No one expects antagonistic young punks to age gracefully, though many of them do. Iggy Pop, who at one time seemed destined to self-destruct, has become punk rock’s great survivor and a comforting presence through his second career as a radio DJ (per the BBC). Even Elvis Costello — the premier “angry young man” of the late 1970s whose punk-inflected bitter lyrics were often angrier than anything that the pedigree punk bands had to offer — has notably mellowed in recent years.

The Sex Pistols, however, seem keen to keep their own torch of misanthropy shining brightly, with the acrimony that saw their initial time in the limelight come to an abrupt and early end alive and well in the 21st century. In 2006 for example, the Sex Pistols declined their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, telling the judges “we’re not your monkeys” and calling the award itself a “p*** stain.”

The band has managed to reunite sporadically over the years, most notably for 1996’s tellingly titled “Filthy Lucre Tour” — a six-month jaunt of 76 dates, of which six were canceled, according to the Sex Pistols gig archive. The last official Sex Pistols reunion took place in 2008, and the chances of there ever being another such gig have dropped dramatically in recent months after a decidedly un-punk lawsuit filed against John “Rotten” Lydon by other members that threatens to permanently damage relations between the bandmates.

John Lydon's legal battle with his fellow Sex Pistols

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