Watch CBS News

Sex Pistols May Reunite

Twenty-five years after making their mark as the official scourge of royalty, the legendary British punk band the Sex Pistols may regroup to mark the Queen's golden jubilee, a tour promoter said Tuesday.

The gigs would take place June 3 when Queen Elizabeth will celebrate 50 years on the throne.

"I can confirm I've been approached by a number of separate parties offering substantial sums of money for the Sex Pistols to regroup," said promoter John Giddings, who organized the group's last United Kingdom tour in 1996.

He said the decision depends on whether band members can free up their schedules to perform on the jubilee date.

A source close to the band said most of them were keen to ink deals - with only John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten, yet to make up his mind.

The famously controversial band released their anti-royal single "God Save the Queen" in June 1977 at the same time as Her Majesty celebrated her silver jubilee.

The single, whose front cover bore an illustration of the Queen with a safety pin through her nose, rocketed to number one although banned from the airwaves. Most record stores refused to stock it as well.

Despised by authorities for their anarchist theme, the band was arrested as they performed on a Thames riverboat on the day of the Queen's 25th anniversary celebration.

Should they decide to regroup this summer with a Sid Vicious replacement, the granddaddies of punk would be playing to crowds who weren't alive when they first thrashed around a London stage in 1976.

"The good thing about the Pistols now is that they can really play," Giddings said.

© MMI, CBS Worldwide Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Reuters Limited contributed to this report

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.