 |
Hoxton
Square Bar in Shoreditch,
London, 7th November
2007
© Phil Singleton / www.sex-pistols.net |
|
Zach Fountain [RedOctane Europe's general manager]: How’s
everyone doing?
Everyone, welcome to tonight. It’s going to be a fantastic party. There’s nothing more exciting than introducing a true legend as Guitar Hero 3 Legends of Rock suggests, the game is about legends, and we truly have a legend here tonight. So it’s my pleasure to, on behalf of Activision and RedOctane, to introduce the founding father of punk. He’s
here tonight for you, ladies and gentlemen, a warm welcome for John Lydon
please.
[Anarchy In The U.K. plays as an introduction as John makes his way to the stage].
John: Fuck off, it’s rubbish, I hate the whole thing! [Audience laughter]
John: Alright, there’s supposed to be a microphone here for me but apparently not, so I’ll
just yell louder than fucking usual.
[Microphone is located behind John]
Alright, welcome right? Guitar Hero, I’ll give it to you basic and honest. The offer came in [laughter], I took it home and I played with it with a bunch of kids, mostly my younger brother who lives nearby me in Los Angeles. I fucking loved it. And the kids loved it more. What I liked was, it weren’t teaching you how to be a rock star, it was teaching you how not to be a rock star, how not to be an arsehole in your life and how not to seek fame and fortune, ‘cos the whole fucking thing is a joke. And that’s
it, alright?
I loved the money, I gotta say. But, then Virgin Records decided they’d lost the masters, so we had to spend our advance re-recording. So we gave them two songs instead of one, Anarchy In The U.K. and Pretty Vacant, alright? And I really liked what me, Steve, and Paul put together. I think that was alright, so I’m bang on the money with this one, alright? And you remember, get ‘em when they’re young. It’s
a kiddies world. And the first question is? [John adopts a sarcastic tone] What
do you think of Gallagher?! Come on! Shout it out.
Why...
John: No, not you! Someone else!
What do you miss about London?
John: Miss, or respect about London?
Miss.
John: There’s not enough miss here, there’s not enough virgins anymore. The town’s worn out. It’s really seriously cramped here now. I come here every year and there’s ten more high rises or god knows whatever, flyovers. I miss my fucking London, and I miss my working class, and unfortunately we are being pushed out to the suburbs. It used to be years ago, an Arsenal supporter used to laugh at those from the suburbs, fucking hell, it’s
the only place the working class are.
I’m here!
John: I’m here too. Arsenal! I love Arsenal, I always have. I’ve supported that team from four years on, win, lose or draw. I also support all my Chelsea mates; I’ve
nothing to say about the Tottenham lot.
Who are they?
John: Nah, there’s reasons for that mate.
What are the reasons? [chant of “reason! reason!”]
John: Oh, look. Already I can tell, you’re shy. About talking to me; and this is not the game. I’m
a regular bloke, fucking say something.
What’s your favourite song? From the game!? [laughter]
John: It’s, [starts signing in low “country music” voice] “Oh Ruby, don’t take your love to town.” It was one of the first records I ever bought. So I suppose that’d be my favourite. I bought it because it was in West Ham colours, which ain’t
bad for an Arsenal lad.
[Female] How’s the preparation for the tour going?
John: Oh, at last, a woman. You do exist. Are you a virgin? I meant working
for. ‘Cos I know no one in this town is.
No.
John: Nah! [John adopts German accent and mimics] Hello, kommen zie heir mein putsyfriend. Yah, Johnny spreken de Deutshe.
 |
"Preparation
H is working wonders"
© Phil Singleton / www.sex-pistols.net |
|
[Repeats question]: How’s the preparation for
the tour going?
John: Preparation H is working wonders! It’s the best thing in the world. You know when you’ve had a long flight, and it’s like fucking hell whoaahh ... Yes, I have wet my lettuce with Preparation H. I like it. Is that good enough for you? Would you like to come and look? Are you physically allowed to do so, ‘cos I really don’t care who has a look up my bum. Over the years it’s been like that, ad infinitum. I used to eat Brussels sprouts deliberately to spite the bastards at Heathrow Airport. Oh, here’s a laugh for you... arriving yesterday, there’s a fucking Mohawk doing customs! So I think the culture’s
changed a bit.
Are you forward to playing Brixton?
John: No. Is there I reason I should?
The money?
John: Money? Ha, ha, ha. John Giddings as the promoter. Ha ha ha! Don’t make me laugh. Look, we agreed to do one gig, and it just went... I mean the reception was so huge, it just led into five, and then you can’t miss out Manchester, and you certainly can’t miss out Scotland, and Glasgow is the centre of that universe. So there it goes. I mean for me, that’s a lot of work, ‘cos I ain’t been singing in years right, because I’m
such a TV star.
