This weekend’s Summercase festival in Barcelona should have been what most festivals are: A celebrations of commerce intermixed with music you sort of enjoy. But John Lydon apparently couldn’t let people enjoy their three-euro water bottles and Bloc Party.
Details are still shaky and confusing on several levels, but according to Bloc Party lead singer Kele Okereke, after he asked Lydon if he would ever consider reforming Public Image Ltd., the real excitement kicked in.
Lydon then allegedly became intimidating and aggressive while members of his entourage responded with a racist tirade including the statement “your problem is your black attitude”.
Okereke claims he was subsequently punched in the face and head resulting in severe facial bruising and cuts to his face and body.
Lydon claims that the entire incident has been manufactured for publicity, saying that the other bands on the festival’s bill were jealous of his three-hour autograph session. Whether someone in Lydon’s entourage made a racist comment or not is unclear, and likely not to be resolved, but imagining Lydon as a jackass isn’t terribly difficult. Somehow, I think he’s going to be shouting profanities while pushing his walker around a stage well into the future. Sure, I’m thankful for what Lydon provided to music at some point in time, but is there any chance we could have him sent away somewhere? Maybe not for being an alleged bully, but at this point, for being boring?
Sex Pistols star John Lydon denies racist abuse allegations [Telegraph]
i think i’ll be more offended if it turns out that this didn’t actually happen.
Why would anyone be jealous of a three hour autograph session?
is it me or is he turning into Jerry Stiller (Frank Costanza)?
Don’t you just hate it when people you used to idolize are total douche bags? It makes you have to qualify ever liking the Sex Pistols by saying “I respected the Pistols, but Lydon is a twat now”.
The same thing happened with Bryan Ferry saying he liked the Nazi’s aesthetic style. I was all like “what! Am I not allowed to like Roxy Music now?
Lou Reed is also an asshole but I won’t give up on his music.
I would be thankful if this guy and his useless band never existed. That would be a true gift to music.
@moomintroll: Honestly, I don’t understand what all the drama was about Bryan Ferry’s comment. He didn’t say, “Gassing Jews is a fun thing to do”. He just thought the uniforms looked cool, NOT the ideology they represented.
“Lydon claims that the entire incident has been manufactured for publicity”
Isn’t that the sole basis for his miserable career? I am still perplexed by how many educated music listeners think he is/was a viable source for credible music. PiL is crap. The Sex Pistols were fucking horrible.
Why do we feel the need to appease this bloated old fool who can’t even take a shit with out getting publicity for it? This whole story sounds like a Lydon creation.
I bet if he did take a shit and someone took a picture of it, it would still be more entertaining to me than the whole Metal Box LP.
Lydon should be happy to know that “Rise” is pumped through the sound system at The Gap everyday.
I know, Bloc Party totally sucks…
The hand-wringing of lefty hipsters is a continuing source of boundless amusement. Seriously, people, this is John Lydon, remember: “Johnny Rotten”? So you act offended when someone who has based their entire career on being shocking and controversial says something that is…shocking and controversial? Imagine that.
His only mistake was not consulting you all first for a list of acceptable targets.
@NeverEnough: well yeah, with him it wasn’t the fact that he actually did anything wrong, it was more about the fact it was reported. So now it’s a “thing”. People who don’t know about it, but just hear the gist of the story were all like “Bryan Ferry is a Nazi”. It’s about the association, no matter how much of a stretch. I mean, he shouldn’t of said what he said, but of course he’s not a Nazi!
@almostred: I think it’s the alleged racism and Lydon’s giant ego that are more of an affront. Not his particular target.
I heard they were fighting over whose band could be more joyless.
Can Lydon please start making Mountain Dew commercials again?
As if to say, as if to say, as if to say he doesn’t like chocolate(complected people and their attitude)
@moomintroll: Yeah, it’s become a soundbite more than anything else (i.e. Pete Townshend = kiddie porn).
@almostred: His biggest mistake is not showing the appropriate thankfulness for being tolerated even though he’s “someone who has based their entire career on being shocking and controversial.” He’s all pose, no talent. So I bid him a hearty, “Ho, sit down.”
Does it need to be said? I’m gonna say it anyway:
PiL > Sex Pistols > Bloc Party
@DJorn: Opinions differ. But personally? I’d say:
Just about Every Band Ever > Pil > Sex Pistols
For his work with PiL work alone I would forgive the man of war crimes.
Sometimes I think I’d just rather not know anything about the people who make the music I like listening to, which includes the Pistols, PiL, and Bloc Party. OTOH, here I am at Idolator.
Lydon may possibly be a tiresome old asshole, but his being racist would surprise (and disappoint) me.
pil and pistols among greatest of last century.
bloc party hipster fizz, n i have both of their lps.
go rotten
@NeverEnough: you nailed it. thank you.