The Sex Pistols are coming to Houston — or the closest thing to the Sex Pistols that’s going to happen in 2026. Steve Jones, Paul Cook, and Glen Matlock are out here under the banner, and this time around they’ve got Frank Carter handling vocal duties. John Lydon, for the record, has already weighed in: “They’re absolutely going to kill all that was good with the Pistols by eliminating the point and the purpose.” Noted. They’re playing anyway.
The Houston date is the third stop on a three-night Texas run. The tour opens in Dallas at the Longhorn Ballroom — the same room where the Pistols played an infamous 1978 show — and passes through Austin’s Emo’s the night before landing at House of Blues Houston, 1204 Caroline St, on September 13. Steve Jones has framed the whole enterprise in his own terms: “If it ain’t fun, I ain’t doing it. I’m too old for bullshit.” Whatever you think about the Lydon-less lineup, there’s something honest in that.
Each show is built around a complete performance of Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols — the whole 1977 album, front to back — plus additional material from the catalog. The format suits a 1,800-cap room fine. You’re not there for improvisation. You’re there for the album, at volume, in a room with other people who want exactly that. Paul Cook isn’t overselling it: “People want to come and see us play live. If I must say so myself, we are a great live band.” For a Houston audience that grew up on this record, that’ll probably land.
Support comes from Panic Shack. Worth showing up early.
The tour was originally set for 2025 before Jones broke his wrist and forced the cancellation of all North and South American dates. Previously purchased 2025 tickets will be honored at the rescheduled 2026 dates.
Sunday, September 13 at House of Blues Houston. Showtime 7:30 PM. Tickets are available here.