John Lydon has distanced himself from the Sex Pistols following reports of a deal, citing accusations that they were trying to profit off the death of Queen Elizabeth II. This statement was issued by Public Image Ltd on their Twitter feed on John Lyndons behalf.

John wrote the lyrics to this historical song, and while he has never supported the monarchy, he feels that the family deserves some respect in this difficult time, as would be expected for any other person or family when someone close to them has died.

— Public Image Ltd (@pilofficial) September 15, 2022

The agreement with BMG includes key singles from the album Never mind The Bollocks including “Anarchy In The UK”, “God Save The Queen” and “Pretty Vacant”. Their 1977 single “God Save the Queen” was banned by the BBC in the UK and appeared at No. 2 on the Official Singles chart, leading to accusations that the song was purposely kept off the top spot. For the only time in chart history, the track was listed as a blank, to avoid offence to the establishment. Along with retailers such as Woolworths and WHSmith refusing to stock the single.

The company’s VP in music publishing, Michael Howe, added, “Steve, Paul, and Sid’s works with Sex Pistols are among the most important cultural and creative music of the last half-century. “Their impact on society and the performing arts is orders of magnitude greater than the group’s incredibly brief lifespan and recorded output would suggest. The band’s influence resonates as deeply today as it did in 1977.” During this interview Steve Jones added, “Where’s my money?!”

The Sex Pistols may have only had two years of active performance, yet the impact they had on music and culture is tremendous and everlasting. This point is exceptionally highlighted by their seminal 1977 debut record album Never Mind the Bollocks, which is indisputably considered one of the most exhilarating and influential albums in punk rock music history.

In a recent statement BMG said “Sex Pistols are among the most important and recognisable rock bands in history, and their legacy is felt across fashion, art and society.”

To purchase the album Never Mind the Bollocks click here.

The series is based on founding guitarist Steve Jones’s book Lonely Boy and follows him and the rest of the band’s rise to notoriety and prominence in early 1970’s Britain. The series is set to premier on Disney plus on May 31st 2022 and features rising star Louis Partridge as Sid Vicious, Anson Boon as Johnny Rotten, Toby Wallace as Steve Jones, Jacob Slater as Paul Cook, and Game Of Thrones star Maisie Williams as Pamela Rooke.

The series enjoyed it’s global premier on the red carpet at Leicester Square on Monday night, but has received a mixed response from critics in the wake of John Lydon’s scathing criticism. Empire were positive, giving the series 4/5 stars in a recent review, and saying “Danny Boyle’s sensibilities come out in full force for this serrated slice of music history. The performances vary in strength — but the collective scrappy energy of the ensemble under the director’s guidance is undeniable.“. Whilst The Telegraph gave it 2/5 stars, explaining that it simply didn’t manage to balance the multiple tones and themes that run throughout the story “It’s caught between the very different dynamics of an in-your-face punk assault on TV convention, an accurate historical account of a moment in pop history or an winkingly entertaining showbiz comedy about how to make it in the music business. Pistol comes on fully loaded but ends up firing blanks.”

Much like the band and their marmite touch, “Pistol” will inevitably not be everyone’s cup of tea. But with Danny Boyle publicly inviting John Lydon’s criticism in a recent interview with The Guardian, saying “I think that’s his absolute right. Why would you change the habit of a lifetime?” I suspect that the critical reception of the series will not matter as much as the viewership it’s likely to amass. The pull of the iconic band is undeniable and likely to result in heavy footfall wherever their legend wanders. Given that one of the band’s main strengths was always drawing attention and controversy, I doubt Boyle has anything to worry about, as “Pistol” is already providing that in abundance.