I enjoy my TV work, no piss-take. I’ve done a lot of nature stuff and it’s been challenging to just tell it like it is, but in a weird way it's the same as being a Sex Pistol, and Public Image and all the solo stuff I’ve done, and all the work I’ve done in other fields, always, always, my respect goes back to 'thank you Sex Pistols’ regardless of what a bunch of cunts that band are. I do love ‘em, I really do, heartfelt. Now that lot are so selfish, there’s not one of ‘em
in the building.
[John holds his microphone out to the audience]
[Audience] Boooo.
John: Thank you, but that weren’t loud enough.
[louder] Booooooooooooooooooo!
John: Oh come on, really fucking give it to them.
[Abuse from audience including...] Cunts!!
John: No, they’re va-cunts!
What would you say if Malcolm McLaren walked in the room?
John: I’d say “Hello darling, how much?” [laughter]. C’mon,
that rent boy, are you taking him serious? Remember he went for that mayor
thing here? I was quite happy to say this, that man is an under achiever,
and a coward and a wanker, and he will never fulfil anything. I knew he
would back out, and look who he backed out to?
Would you go to his funeral?
John: Yeah! Wouldn’t you? Fucking hell, who’s going to supply
the drinks? Catering for Malcolm, ha ha ha! Let’s face it, he’s
a bit of a heebee, isn’t he? And the Scottish part, that’s
a funeral not well spent. [Pause] I would not wish him dead. To be absolutely
honest I would not wish death on anyone because life is all we have. And
all the rest of it, and all that fairy dust and God and Allah is nonsense.
No, Malcolm is better off left alive; he suffers longer and more severely
that way.
 |
"I
am reality…"
© Phil Singleton / www.sex-pistols.net |
|
Would you do another reality show?
John: I am reality. Don’t you know that? Listen, I’ve done a few interviews here today and I’ve got to tell you this, if ever you hear anyone going “I’m just keeping it real man” they are lying to you. You either are real or you’re not. Reality TV like “I’m A Celebrity”, let’s be real honest, that was a serious challenge to me. I took you all on when I did that, I had nothing but a lose, lose, lose situation, because I knew I could be judged here extremely badly of copping out, selling out, or joining that game show, mid-afternoon TV crap. I did alright though, didn’t I, being myself? That’s it, I’m just me. You don’t like it, “fuck ya”; if you like it, “I’ll fuck ya.” [laughter].
I never thought about “I’m A Celebrity” as Reality TV, and then that concept started flying about. No, no, there’s no challenge in it. What I loved about Australia was the wildlife. I’m
the only bloke I know who can go in and fondle twenty-four ostriches and
come out smiling and call them Tottenham birds. And you know what? They
really were!
Did any of those animals hurt me? Is there anything about nature you’ve got to be fearful of? Was I being bitten alive every night? Y’know, they’ve got those dangerous ants, whatever you wanna call ‘em. I have a clear common sense about it; all my life I talked about “oh, I’m only in love with industrial car parks.” Well I am, but the bigger fear is the bastards that lurk behind the cars with crowbars, not the fucking wildlife. Wildlife is out there to eat, and I don’t
look edible. Do I? Would you like to chew on my member? No. Do you understand?
I met big mullet and lizards there, snakes, whatever, and
these wankers I was there with, what did they do, but moan and groan and
complain all day long. Now I moan, groan and complain all day long, Rambo
knows that because he works with me, but I do it for a laugh, right? These
people really are like that, and I’m not. I’m working class,
I come from a seriously piss poor fucking background, but I don’t
whinge about it. I never knew that that was the difference between me and
the snooty crowd, until the likes of Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood
introduced me into the “oh, don’t you have olives on your pizza
brigade?” It makes no difference, I like olives now, but I don’t
see a difference. My world is about stopping the fucking animosity between
them, [lowers his voice] unless you’re
Tottenham. Just peace, or peace off.
How is working for a video games company different from working for a record company?
John: I’m not working for anybody mate, I just did two songs for them. What they do with it therein is neither here nor there. And let’s face it; have you seen the Yankee representative? [John looks at Zach Fountain who is at the side of the stage] What a fuckin’ arse you are! Everybody, look at the American. I’m proud to be American! Are ya? I am. Last week I did a Jay Leno Show; it’s the most watched TV chat show there. And they edited out the part of the end of Pretty Vacant when I sang “I’m proud to be an American. “ Edited it out. What the fuck is that telling you? You can’t even support these cunts. You can’t! They’re fucking dogs; they’re
good dogs though.
Have you heard Dave Grohl ‘s version of Anarchy In The UK?
John: Who?
Dave Grohl.
John: Never heard of that? Does that fucker owe me money?
[audience laughter] No, I’m serious.
