Johnny Rotten Interview August, 2007, NYC

What becomes a legend most? It depends on how accurate the legend is in relation to the person.

In the case of John Lydon, you might start with his autobio "Rotten: No Blacks, No Dogs, No Irish" discounting of course, the myth that's always created whenever we attempt to write about ourselves. Still, it's an interesting and very honest story, and it sheds light on his individuality and goes a long way in loosening up the dogma that Punk as a music became, and reminds us of the funkier, disaffected angels that inform whatever Punk as a philosophy was, and hopefully, continues to become.

So when you consider Lydon the person and realize that he was more a catalyst than a dogmatist, the idea of him judging a talent show (Bodog.com's $1 Million Battle of The Bands) isn't really so anomalous, although talent contests by definition would instantly seem counter-intuitive to punk's attempted destruction of the rock star deity and the bloated corporate label.

Of course, punk never completely accomplished this, maybe cuz once one person does something new, either a) everybody copies it to the point of redux, or b: everybody worships the originator to an unreasonable point or conformity. Punk as music has suffered both fates at times, tho punk as philosophy has certainly had a considerable, if not total, impact - probably because the philosophy existed long before the music.

Coincidentally, while working on this I received an email from a publicist a bout a contemporary band that the late Mr. Tony Wilson said made him feel the same excitement he'd felt at the Sex Pistols' first show, which of course is a legendary event that I simply have to ask Lydon about. And of course, Lydon initially declines the offer, and rightly so, before sharing very lucid thoughts about punk as philosophy -- and then tearing into Green Day, whose platinum record adorns the room we find ourselves in. At one point in this interview another platinum record on the wall haloes him and he seems a saint of rock and roll. At another camera angle, the shiny circle looks like a saw blade slicing into his head. Lydon certainly suffered both fates and lived to not tell about it if he doesn't want to, but thankfully, he shares a lot in this conversation and I'm very grateful.

In the past few weeks, I've taped interviews and/or performances from several different legends; Rock Steady Crew's Crazy Legs; Morrissey; Siouxsie Sioux; and Mr. Rotten himself, (video from all coming soon) and it's interesting to see the extent some are, and others aren't, wiling to discuss the days/play the songs from the time when they made their first mark. And they each have a right to share as little or as much from their past as they choose.

But of course, this video interview is about more than the past, or talent contests; it's about what it should be about when The Fates throw you in the Green Room with Johnny Rotten. Yes, he explains the seemingly-contradictory act of Judging Music in his classic, anarcho-individualistic terms. But he also looks at Richard Branson and the late Tony Wilson, while also throwing in an appreciation for Stephen Colbet, and a love of vinyl records, and whatever else he feels like contemplating.

As for his own "career", he's actually been very busy with this talent contest which (like most contests these days) has proven to have legs and is on FuseTV which i've never seen ('dont have cable). He's also done a lot of narration for nature programming (again, check your expectations at the door). So the guy's always moving forward, tho' he also doesn't rule out the possibility of touring again with PIL or The Sex Pistols. I think he should do both, and soon.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Johnny
• Rotten
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• Pistols
• PIL
• Public
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• Vazquez
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• Day
• Martin
• Hannett
• Tony
• Wilson

[Joshuadrooney]

@Rev7xavenged7xSyn He is not? Sorry, are you seriously trying to claim that the Sex Pistols are not worldwide famous? You stupid little boy.

[RockingXxXxAngel]

Well, at least Green Day don't make butter commercials...

[Thestaticage93]

Well at least you don't see billie joe reduced to working in a butter ad John ?

[MegaGoodoldtimes]

Green Day Sucks, get over it

[ZamrosProductions]

@RockingXxXxAngel Commercials? American prat.

[PahubianInfluence666]

@RockingXxXxAngel no, they just exploit the music industry and take your money. how much is a ticket to a green day show?....yeah.....fuck that...

[Junkpunker21]

Why listen to a man who insults people who are less naive than he is? If he can't appreciate a man like Joe Strummer, and appreciate someone like Lady Gaga, what CAN he appreciate? He doesn't care about anything anyways. After seeing him in that interview with Tom Snyder back in their PIL days, I realized he wasn't to great after all. An icon for sure, but he should try living up to what he started or else he WILL get trampled on by more successful stars.

[rocker321ish]

what the fuck is up with him on adds for butter?

[thebaddest2039]

you all act like there is a rulebook for punk. its about not giving a fuck what others think, so johnny is contradicting himself with this interview, its not all about the music, its the lifestyle, people act like green day bringing punk into mainstreem was a bad thing, they got into the mainstream from making good music, so good on them, and he pretty much sais they didnt earn where they are, well their album kerplunk is one of the biggest selling independent labelled albums of all time so STFU

[bloodscrips112]

I used to be like you guys all like blink-182 and green day aren't punk but if you listen to there old albums it is punk blink however aren't angry punk there nice happy melodic punk because they weren't fake and tried to make angry punk like real posers did Only take off your pants was the poser album they did but now there just a genuine rock band because they matured all shut the fuck up because bands like them get people into real punk aswell you know

[aidenmccloskey]

@heerserjordi95 You clearly do not understand the meaning of the word 'punk' or the punk rock genre. In fact, you completely misinterpret it. Pop is another word for popular which also means mainstream. Punk rock is not mainstream. Bands such as Green Day and Blink-182 use the image of punk to promote themselves into mainstream music which therefor puts them into the sub genre known as pop punk. Sex Pistols will go down in history for helping to create the true punk movement. Green Day will not.