In a world where no one is honest, not you, not me, not Mr Lydon, stop being so naive. Just because he constantly proclaims his own honesty, does not mean he is. Every one lies, there are no exceptions to this.
John is known for his honesty. He has been nothing but his entire life. I believe in John's anger and frustration. Whether biased or not, he always speaks his truth. He's been shat on once again.
Absolutely. An underlying reason of him being excluded could be that it was perceived that he would exert too much influence on the project, and another is the coward's mentality that it is far easier to talk ABOUT people than to talk WITH them. So it turns into a self-fulfilling prophecy of the project running into a creaking halt, everybody being unhappy and court cases ensuing.
I like john lydon too and yes he is honest. But I dont know what he was talking about back in the day when he said the sid&nancy movie glorified drug use? That movie did NOT floryfie drug use. Quite the opposite.
He doesn't know (or pretends not to) the difference between a drama and a documentary. He agrees to 'majority rules' then says it isn't so. Thinks getting a wad of royalties is akin to slave labour. Struggling a bit there with facts.
@@jez2466 exactly- An expensive series like this has to go through various legal channels in Pre- Production to secure music & when relevant image rights ( I assume Jamie Reid's estate was contacted so various Posters ,Record sleeves & promo material is cleared)... & Lydon knows this ...but a breakfast television 'interview ' (aka a Lydon promotional) is not going to be a rigid Q & A session . & he'll be back .....
@@misakiyoshida Have you heard yourself? When you think of punk, what is the first thing that usually springs to mind? Yep - Johnny Rotten. The fact it was 40+ years ago is irrelevant. He IS 90% of the band. He has been airbrushed out by the others and I think John was articulate, restrained and stated his case very well here.
Well what he is ''Bleating'' about puts the life he has into perspective. If he is full time carer for his wife, & good on him, these other guys were probably thinking he has enough on his plate?. But even through his vitriol i sensed he was still going to be on an ''Earner'' & probably more than i will earn in a year even without me throwing my toys out my pram!!. Playing the ''Victim'' seems so fashionable these days but it can lose supporters.
@@kevinparker461 Lydon isn't playing the victim. He is stating that he was intentionally kept out of the having involvement in the docu-series. That isn't being a victim. That's calling out people for pulling a shady stunt.
I was one of Peter Sutcliffes neighbours and I remember asking him for a loan of a hammer and he said" he hadn't got one" . But i moved into your area recently and have seen you cutting the grass many times but for sure I won't be asking you for a loan of that precious lawnmower.
@@Marlondurran That can't be me, because I don't cut my grass. I only bought my turbo double-deck mower with cup-holder to give the neighbours false-hope when I drag it out to polish it on a Sunday! Best wishes 😉
Really? I liked John Lyndon up until I was about 14, in the early eighties…until I saw an interview with him and realised he was not as bright as he thought he was…and I was no clever-clogs and 14! The trouble is with people like John Lydon and Morrissey (another I once thought was the voice of a generation), from a relatively young age they’ve been idolised and nobody they know on a personal level has had the balls to say, “come on on mate, you sound like a idiot”. With that, their opinions go unchecked and gather momentum in there own mind and before you know it, they’re believing Donald Trump is an honest broker and believing wearing pin badges supporting far right fascist thugs is just fine and dandy. No, John Lydon can go and ‘do one’, along with Morrissey.
@@harveyturnersedpage7907 his opinions and political leanings are not everyones cup of tea, but he's a quick minded guy that the industry thought they had on the ropes. Anger is an energy is a great read.
You can clearly see this hurts John. The look in his eyes after the interviewer read that his contribution is rightly acknowledged says it all. He doesn't deserve this, he's a wonderful human being. Only thing that makes me happy is to see him looking healthier.
Keep calling out the media and corporations. This man is one of the only people on the planet to speak truthfully in front of the camera and call out corporations. Joh I wish you many years of good health to come, keep it real brother!
He's great! Russel Brand is another person who calls out corporations, and he is doing a damn good job at it these days. I would not be surprised if he listened to sex pistols in his younger days.
I had the honour of meeting him last week, I have to say he is charming , intelligent and very entertaining . He was a massive influence on my teenage years and I thank him wholeheartedly for that . He is a National Treasure without question.
