Who would have ever thought the Sex Pistols would play the posh Royal Albert Hall, let alone get away with singing "God Save The Queen" without being thrown out on their ear.

And at the advanced age of the original Pistols (guitarist Steve Jones, drummer Paul Cook, and bassist Glen Matlock) who are all approaching 70, such a response could lead to a broken hip. But just the opposite happened Monday night (3/24) in London. In fact many found it inspiring.

“We’ve got a fantastic mix of old punks and new punks here,” new frontman Frank Carter said to the sold-out crowd, “and a fantastic opportunity to have a gigantic circle pit at Royal Albert Hall.”

Carter, whose roots in hardcore are evident in his tattoos, aggression and spirit, licked his chops at the fortunate situation he - and the audience - found themselves in, and dared them to take full advantage.

“Open the dance floor up. You don’t see that at the ballet. I want to see the biggest circle pit," he demanded, and got what he asked for.

There are so many great things about Carter who is breathing a breath of fresh air into the band, but one of them is he leads by example. So when he riles up the ticket holders to get their ya-ya's out, he's suddenly crowd surfing right down there with them.

And because the gig was in the famed 150 year-old venue, he was sporting a tailored suit.

The special occasion was the annual Teenage Cancer which is curated by The Who's Roger Daltrey. Each year bands and comedians entertain at the Albert Hall and the monies raised helps pay to support children facing these dire health concerns.

Over the 25 years in existence, the trust has raked in over 37 million pounds.

As they have done in the other 10 performances with Frank, the set is the entirety of the Sex Pistols' sole LP Never Mind The Bullocks... along with a couple of covers they played when they were starting off.

What would have been nice, since Daltrey invited them to perform, is if they'd covered The Who's "Substitute." Not only was it a tune the original Pistols covered 34 times, dating back 50 years ago, but the symbolism of Mr. Frank Carter substituting for Mr. Johnny Rotten would have been lost on no one.

Last month Rotten, predictably gave a royal thumbs-down to his old mates choosing to hit the road without him.

"When I first heard that the Sex Pistols were touring this year without me it pissed me off," the prickly singer said. "It annoyed me. I just thought, 'They’re absolutely going to kill all that was good with the Pistols by eliminating the point and the purpose of it all.' I didn’t write those words lightly."

"They’re trying to trivialize the whole show to get away with karaoke but in the long term I think you’ll see who has the value and who doesn’t. I’ve never sold my soul to make a dollar. It’s the Catholic in me — that guilt I don’t want to trip," Rotten, who, since he left the Pistols has fronted Public Image, Ltd.

"Like Nancy Reagan, I’ve always found it easy to just say 'no.' If something challenges your heart and your soul and your mind and your sense of purity of what is right and wrong in the world, then just say no. Which, according to the corporate thinking which riddles the music business earns me the title of 'difficult to work with' — a title of which I’m very proud," he said.

Would audiences love to see Johnny out there? Of course. But it is that difficulty that he takes a juvenile pride in that keeps it from happening. Bravo for maintaining that punk rock indie ethos, but the difference between Frank and Johnny is you know Frank is going to make the show about the show, whereas Rotten is going to make it about himself.

Last week in that glorious hall it was about the music, the cause, the legacy, the breaking down of glass ceilings, and the acceptance that the music of the Sex Pistols is a vital part of British music and should be performed live in the best joint in London.

The Sex Pistols and Frank are spending the first half of April in Australia and New Zealand which includes a stop at Fremantle Prison in Perth.

In the fall they will come to North America. Tickets are available here.

Sex Pistols' 2025 North American Tour

Tue. Sept. 16 - Longhorn Ballroom - Dallas, TX
Tue. Sept. 23  - 9:30 Club  - Washington, D.C.
Fri. Sept. 26 - Fillmore - Philadelphia, PA
Sat. Sept. 27 - TBD - Brooklyn, NY
Tue. Sept. 30 - Mtelus - Montreal, QC
Wed. Oct. 1 - History - Toronto, ON
Fri. Oct. 3 - Agora Theatre - Cleveland, OH
Sat. Oct. 4 - Fillmore - Detroit, MI
Tue. Oct. 7 - Fillmore - Minneapolis, MN
Fri. Oct. 10 - Mission Ballroom - Denver, CO
Mon. Oct. 13 - Showbox SoDo - Seattle, WA
Wed. Oct. 15 - Warfield - San Francisco, CA
Thu. Oct. 16 - Hollywood Palladium - Los Angeles, CA