I was at the Pistols gig and while it wasn't as memorable as the '96 reunion gigs it was still enjoyable. The press always have an agenda when it comes to the Pistols i.e. laughing 'cos they've grown old and aren't a 'threat' to the establishment any more - as if they could be. They've already achieved so much in terms of changing society. Anyway the best review was in the Independent and this is it.

Sex Pistols, Crystal Palace Sports Centre, London The architects of anti-everything bring a strange sense of belonging to their fans Steve Jelbert 29 July 2002 There is a glorious moment while the rather grizzled survivors of The Sex Pistols are thrashing through the ever timely 'Holidays In The Sun' ('cheap holidays in other people's misery'). Concorde, that classic seventies symbol of modernity and the great future we were all going to enjoy, once the price had come down a bit, makes a presumably unscheduled flypast. John Lydon, to this day the nation's most sardonic man, would surely have enjoyed the irony. On a wonderful summer's day the Sex Pistols, no longer the teenagers who actually offended the powers that be (and their own manager) by expressing opinions of their own, gave presumably their last ever public appearance.

It's a celebration of a certain kind of Britishness. Not so much non-conformity – there are far too many crop-haired moderately prosperous middle aged dads present for that – but a chance to revel in nostalgia for the days when a lack of deference actually meant something. As their concession to our patience (and surviving a truly lousy supporting bill, saved partly by feisty Texans, And You Shall Know Us By The Trail of Dead, who bait the crowd into hurling objects, many with surprising accuracy and distance. Who could have known that punk and cricket were so intimately connected?) the Pistols play every song they've ever been associated with.

Nobody could have imagined the opener, a crude version of Hawkwind's 1972 biker favourite 'Silver Machine', delightfully mutated into 'I've got a silver jubilee'. As well as the obvious classics (a coruscating version of 'Liar', where Lydon for once doesn't sing with his usual 'don't take this too seriously' tone, a fantastic 'Did You No Wrong', surely the best B-side released between the Beatles and Pistols-worshipping Oasis), there are plenty of covers too ('We're going to have a right larf' warns Lydon). A fearsome take on the Monkees' 'Stepping Stone' and a chaotic thrash through the Who's 'Substitute' (dedicated to 'Entwistle – he's in a better place than us') have appeared on record, but The Creation's pop-psych classic 'Through My Eyes', though beautifully played by Jones, Matlock and Cook, is a melody too far for Lydon.

He is quite fantastic by the way. Wearing a shirt with the word 'sorry' printed on its front, he cajoles, needles and whines at the crowd throughout, fully aware of his continuing role as a cultural irritant. The old punk maxim 'never trust a hippy' has now mutated into 'never trust a toff', referring to Tony Blair. This man is wasted hosting revival nights for the middle-aged – someone should stick him on Newsnight. The Doors choice of The Cult's Ian Astbury over this Anglo-Californian as a surrogate Jim Morrison is a missed opportunity. He can't take the essential gravity out of 'Anarchy In The UK' (complete with ill-judged singalong section) and the inevitable, and furious, closer 'God Save The Queen'. It's hardly relevant how good the band were. The world's changed in 25 years, but they played their part in that.

Excellent review , just sorry I couldnt have made it. Please dont tell me the Doors have reformed with Ian Astbury or have I just misread it?

No Donald you read it right - expect them over here late this year/early next for a tour.

I'm stunned, what can the Doors possibly hope to achieve by reforming (except money).Ian Astbury replace Jim Morrison, are they serious - thank you but no. The Doors contribution to popular music is unchallengable and their legacy will continue, so whats the point. Sorry 'm ranting. Mind you I'll probably go and see them and have to eat my words (its happened before!!!).

hello you lot how the hell are you just found this pc in the hotel.thanks vinny looking forward to seeing how they turn out must go know beer on ice calling my name .pshow am i going to last two weeks talk soon see ya

should have read now the beer has gone to my head talk soon see ya

Thanks for the poster Vinny. I collected it from Post Office this morning. Glad you enjoyed the Sex Pistols, Rick, I knew they started with Silver Machine, which I thought was weird and against everything they stood for. Didn't know it mutated into Silver Jubilee though, which makes it seem more appropriate. I think one of the Undertones new songs has a guitar intro that sounds a bit like 'Bodies'

The doors with Ian Astbury! For fuck sake the Doors where shit the first time round - never mind with that has been hippy in tow. Can't see that reunion lasting too long.

'The Doors were shit the first time round'? you're having a laugh.