Expectations were high as Frank Carter took to the stage at Rock City with one of the most legendary acts of all time - the Sex Pistols - for what proved to be the ultimate punk reunion...
It is said that Sex Pistols' and their Never Mind the Bollocks record are all in a league of their own. The true originators of punk, no one else on the planet had their attitude, gusto or honesty. For some, it is the epitome of a punk movement. For others, it possesses anthems of a genre, issued during a time that can be considered just as poignant now as it was upon its release in the late '70s.
Then, for punks old and new in tow, the 50-year old wait for their momentous return was over.
Before too long, we're introduced to tonight's support The Molotovs. Brazen, bold and rambunctiously loud, they set the tone in the most daring of ways with a sound not too dissimilar to the likes of The Subways and The Reytons.
Then, as Rock City’s lights dim and a classical version of God Save The Queen plays from the speakers, the loudest cheer erupts from the crowd as the Sex Pistols waltz onto the stage. Fifty years in the making, for many it may have seemed all too surreal. An album cover hangs behind Paul 'Cookie' Cook, while yellow and pink Marshall amps stand on top of one another, draped with QPR flags, as Steve Jones and Glen Matlock pick up their weapons of choice, their trusty conspirators who have wiped the floor in punk for so many years. The minute Cookies' sticks hit the skins, the swamped crowd starts pogo-ing as they did all those years ago. The skittish bars of Holidays in the Sun echo around the venue as Carter begins his own chapter in his ever-evolving career as the leading man to the original Sex Pistols. Throughout the show, it's worth mentioning that Frank himself was a state of shock, repeatedly stating how much of a privilege it was to perform on that stage.
Next up is New York before the venue reaches another level, as 2,000 belt out Pretty Vacant, and the whole venue is screaming in a state of hysteria, like the days of old. What a sight to behold.
Before we know it, the anthem proclaiming against the monarchy begins and we're swept up again in the roar, the hum and the noise with God Save the Queen (as many understandably substitute "King") Of course, no matter what band he's fronting, it wouldn't be a Frank Carter show if he wasn't in the crowd himself. The band launches into Satellite as Carter dives into the crowd and encourages those to start a circle pit, before he crowd-surfs back to the stage on the swarming, sweaty bodies beneath him.
The usual suspects of The Stooges' cover No Fun is thrown in from the extensive 16-track record, before EMI and Problems round out a truly explosive regular set of remarkable punk staples. The break before the two-song encore allows the audience to catch its breath, too. Many dads wipe away tears from their eyes, as they embrace their sons and daughters - perhaps an occasion they'd never thought they'd be able to experience with their kids.
After catching their own breath, the band are back for their two-song encore. First, they perform Sinatra's My Way, a startling choice last played live in 2002 on tour. And finally we are met with the Pistols' most iconic moment ever: Anarchy in the UK. Jones' distortion unearths the venues' foundations as the roof is well and truly blown off. Frank's heartfelt tenacity and gritty deliverance is one of joyous wonder as he keeps the songs' political message alive, substituting the lyrics with “EDF, USA & IDF." At one moment, everything is cut but the drums and its the crowds' turn to just sing the iconic lines, "I wanna be anarchy, "And I wanna be anarchy" over and over again. A proper goose bump moment. Wonderful stuff.
A raw and thunderous performance to a song forever inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, it's a striking send-off to the first night of the tour - and a reminder of why the Sex Pistols are still punk legends. As if they'd be anything else at this point. What a truly special night that will forever go down in the halls of Rock City, its very walls encased with legends from those thrilling days of yesteryear. Nottingham has just added a few more to the list.
Frank Carter & the Sex Pistols performed at Rock City on 20th September 2024.
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