Glen Matlock recently opened up about how the Sex Pistols ended up bringing Frank Carter on board as their vocalist for their upcoming U.S. tour. Another unnamed singer was briefly under consideration before a chance moment at home changed everything.
Matlock explained that the band had grown frustrated with John Lydon and were actively looking for a replacement. He made clear that the relationship had reached a breaking point.
“Nobody wanted to tour with John [Lydon],” Matlock said. “We’ve run out of road with John. Good luck to him, he’s doing his thing, but he’s too tricky for his own good, with us anyway.”
Matlock then described the unexpected moment that led to Frank Carter’s name entering the conversation.
“Somebody else was suggested and I’m sitting at home by myself on the phone, chatting to the manager in the States,” he continued. “All of a sudden, my son had come in, I hadn’t heard him come in and he overheard and he’s going, ‘No, no no.’ I won’t say who it was, but I wasn’t keen on that either in the first place.”
“I said, ‘I’ll have to call you back,'” Matlock added. “I said to him, my boy Louis, ‘Who do you think we should get?’ He said, ‘You should get Frank Carter.'”
Frank Carter has since joined the Sex Pistols for their upcoming U.S. tour. The band’s next chapter is now taking shape under his involvement.
The decision to bring Carter in marks a significant turning point for one of punk’s most iconic acts. It speaks to how the band’s future is now being shaped as much by instinct and personal connection as by industry calculation.
Carter is no stranger to the punk world. He first rose to prominence as the frontman of Gallows, the British hardcore punk band he led from 2005 to 2016. He became one of the most electrifying live performers in the UK punk scene during that period. His raw, confrontational stage presence made him a natural fit for a band built on exactly that kind of energy.
After parting ways with Gallows, Carter went on to front Pure Love before eventually establishing himself further as a solo artist and bandleader. Throughout his career, he has maintained a reputation for intensity and authenticity. These are qualities that align closely with the Sex Pistols’ foundational identity.
For the Sex Pistols, the move represents a pragmatic but bold step forward. The band has continued to carry the weight of their legacy while navigating the real challenges of keeping that legacy alive on stage. Bringing in a vocalist of Carter’s caliber signals that the remaining members are serious about delivering a credible live experience rather than simply trading on nostalgia.
Matlock’s candid account of how the decision unfolded adds a distinctly human dimension to what might otherwise read as a straightforward lineup change. It is a reminder that even within one of rock’s most mythologized bands, some of the most consequential decisions happen in the most ordinary of moments.
Source: loudwire.com
