple live album in May 2025 titled “Live in the USA 1978,” featuring raw recordings from their legendary 1978 U.S. tour, including performances in Atlanta, Dallas, and San Francisco. The release, available as a deluxe vinyl edition and digitally, was met with high praise from fans and critics alike, not just for its historical value, but for the unfiltered, visceral energy captured in the recordings. The album’s release further fueled excitement for the band’s new tour. Even Liam Gallagher didn’t hide his enthusiasm, saying the Sex Pistols changed how he viewed music, adding: “When I first heard that record, all heaven broke loose.”
This year, EXIT Festival won’t just host a historic moment on its main stage. It will deliver the return of real, authentic rebellion. When legends who changed everything unite with a man who tramples all norms of today, you don’t get a concert. You get a manifesto. You get a punk sermon. You get living proof that punk still knows how to slap the system and shake people awake.
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. In this day and age, you’ve got billionaire sympathizers who have turned us against ourselves; so, no, punk will never die, and arguably it’s never been healthier than it is right now, says Frank Carter.
See you in front of the stage. Bring your voice.