You wouldnt get a word in when hes drunk hes more full of himself. Hes contradicted himself to much over the years, ive lost any respect i had for him.
@@martinmcfred6758 I think the biggest things I’ve taken from punk rock are honesty, and being your genuine self unapologetically… but all I got from the Sex Pistols was a really good album. You can still be yourself without being incredibly rude, and constantly cutting other people off. The way he acts during interviews/Q&A’s makes me not even want to hear anything about the history of the band. Did he have a humble, pleasant side? I think most of the bands I liked were really kind and generous most of the time, but of course the snotty, “screw everyone” side was there too. When it comes down to it, I’m there for the music no matter what, and the vast variety of different types of punk is amazing! It’s the most beautiful music in the world!!!
I'd prefer to chat with Steve and Paul.....Lydon thinks he's the be all and end all of the Pistols...he def is not and for all you tits who think Sid was a mainstay, get a fkn grip
Everyone that says that Johnny Rotten is honest or brutally honest, then how do we know that? We only know that because he keeps telling us that. In the past his "telling iike it is", has been up against Malcolm McClaren & Politician's. His called them lieers, & they In return have refuted Johnny's claims. Now up against Malcolm McClaren, we will gladly take Johnny's version, so we unquestionably & gladly believe him. Its exactly the same against Politician's, again we gladly believe Johnny. This time John Lydon aka Johnny Rotten, is calling everybody else a lieer, which includes his Band Mates, Steve Jones, & Paul Cook. Both Steve Cook & Steve Jones aren't known to be lieers. John Lydon has been previously called out by a Judge, in a recent but unrelated Court Case, for lieing. This was in relation to a "Majority rule" arrangement, that the Band had In place since 1975. John Lydon, claimed he had no knowledge of it, the Judge ruled that he did. So you've got to ask your self now - on who's lieing & who's telling the truth. Is Steve Jones, Paul Cook, & a well respected Director- Danny Boyle, telling the truth? Or is it honest Johnny telling the truth. You must remember though this honest Johnny tag, Johnny Rotten has given himself. We really haven't wanted or had the need to question his honesty before, but now is different.
He's definitely lost weight but I think those photos which showed him looking really bloated and strange must have been down to some kind of illness. Something he's obviously had treated. He looks much fitter.
I was a little too young for punk when it started and my first-hand experience entailed filthy, gobbing off-the-peg pretenders and bullies. I suppose it's a bit like the original mods: they were all about fine tailoring and good, danceable r & b music and never got their hands dirty on all that Brighton promenade pantomime. Like many a decent night club, in fact - gets a few good reviews in listings mags and all-of-a-sudden gets crowded out with dull punters. In latter years I came to realise that I'd always had quite a lot in common with Rotten's character and I guess punk ethos. But at the time I was more interested in listening to Showaddywaddy and Darts. And Bill Haley and Frankie Lymon. I caught a Saturday morning matinee broadcast of twenty-year-old teen exploitation feature 'Rock Around the Clock' when I was 8 or 10 (same time as the punk movement was burgeoning forth) - and it moved me.
For me, punk sent a BIG message that ordinary people can do things for themselves. The 60s and early 70s saw lots of posh boys form rock bands (nothing wrong with that, of course, as some of them were very good) but punk was saying that it doesn’t matter if you can’t play an instrument or sing well or whatever because your family didn’t have any money to get you trained, just get on with it and do it. Learn the skills yourself, educate yourself. You might not have been born with much money but you do have value and you can make a contribution… This is a powerful lesson for any young person who wants to pursue any kind of career, not just a musical one. What impressed me about Lydon right from the get-go was that he actually stated that youngsters should get themselves educated, take what’s on offer from the state and use it… Sadly, we’re going back to that early 70s world where to pursue many careers, especially artistic ones, you must be born wealthy. You see it in music, theatre, TV, journalism… Working people are once again just expected to do jobs like shifting goods!
Hard Tulip An advert for a particular brand of butter is quite innocuous in the grand scheme of things. And he used that money to get PiL back on the road, which was a good thing in my opinion.
