THE SEX PISTOLS And FRANK CARTER To Perform 'Never Mind The Bollocks' To Raise Funds For London Venue

Frank Carter and THE SEX PISTOLS' Paul Cook, Glen Matlock and Steve Jones are uniting to save historic music venue Bush Hall in West London with two shows on Tuesday, August 13 and Wednesday, August 14, 2024. THE SEX PISTOLS, one of the most influential rock bands of all time, will be joined by the electric frontman Frank Carter at Bush Hall to perform THE SEX PISTOLS' iconic 1977 album "Never Mind The Bollocks" in full. Funds raised from these unmissable gigs will go directly towards preserving this revered independent London venue. Tickets go on sale this Wednesday, June 5.

Supporting Bush Hall, a cornerstone of the music scene, is a cause close to the hearts of both Frank Carter and THE SEX PISTOLS. Both Paul Cook and Steve Jones grew up around the venue, attending as punters themselves, while Frank Carter performed at Bush Hall back in 2012 for his debut live show with his former group, PURE LOVE. Lifelong SEX PISTOLS fan Frank Carter first met Steve Jones in 2008 during an interview on Steve's radio show, and later met the rest of the band through mutual friends. They soon bonded over their shared love or live music and decided to perform together to help preserve the iconic London venue.

Frank Carter says: "This has been a joy from start to finish. When THE SEX PISTOLS call, you answer. I'm very excited to be a part of it."

Paul Cook adds: "We're doing a benefit for Bush Hall with the famous Frank Carter. We're going to be playing PISTOLS numbers 'cause they need support and they need the money. We thought it would be a great way to stop it going under. This is my local venue. I grew up in Shepherd's Bush and I still live round here. It would be a real shame to see it disappear and we want to keep it going. So everyone get down to the gig!"

Steve Jones notes: "If it all goes wrong, it's Paul's fucking fault."

Glen Matlock says, "I tend to agree with Steve." He goes on: "Smaller music venues are the lifeblood of new music. It's in these intimate spaces that raw talent gets a chance to shine, where bands can really connect with their audiences, and where the spirit of live music truly comes alive so we need to keep them going."

The shows will raise funds for Bush Hall, a beloved grassroots venue in the heart of West London. It's more important than ever to protect grassroots venues and support this vital area of the music industry — since the pandemic, sustaining live music continues to be incredibly challenging. In 2023, Bush Hall saw a 24.5% decrease in live music bookings.

Money raised from ticket sales will help secure Bush Hall's musical future, allowing the venue team to focus on bettering in-house facilities, and supporting emerging artists through reigniting their Bush Hall Presents' programming.

Promoter John Giddings: "Without treasured music venues like Bush Hall, we wouldn't have the festival headliners of today. Bush Hall is where artists cut their teeth and hone their craft. It's essential that these venues continue to exist for the music industry to thrive and evolve. That's non-negotiable. Thanks to THE SEX PISTOLS and Frank Carter for stepping up — this gig will be one hell of a night."

Bush Hall's historic breakthrough came with REM gracing the stage in 2002 — Amy Winehouse followed, with the likes of FLORENCE & THE MACHINE, TOOTS & THE MAYTALS, Adele, THE KILLERS, Michael Kiwanuka, Alicia Keys, Paul Weller, Nick Cave, BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB and many more. Bush Hall showcases not only artists who are starting out, but those already established, as well as introducing international bands to the U.K. market — with KINGS OF LEON famously performing their first U.K. gig at Bush Hall in 2006.

Bush Hall owner Charlie Raworth says: "We love putting on the music and giving musicians a platform to perform on our stage, in an intimate space, that is up close and personal with the audience. We want and need to keep this going. So, a massive thanks from all at Bush Hall to the legends that are THE SEX PISTOLS and Frank Carter."

The artwork for these unique shows has been designed by Shepard Fairey. The American contemporary artist and activist is one of the best known and most influential street artists, recognized also for his work on the Barack Obama "Hope" poster for the 2008 U.S. presidential election. Fairey drew inspiration from Jamie Reid's bus design for THE SEX PISTOLS' single "Pretty Vacant" and the burning speakers from FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES' "Blossom" album cover. He also incorporated the color palette from the "Never Mind The Bollocks" cover, creating a piece that perfectly merges the creativity of both artists.

Shepard Fairey: "THE SEX PISTOLS were a life-changing band for me, so it's an honor to collaborate with them, along with Frank Carter, who shares the PISTOLS' spirit but throws his own gas on the fire!"

Tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. BST on Wednesday, June 5 June via Live Nation.

Originally built in 1904 as a dance hall, Bush Hall has enjoyed lives as a soup kitchen in WWII, a bingo hall, rehearsal space for the likes of THE WHO and Cliff Richard and finally a snooker/social club in the '80s and '90s… In 2001 it was restored to its intended musical purpose by current owners Charlie Raworth and Emma Hutchinson.

Based in the vibrant heart of West London, Bush Hall is a fully independent, grassroots music and events venue having hosted some of the biggest names in music and comedy over the past 23 years. Running a grassroots venue in the U.K. right now is harder than ever, GMVs are currently closing at a rate of two per week (MVT 2023 annual report),0.5% profits across the sector and 38% of remaining venues reporting a loss of earnings.

Despite tireless efforts, at the beginning of this year, Bush Hall's live music was in danger of being next on an increasing list of venues. Due to rising costs, devastatingly low margins and lack of profitability, a crowdfunder campaign was launched earlier in the year to "save the music at Bush Hall". These essential funds took the immediate threat/pressure off and have enabled the venue team to continue music programming and gig schedules for the year.

However, the work to sustain the live music is very much an on-going and an evolving process… The venue team are still much in need of support for their long-term objectives. They have restructured the business and their core team, and are working really positively on best practice, strategies and marketing to get the music gigs and all other events back on track.

The venue team are working closely with artists, agents and promoters, along with MVT, to not only highlight the plight of Bush Hall, but the entire grassroots scene and to deliver some extremely exciting shows and events that will feed into a sustainable music program for the future. Any further funding and donations we receive will be put directly towards creating a full and diverse music program at Bush Hall.

Images courtesy of The Outside Organisation