Pistol: Are Steve Jones and Johnny Rotten Still Friends Today? – ‘Pistol‘ tells the narrative of the iconic English punk rock band the Sex Pistols’ rise and collapse. The story follows Steve Jones, the band’s founder and vocalist turned guitarist, as he brings together (and fires) the quirky members of the group with the help of Malcolm McLaren, the band’s manager.
When Malcolm first brings in John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten), it appears like he and former vocalist Steve Jones would not get along. Things don’t improve much, and Steve and Johnny’s relationship is still strained. Let’s see how things are today between the genuine Johnny Rotten and Steve Jones.
Must Read: Where Are the Sex Pistols Band Members Now?
Are Steve Jones and Johnny Rotten Still Friends Or Not?
Johnny Rotten and Steve Jones appeared to be pushed together as long as the Sex Pistols were active as a band. During the US tour, however, things came to a head, and the band began to disband following a particularly poor performance on January 14, 1978. Johnny Rotten travelled to New York to share the news of the band’s disbandment. Meanwhile, Steve had scheduled a working vacation in Brazil.
When asked how long after Brazil he communicated with John, Steve stated it may have been years in a 2017 Rolling Stone interview. Both former Sex Pistols members were living in Los Angeles at the time of the interview. Steve, on the other hand, said that they didn’t speak. Indeed, the guitarist recalled that the last time he spoke with John was in 2008, when the band reformed for a European tour.
“I have no desire to speak to him, and he has no desire to speak to me,” the guitarist continued. “That’s perfectly OK. I wish him the best,” she says, equating their current situation to a failed marriage.
Steve went on to say that a second reunion tour was improbable, but that he had no animosity toward John. According to the 2017 interview, John Lydon and Steve Jones do not have a friendship. When the two former bandmates ran into each other in court a few years later, things probably didn’t get any better. The usage of the Sex Pistols’ song in ‘Pistol’ was criticised by John.
Paul Cook, the band’s former drummer, and Steve sued John, and eventually won. Steve refers to John as “a total d**k” in his biography, “Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol.” He reiterated the statement when it was brought up in court.
When John’s lawyer, Mark Cunningham, asked Steve if he despised his client during the court hearings, Steve replied, “I guess so, sure.” When asked if he still agreed with his statement in his book that John is a “complete d**k,” Steve concurred once more. He also asserted that the rest of the band members agreed with him and Paul, including Sid’s estate. During the trial, the former Sex Pistols guitarist stated for the second time that he hadn’t seen Johnny Rotten since 2008.