I am big Pistols fan, but John threw hissy fit because he wasn't the centre of attention. The project is based on Steve Jones book, Lonely Boy. John tried to sue over an agreement he had signed up to and he not surprisingly lost.
Which is about the sex pistols of which John and Sid were the center of attention and still are by the way. Id rather hammer 🔨 nails into my ball bag than listen to what Steve has to say.
@@honeybadger9425 Steve's earned a lot of respect and cache in the last bunch of years from his radio show, interviewing knack, personality, and people gradually realizing what a powerful, unique and influential rock n' roll guitar player he was/is. Jonesy's Jukebox and Lonely Boy have created interest in Steve's unique story. Time for it to be told, and it seems there's enough interest to have it fly. John will always have a strong voice and Sid? Sid was an image guy and I'm not sure people are interested in him much anymore 'cept as an image on a t-shirt. His musical contributions were almost nil. Good to see, also, people slowly caught on what a strong songwriter and musical contributor Glen Matlock was.
I appreciate the fact that he's wearing a PIL shirt here. His music with this band was way more sincere and closer to what he really liked than with the Sex Pistols.
PiL made two great first albums when the bassist was Jah Wobble and the guitarrist Keith Levene, but that quickly fell off because Lydon is a nasty narcissistic asshole that nobody likes to work with.
I tell you, in terms of strictly musical innovation, PIL were far more important than the Pistols ever were. The first three albums defined experimental 80s music, and Keith Levene’s guitar playing was copied by legions of musicians, famous and not....and of course, those wonderful Jah Wobble’s deep dub grooves...can’t get any better than that....
I hated the whole punk thing in my youth. It was the ante-music that I was educated to play as a working musician. But, my goodness I have come to respect John for his honesty, awarenes of the truth about the goings on at the BBC, and most of all his devotion to his wife. This is a very interesting figure.
i think you guys just worship celebrities too much. Look into the case. Johnny has been insufferable from the start. Maybe there was a reason why he wasn't involved.
Jones and Cook respond: “Despite John Lydon‘s comments, we reiterate that he was informed of the Pistol TV series, offered meetings with the director and to be involved in the show months before principal photography began. He refused these offers and we were saddened he would not engage and at least have a conversation with the director Danny Boyle and co-showrunner Craig Pearce. “And while John’s contribution is rightly acknowledged, his claims to be the only band member of consequence are hard to take. Steve, Paul and Glen started the band and it was completed when John joined. All songs on the band’s seminal Never Mind The Bollocks album were written by Paul Cook, Steve Jones, Glen Matlock and Rotten except “Holidays In The Sun” and “Bodies” which were penned by Cook, Jones, Rotten and Vicious. In addition, Pistol is based on Steve Jones‘ book Lonely Boy.” “John Lydon sold his rights to control the use of these songs in the 1990s in return for money. The majority rule agreement existed as a result - so no outside party could dictate the use of the band’s music. And to have a mechanism in place if one member was unfairly blocking the decision making process - which is what happened in this instance. “The rest of the band and many others involved in the punk scene of the time are all involved in the Pistol TV series. Danny Boyle, has worked with the Pistols previously and is a highly respected, Oscar winning filmmaker. He understands the band and experienced the time that made them.”
nigey b- thanks for actually providing some 'factual information ' to this.....unfortunately so many believe Lydon to be the 'voice of truth'....its embarrassing really. There have been far too many Pistols documentaries ,so to see 'the story' from a particular point of View (Jones's excellent 'Lonely Boy' book) looks to have some potential ,especially if they cover Steve's early life ...before himself, Cook & Matlock became 'Kutie Jones & his Sex Pistols' ......
@@fordcountry420 'why would they' ? - because he's credited as 'co writer' with the rest of group for 'Bodies' ,'Holidays in the sun' & 'Belsen was a gas'....thats why.
To be fair to Steve Jones and Paul Cook, John signed a contract in 1988 which meant only a majority vote was needed to license music rights. He's pissed off because he was outvoted. It would've been a different story entirely if the shoe was on the other foot. He's also pissed off because he lost the court case. He's been complaining ever since he's now skint. Really? If you're that skint, John, then sell your house in LA instead of pleading poverty to the media.
