Steve Jones urges John Lydon to 'grow up' after 'Pistol' TV series criticism

Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones has told frontman John Lydon to "grow up" in the wake of his ongoing criticism of drama series Pistol.

Directed by Danny Boyle, the six-part series based on Jones's memoir charts the rise and fall of the Pistols as well as the wider London punk scene in the 1970s.

Read more: Sex Pistols to re-release God Save the Queen for Jubilee

Lydon, who is played on screen by Anson Boon, was not involved in the making of the series and even launched an unsuccessful legal challenge to prevent the music of the Sex Pistols from appearing in the show.

“I’m 66 and I ain’t got time for all that crap any more. You’ve just got to grow up and move on," Jones told The Sun of Lydon's reaction.

Watch: Pistol cast discuss filming the chaotic gig scenes

He added: "The show is about me. It ain’t about John, even though he is obviously a big part of it.”

Jones said that Lydon is "portrayed great" by Boon in the show and that he and the rest of the band would not have had any problem if things happened the other way around.

Read more: John Lydon isn't a fan of Harry and Meghan

"If the shoe was on the other foot, no one would have had a problem. If Danny Boyle wanted to do John’s book, everyone would be thrilled," said the 66-year-old rocker.

Lydon has recently stated that he will watch Pistol, mostly to fact-check it having dismissed the trailer as a "middle class fantasy" version of the Pistols' story.

Jones acknowledged Lydon's importance to the band and admitted that his arrival on the scene — depicted in the second episode of Pistol — was a game-changer.

"He had the lyrics, the look, the attitude. He’s a sharp cat and he was really on the ball, very observant," said Jones.

Read more: John Lydon wants the Queen to speak more like her people

Given the significance and unique feel of the Pistols' music, it was vital for the show to defeat Lydon's legal action in order to be able to use the songs, which are performed live for real by Boon and the rest of the cast.

Jones said: "You get these two-bob documentaries about bands and they can’t use the music, so they make up some crap and they’re awful."

One fan who is definitely looking forward to Lydon's full verdict is Boon, who immersed himself fully into the world of Johnny Rotten and told Yahoo Entertainment UK he can't wait for the man himself to see it.

"I've left [Lydon] all of these little clues in my performance, things that he will know that only someone who really read his books and did his research will know about him," said Boon.

Read more: Classic FM refuses to play Glen Matlock's album of punk arias

The actor added: "I made sure all the food that I was eating was right and all the props in his bedroom were right and every single last safety pin on his jackets was right.

"I'm excited for him to see it. I won't be surprised at anything he comes out with, but I'm just excited."

Pistol is available to stream in its entirety on Disney+ in the UK from 31 May.

Watch: Trailer for Pistol