Sex Pistols singer Frank Carter called out a male audience member who entered a women-only moshpit during a show and had security remove him from the venue. Carter later posted on Instagram to explain what happened and shared a message he received from the fan’s father, via Instagram.
Carter addressed the man from the stage after the incident. The singer explained why the women-only space existed and told the fan to leave the venue.
“Every time, there’s always a f*cking man that tells me, ‘[Women] can do this all the f*cking time.’ Like, they can’t. They fucking can’t. Do you know why? Because they walk in the mosh pit and they get a fucking elbow to the head by a fucking idiot!” Carter said to the man from Sex Pistols stage.
He continued with his criticism. “You’re shaking your head like you’re a f*cking woman? Are you fucking stupid? It’s not your lived experience, so just shut the f*ck up! … Do you know what, instead of crouching, just f*cking leave, bro! How is it so difficult for you to see space made for women at a Sex Pistols gig? Did you decide? No! They can’t f*cking do this whenever. Ask any one of them if they feel safe in every mosh pit! Roll your fucking eyes at me—you f*cking did this. You did this!”
After the show, Carter posted further remarks on Instagram about the incident and the purpose of the space. “If you are a man who gets offended by a band making room for a female only moshpit then you are PART OF THE PROBLEM. Stay home, read a book by Bell Hooks, come back when kindness, compassion and empathy have landed with you. Incels, homophobes, misogynists, racists, fascists not welcome,” he wrote.
Carter then clarified the intent of the space. “Also this isn’t up for debate. I don’t care for your pedantry. If it isn’t your lived experience, don’t f*cking speak on it. If you are offended by being told something isn’t for you then imagine how it feels to be a woman in the current climate. And finally… When I say a Ladies only moshpit pit. I of course mean a trans inclusionary space. The space is for people who don’t usually feel safe… To dance and have fun without the worry of physical, sexual or psychological violence being used against them while they are vulnerable. DO NOT LET THEM DIVIDE US.”
The father of the removed fan sent Carter a message in response to the incident. “Frank – let me apologize that was my idiotic son who decided to make a stand last night in Denver about the women mosh pit. Wasn’t how he was raised, wasn’t what he was taught. His sisters learning of his stand are very upset w him as am I. Unfortunately this is what has happened in our country and the misinformation and poison that has been spewed into young and old people has infected and affected our country,” the father wrote.
The incident took place during a Sex Pistols show in Denver where Carter enforced a women-only moshpit for one song.
Carter joined the Sex Pistols as lead singer in 2024, replacing original frontman John Lydon, also known as Johnny Rotten. The band reunited to tour North America and mark the 50th anniversary of their landmark 1977 album “Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols.” The current lineup includes original members guitarist Steve Jones, bassist Glen Matlock and drummer Paul Cook, alongside Carter. Lydon did not participate in the reunion following a legal dispute over the use of Sex Pistols songs in the miniseries “Pistol” in 2021.
Carter is an English musician and tattoo artist born on 27 April 1984. Before joining the Sex Pistols, he established himself as a respected punk rock frontman through his work with the bands Gallows, Pure Love and Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes. In April 2015, he formed Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes, which he described as a return to his “hardcore roots.” His band released a fifth album called Dark Rainbow in January 2024.
Carter sets aside part of each Sex Pistols show for a women-only pit to allow women to dance without worrying about being hit, groped or intimidated. According to reports, he was introducing the women-only pit before the song “No Feelings” when the man in the crowd interrupted him and crossed into the space.
The incident reflects Carter’s commitment to creating safer spaces at live music events. His response on stage and on social media emphasizes that such spaces exist for people who do not usually feel safe in traditional mosh pits and that they are designed to be inclusive of trans audiences as well.