I'm old school heavy metal, I wasn't into Punk, but I saw The Damned, X-Ray Spex, Siouxsie and the Banshees, but this man, I could listen to John all day. He is truth, he tell's it as it is. If he's wrong sue him, but they won't.
@@TheColossalBlanket Not the same, but if you want to be a smart arse about this lets go. The case that Johnny lost, was backed (that's money in case you don't understand), by the Disney Corporation, and was in regard to the use of the Pistols music. What Johnny has now said refers to an expanded subject matter and is directed at Cook and Jones. If he's telling mistruths about them, and that he's stating them in public, they have the right to sue him for slander. I won't hold my breath. I'm afraid, "your arse is out the window", as they say
@@sandwormgod4771 I have no idea what you're bollocking on about. You said they can sue him... I merely pointed out that they did in fact sue him and they won. It's not my fault that dealing with things that actually happen in real life is not your strong point.
@@TheColossalBlanket I've no problem with your original point that he's been sued and lost. But the issue is this; In that particular case, how much money does John Lydon have compared to the Disney Corporation? What you don't seem to comprehend is that Lydon will have to pay his own legal costs. There's no point in him fighting on in a battle he may lose and for it to cost him a small fortune. With regard to my point. Listen to what Johnny says in this interview. Perhaps, then you'll understand. He lost his case trying to stop them using the songs, but the other stuff, if he's wrong they can sue him. I can't really make it any clearer, but there again, what do they say? "You can't educate stupid". Because you don't understand how the legal system works, I would suggest you get of your high horse, shut up and stop showing the world what an utter bell-end you are?
God bless Johnny. In all the ways a limey punk can be blessed. The integrity of his being and unwavering commitment to his own humanity is commendable. The love and effort for his own most precious ones an example to follow.
"Who wrote that for them" lol....got to love John.He's right too...a Punk/Pistols docufilm without Rotten on board is like talking about the first moon landing without speaking to Neil Armstrong.
John is an honest man. He's loud and obnoxious sometimes but he's brutally honest and always has been. He has every right to be upset about this, especially considering what he mentioned about his wife.
No way This is about ego and attention. He wanted control and doesn't like it. What a contancorous prick JR has turned out to be on his old age. Always using his wife for sympathy and denying fans access to what is going to be a great show. I used to listen to a lot of what he said but now he just likes the sound of his own voice. I knew about the Danny Boyle thing six months ago. How did he not know? He's just jealous that he's not in control of it that's all and that Steve has a book and people are more interested in them than him. That's it. He is trouble. No wonder no one wants to involve him. I'm glad the boys won and we will get to see this six part film. There's not enough well shot stuff about the sex pistols and Steve's account is accurate and honest. Glad he won. Rotten has spent most of his life as an American. You watch him do another tour or come crawling back to the UK to take advantage of the NHS when the money runs out!
@@adamstar7516 Using his wife for sympathy. That just about sums you up, doesn't it? You clearly know nothing about what it is like to nurse a loved one who suffers from Alzheimers'.
Johnny (Rotten) Lydon is always interesting and worth listening to. Plus he was the only person to publicly denounce Jimmy Savile as a paedophile in the 1970s. Top man.
I really struggle to beleive that something that big, involving so many big companies and presumably involving lots of Lydon's associates could really be kept totally a secret from him, even if they tried. 'sueing for lack of permission' wtf? Story doesn't add up for me.
"The judge, Sir Anthony Mann, also noted that Mr Lydon "had actually signed away his power to control the use of music rights" to publishing and music companies such as Warner Chappell Music and BMG" cake and eat it? However, Lydon's lawyer claimed the show, which is being made by Disney for its FX channel, would portray the singer in "a hostile and unflattering light".
@@brendanoneil3489 Jones wasnt to kind to Lydon in his book but likewise Lydon was the same with Jones in his book. The way I see it is that if Lydon was making a film or a mini series based on his memoirs would he want the rest if the band involved ? Of course he wouldn't and I am guessing he would want to use the music aswel.
@@Muirton66 surely any production company wanting all sides of the story woud be negotiating with everyone, also roadies, promoters, recording engineers etc? The split up and band tensions all the juicy stuff they would want to include surely? he does butter ads, why not something about the band history?
