Rock legends and a punk firestarter unite for a secret show at one of punk’s most sacred venues.
On Friday 21 March, London’s 100 Club bore witness to a night of raw punk power as Frank Carter joined Paul Cook, Steve Jones, and Glen Matlock of the Sex Pistols for a secret show under their infamous alias, The SPOTS — Sex Pistols Secretly On Tour.
Only 300 lucky fans made it through the doors of the Oxford Street venue for a full-throttle performance of the band’s seminal 1977 album Never Mind The Bollocks. Among them? A jaw-dropping guestlist of British rock royalty: Noel Gallagher, Paul Weller, Bobby Gillespie, Gary Kemp, and even racing legend Damon Hill.
The SPOTS name — originally a pseudonym the Pistols used in ’77 to dodge police crackdowns — made a thrilling return, this time with the explosive Frank Carter on the mic. From the moment the first chords of Holidays in the Sun rang out, it was mayhem. Carter stormed the crowd, literally walking across it as he screamed through Seventeen and the Pistols’ rendition of Steppin’ Stone.
“It’s getting hot out there,” Cook warned before they eased into Submission. But if anyone thought the heat would cool, they were wrong. No Feelings, No Fun, Problems, and EMI had the crowd writhing in a communal sweat.
“How many of you were here the first time around?” Carter asked with a grin. “Put your hands together for the greatest punk band of all time.”
It ended, of course, in Anarchy in the UK — a fitting climax for a night that merged history with present-day punk vitality.
The night set the tone for the band’s official 2025 return: a headline slot at the Royal Albert Hall on Monday 24 March as part of the Teenage Cancer Trust concert series. The week of charity gigs will also feature The Who, The Corrs, James Arthur, Penguin Cafe, and Micky Flanagan.
Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall – Remaining Line-Up:
- Monday 24 March – Frank Carter with Sex Pistols’ Paul Cook, Steve Jones & Glen Matlock
- Tuesday 25 March – Micky Flanagan (Comedy Night)
- Wednesday 26 March – James Arthur
- Thursday 27 March – The Who
- Friday 28 March – The Corrs
- Saturday 29 March – Penguin Cafe presented by Erased Tapes
- Sunday 30 March – The Who
Tickets available now via teenagecancertrust.org/gigs
