John Lydon promised to "kick some bottom" before the Sex Pistols' latest comeback gig, but the first of five sell-out nights at Brixton was more of a light spanking.

Of course 51-year-old Lydon, aka Rotten, gleefully teased any old fans who might still doubt the idea of a middle-aged punk reunion. "You're f***ing right, I'm a fat bastard," he responded to one chant. "It's in the best British tradition."

More tradition set the tone for this first Pistols tour since 2003, with the audience treated to some Vera Lynn as the band emerged.

"There will always be a f***ing England," growled Lydon with a certain ambivalence, as he strode around in his country gent's outfit in front of a St George's Cross on stage. "I've just got back from a little bit of pheasant shooting," he claimed.

It's the 30th anniversary of their only album, Never Mind The Bollocks, and Pretty Vacant was still just as loud and intimidating thanks to Steve Jones's scorching guitar and Lydon's swivel-eyed grimace and petulant bark.

However, it soon become apparent the Pistols were relying on chutzpah rather than substantial rehearsal time. "Come on, I know you're there," Lydon appealed to the crowd early on, and it wasn't the only time he tried to fire them up. At their age, even nihilistic attitude probably needs to be pre-prepared, and too often Jones and bassist Glen Matlock seemed to think they were playing in a decent hard rock outfit rather than a seminal punk band.

At least Lydon was typically entertaining, if not quite as offensive as teenagers in the audience might have been led to believe by their parents. He did insult former manager Malcolm McLaren and spat a few times - but nowhere near the audience.

There were solid covers of (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone and No Fun, but it was the final 20 minutes that justified this return with the still provocative God Save The Queen and the cacophonous EMI.

Lydon appeared for the encore arm in arm with Matlock. He declared his love for the bandmates he usually pours scorn on, then screamed his way through Bodies and Anarchy in the UK, as well as an ill-advised Belsen Was a Gas with reworked lyrics about suicide bombers and the new title Baghdad Is A Blast. Not an utterly essential comeback, then - but another "last chance" to hear those brilliant songs and Lydon's unmistakable snarl.

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