It isn't hard to keep it quiet. Lydon was basically left out of the loop. When he was made aware it was made clear he would have no contribution to it. I suspect his support of Trump played a big role and the fact that Disney wouldn't be able to control him
Thank you John you will never be forgotten your honesty Integrity alone set you apart from the rest of the industry and at 55 years old your music and lyrics drive me as much as they did when I first heard Sex Pistols as a teenager you and your music will live on forever don't ever forget how revered you are why so many. The Disney perverts can piss off
I listened to anarchy in the UK on a mates Sony Walkman, went home and dyed my hair bright orange and the rest is history. He changed my life, he is an inspiration
@@davehill4295 What devastating wepartee! Lydon is a reality TV star who made a fortune screeching tunelessly into a mic. A construction, made by corporations. He cracked it, and good luck to him. But now he's pissed it up against the wall and won't stop whining. I've no f**ks to give.
All these corporations funding this project is a complete contradiction of what punk was about, cherry on top is all the rich kid actors playing the icons, I mean seriously ?
When I was little and PIL was all over MTV, his interviews actually scared me. That fear evolved into fascination and amusement, and now complete respect.
@@zackspaulding I said myself that it can't just be from eating a lot. He ballooned up in a very unnatural way. I'm guessing prednisone. Same thing happened to Jerry Lewis. All of a sudden he went from thin to enormous and unrecognizable... then back to normal once he got off it.
I never liked JL, and some of his quotes actually really pissed me off. But I always get a bit cynical when bandmembers argue over money; especially when they're punkbands, who (used to) shout about all that's wrong with the world. About all songs the Sex Pistols ever wrote are credited to 4 members, depending on the line-up by the time the song was written, which I think is fair. So I think every living pistol should get its fair share: Matlock, Jones, Cook and Lydon. There shouldn't even be a lawyer involved in the whole thing. It doesn't even matter who's right or wrong and on which date who was informed. It's as simple as that. Furthermore: Disney goes punk is a joke on its own. How to lose credibility?! The only comparison I see is Sid Vicious and Mickey Mouse both wearing a swastika. duh!
The thing is, we're just about to face the year 2022 - and people still debate about Punk, moaning and crying over what it is and/or isn't... Punk's been turned into a brand and became this unbearable cliché since eons. The triumph it once was, became just one of the stupefying "norms" - a label, and a super worn out one. Derek Jarman predicted this farce in "Jubilee" in 1977/78! The entertainment world dominated by countless "X Factors" and their moguls - and Lydon just participated in one on these shows lately, as the "masked singer"... could you have imagined a young Lydon do that? Possibly not but then, who knows - as much as I respect him myself for his past work, I cannot say I agree with, or absolutely trust Lydon on everything he himself insists to be "the truth". As people grow older, they change, their views and actions change (and not always for the better - Lydon compromised his quite a few times, even if for provoking a public reaction alone) and regardless of his directness (sorry, "honesty" is a bit of a tricky word to use at all times, even in Lydon's context; he is neither perfect nor he cannot be everything to everybody) - Punk simply added to the vicious (no pun intended) circle of fooling the public there is something forever and genuinely "noble" in it. The Disney Co. taking on punk is just one in a row of punk's long lost credibility issues. Spiritually, Punk may still be the driving force for someone at their tender age of 15, looking back on its roots for personal inspiration, but considering what utter material monster of a world it contributed to, what exactly is "Punk" these days? Yes, the Pistols (and PiL, and Lydon and all) are deservedly loved for their legacy but they all marred this legacy so many times - by refusing to let the legend/s rest in the first place, milking it to a rotting (again, no pun intended) level of self-parody, regardless of, as you say, who's "right" and who's "wrong". Oh, and regarding Disney characters wearing a swastika - Donald Duck already did. In "Der Führer's Face" back in 1943.
Complained in interviews for years about how the band didn't get a soundcheck before the winterland show... what u know...years later a soundboard tape captures that soundcheck... selective memory id say
You have to ask why people treat Lydon so badly. Perhaps his obnoxious personality provokes disloyal backlash. His pugnacity over the years is well documented.