Oh, here’s a laugh. Get in yesterday, rehearse, work all night, come home, watch the channel UK Gold, and apparently on Saturday you’ve a programme called The Romans, and they are using in the advert, Pretty Vacant! And there’s this bloke acting like Nero, “We’re so Pretty Vacant”. I think that’s alright though. In a weird way, Johnny Rotten’s written a song about being a dumb fucking working class cunt and you are using it to insult the Romans. [audience laughter] That’s
alright.
[French journalist] Who is rebel today please?
John: I need that in English please. There’s too many of you
foreigners here already. [John smiles and swigs his beer].
Sorry, I’m from France.
John [in French accent]: I’m from America.
Who is rebel today, in a band?
John: Oh, who is [French accent] rebel? I wouldn’t know, it’s not for me to tell you that. That’s for you to work out, right? I ain’t the be-all and end-all. I never, ever, told any of you to stand behind my flag and accept anything I had to say about anything, except, you know what? I never fucking got it wrong, and I never lied to any of you, and I think that makes the fucking difference, right? And words like “fuck, cunt, bollocks, too-bob” etc, right? Channel Four picked up on that when it first started which is the only reason all of you ever watched it, and now they are the worst censors on God’s earth. But here’s the point, they are only words. I’m
a human being; the only thing I know that separates us from all the other
species is that we have language. And when another human being tells you,
you cannot use certain words, that is wrong, those fucking cunts!
I’m A Celebrity, back to you missus, when I said that “You
fucking cunts”,
only three people in Britain complained about that because you understood
I meant it affectionately . Now that is the possibility of the excellence
of English language, [pauses and looks towards the French journalist],
with a bit of Italian and French thrown in for good measure.
Anymore questions from the French because you’re pointing cameras?
It is important.
Can you say “Bonjour au petit journal”?
John: Yes I can. [audience laughter]. And another question.
[various shouting from the audience].
John: This is serious, c’mon, this is going a bit muller right?
I want some serious questions, right?
 |
"And
another question…"
© Phil Singleton / www.sex-pistols.net |
|
What in your career are you most proud of?
John: What in my career am I most proud of? Not yet having a career.
If your 19 year old self could see you here now, what would you say?
John: If what?
[repeats question]
John: Oh, you middle class twat.
[lots of laughter]
John: You love this don’t you. You always talk like this, you know, you are the fucking problem. You’re always going nahnahnah, you over-think everything. Here’s real life for you: grow up piss-poor, lived, survived your shitsdem, and I’m still here and proud of every single word I have said, because not one word of it is a fucking lie. And that’s
the same at 19, or 21 as I am at the moment.
[different Germanic female journalist shouts] Answer the question.
John: No. You answer the question. You answer the question. What question
by the way?
What you at 19…
John: No you silly cow, you didn’t understand my answer. I can not possibly tell you what me at 19 would think of me at 51. That is a ridiculous preposition, that is tomfoolery. You do not have any fucking work ethic, you have too much spare time and money on your hands to come up with such a preposition. How can you be so foolish in life? Do you not know what it’s like to have to earn every single fucking penny, eh do you? Do you? Do you know what it’s like with 2 rooms and a tin bath and public toilet, up to the age of 11? No you fucking don’t. Don’t
question me, I question you, you spoiled pampered fucking whore.
[uncomfortable muted laughter]
John: I didn’t say whore, I said or. I hadn’t finished the
question and you interrupted!
Do you still consider yourself working class then?
John: Yes, I’ve still got lobsters up me arse.
[mic begins to feedback and squeak loudly]
John: My god I can still sing as good as ever!
[more feedback]
Are the Sex Pistols going to tour America?
John: Probably so yeah. Is that a problem for you? It really is
a problem for a lot of people, they presume America I should turn
my back on, and by living there I’ve somehow sold-out. The point being, you didn’t have to live my life and face the endless police raids here, right? And you didn’t have to end up in jail twice fucking weekly, right? Then I went to Ireland to support my [brothers] band – and there’s Rambo [points to Rambo stage right], and he was in that band – and I ended up in jail there too. Fucking love America. I’ve been there now for a while and I ain’t been in jail, and I ain’t met Mr Big. And I don’t understand what the terminology that Caroline Coon first implied with the word ‘punk’;
which means bending over to Mr Big in an America jail.
What do you think to Tony Blair selling-out this country?
John: I warned you about him a long time ago. I did. It’s on record. I told you, do not let a middle-class cunt in the Labour Party, right? He sold you down the fucking river. A Labour Government took you to war, fucking shame. Is he George Bush’s
lapdog? More like his pet rat.
What do you think of Gordon Brown?