I thought it was a drama, not a doco, based on Steve Jones' book Lonely Boy. So that's why they don't need Rotten's view of what happened, it's all from Steve's POV
That was what I was understanding it to be too. I was thinking this was a story of Steve Jones, not the Pistols. Not sure if that would interest Disney though. I guess people are going to be pulled in by the Pistols stuff, so that might take main stage. Am reading the book, so haven't got to the Pistols part yet, but I believe he doesn't paint Lydon in a good light and I think that is what all the upset is about.
@@shaunblackman5299 He can't stand the fact that no one has bothered to make a film about him yet, remember Sid and Nancy? I'm not claiming that it was a great film or anything, but Lyndon didn't like the fact that filmmakers were more interested in telling Sid's story instead of his.
Let's be honest, if it wasn't for Johns personality the pistols would just be another middle of the road punk band.. to leave him out is a major slur on him.
John was a great front man for the Pistols. It begins and ends there. Whine and bitch perpetually is about all he does. Why bother having him around, no matter how it's done he won't be happy with it anyways. Too bad Sid, Johnny Thunders weren't still around. Would have loved to their take on it
And that is the truth of the matter. John had the intellect and awareness....Glen wrote decent tunes but in another's hands frankly they would have been just a Small Faces wannabe type R&B mod rock band, with a bit of attitude but not much else. Maybe they might have got Sid, if the right John had shown up first, but that does not bear thinking about....I don't think Joe Strummer would have sparked off that, and would still be doing the 101ers.....and so on.
John was undoubtedly the catalyst for everything which followed. Punk would have been a joke. Maybe a few artists would have broken through as successful singer songwriters, even decent bands who came up through that movement but weren't really punk at all, like the Stranglers, Elvis Costello, Television and others, anarchists still in their squats waiting for the Hawkwind revival, but the "cultural phenomenon" would not have taken hold, instead maybe actual revolution on the streets....
Always liked John Lyndon .. he always speaks sense .. always looked at him as a very loyal fella ... Wish there was more people like him .. good on ya John 👍... Wishing his Mrs gets well soon 👍
My mum bless her. Adored John Lydon. My mum never liked his music, but respected him as a person. My mum would not have heard a bad word said against him.
John, if I were you I wouldn't be reading comments about me on RU-vid, but in the off chance that you ever do see this: you are an inspiration to me. Thank you for being honest, and being true to who you are, and for showing the world what true love and loyalty looks like. Thank you for the music! You and Jonesy have been in my prayers for the past year, ever since I discovered and read your books. May God bless you both, and your family. With love, -a dorky American fangirl.
@@derekdykeman9160 Without Cook and Jones no Sex Pistols. The Pistols was not Johnny Rotten. Even he knows it. All the songs were written by the band. Not by Rotten alone.
John Lydon who by the way looks great here is a creative genius and punk without Lydon isn’t punk at all, he is the man John is also so right you cannot beat cooperations they own the world so he is 100% correct so you can understand why he is so upset Anyone that wants to see how iconic and brilliant this man is and Public image Ltd for that matter then go and watch on RU-vid them live at The Glastonbury Festival 2013, pure brilliance
I am a Black man and I have a lot of time for John Lydon more so than artists like Jay Z Beyonce and the other woke crowd of so called artists pratting around today... John Lyndon is a man of immense integrity who way back then saw how fake the media was and still is, he endorsed President Trump, saw through Jimmy Saville and the BBC and to see how these wretched people treat him is a disgrace....stay strong John Lydon...the inner cities respect you to the maximum.
@@zackspaulding I dont get why Cook and Jones are hypocrites, they are making money out the Pistols name, music and legacy something Lydon has been doing for the past 30 years, nothing hypocritical about that, Lydons only upset because the series isnt about him, simple as that.
As a Northern Soul fan who got fully emersed in the Soul Scene, after a couple of years of dabbling in the music, just at the time that Punk started making waves. I absolutely HATED Punk music and Punk Rockers. OUR scene was the only fully 'underground' music movement. I hated it even more as it gained mainstream status.... But as the years rolled on, and I saw him on the box on chat shows a few times, I warned to John Lydon. I've got a lot of time for the bloke. Nice to see he's doing OK (apart from this palaver).