John: Well, that’s interesting isn’t it. That’s a Scottish
man running England. I don’t see English men running Scotland. If
there was then we truly could call this Grrrreat Britain again. How comes
there’s
better health care in Scotland than England? Eh? Answers on a plate.
 |
"you
can’t fucking smoke anywhere…"
© Phil Singleton / www.sex-pistols.net |
|
To my mind, to my mind – and I’m telling you about life – you fuckers have sold us down the river. I’ve been away a few years, and it gets more and more mediocre here. It’s now fucking coffee shops and wine bars, and you can’t fucking smoke anywhere. How fucking insane. Don’t
tell me the Labour Party gave you freedom of choice; you fucking idiots.
Idiots.
You can’t smoke in America.
John: I can smoke where I like there mate. I’ll tell you now.
Do you vote?
[starts taking cigarette out of box]
John: I voted [crowd laughs] I voted for John Major because I hated Chelsea
so much! He’s a Chelsea supporter. It did them no good did it.
[lights cigarette]
Can I have a light?
John: No you may not, you’re one of those wankers that allowed these fuckers to run the laws over you, I’m not. So I’ll
smoke all I like.
You had the money to get out.
John: The money? Do you not know how fucking broke the Pistols are. Until we
did that 96 tour we never got a pay-off, at all…
[journalist interrupts]
John: No shut your fucking face you bearded arsehole, and I’ll tell you
a lesson. Listen, reality. Malcolm took all the glory and credit, and you in
the media you all suck his…
[journalist interrupts again]
John: You read the book? Did you read my book? Then you know the difference.
Are you gonna let me finish or are you gonna be smug…
[journalist keeps talking]
[John lobs the microphone towards the journalist, as if he was throwing a ball to a small child]
John: [shouts] Finish. Finish. There’s the microphone. Finish! There’s
the microphone.
[journalist picks up the mic]
 |
Where's
the beard? NME
review from Brixton.
Read it for yourself… (click image)
© NME 2007 |
|
[Note: It’s worth pointing out
this is the same journalist – minus the beard – who later gave
the Monday night Brixton show a dubious review in the NME.
Someone like that could only ever be a journalist. Funnily enough, the other
5000 people seemed to enjoy themselves. Funny that…]
I said, it’s easy to moan about this country when you don’t live
here.
John: [shouts] Is that right? I’m not moaning, I’m telling you,
you wankers have settled for fuck all…
[journalist mumbles something]
John: [shouts] I’m also Irish. Is there something wrong with that? Who’s
the fucking immigrant here? We all are, that’s the way England’s always
been. It’s the most excellent point of the culture that we are constantly
in change, continuous, but posh bastards in control. Just like in World War I
the general that sold us all down the fucking river, and killed our people – and
World War II; and now World War III if we’re not fucking careful – are
still running the show. And you, you fool, you think ‘cos I come from here
I have no right to comment ‘cos I’ve gone elsewhere. I AM ENGLAND.
You are a bearded fucking arsehole. You are still here, and you ain’t changed
shit. [John gets mic back] You ain’t changed shit. You ain’t
changed shit. You are shit. Shit, shit, shit.
 |
"I’ve
done more for England than you ever fucking could. Ever.
Ever.…"
© Phil Singleton / www.sex-pistols.net |
|
I’ve got no right to fucking talk about this country? I’ve
done more for England than you ever fucking could. Ever. Ever. And I love
my Queen by the way, and I miss having sex with the Queen Mother.
[laughs]
How’s life in Malibu?
John: It’s fucking great. A fire every week, an earthquake and then an
earth slide, yeah cosy.
Burn Hollywood Burn.
John: Yeah, now that’s an unfortunate song, right, which in America I was accused of writing that, and profiteering on people’s
suffering. Hello! I wrote that 2 months before that fire started, and Leftfield
will tell you that, and we bung that out, and a week later Hollywood is on fire.
Are you psychic?
John: I must be. With Leftfield as my sidekick.
John: You got to get it right, you got to understand this is the place I love, and always will. I come from here, this is my family, my friends, my life. Where I live is irrelevant. I still pay fucking English tax, but none of you fucking want to know it.
I told you about Tony fucking Blair. And the fucking first week that cunt got
in he sent his kids off to public private school didn’t he? Didn’t he? After telling you ‘education for everyone’, ‘equality’, you daft fuckers. And you kept buying it, you kept buying the publicity campaign. He spent more money promoting the Labour Party on false values than he did changing anything at all. Now immigration, ‘welcome to England’ but
fucking hell, can we have the English language first? Eh?
[Rambo approaches John and whispers into his ear]
[then takes guard on the stage]
 |
Rambo
has a quiet word in John's ear…
© Phil Singleton / www.sex-pistols.net |
|
John: I’ve just been told the bouncers are going throw me out if I don’t
put the cigarette out.
Keep smoking!
John: Let it happen. Let it happen. That’s one way to end a press conference
because you lot are depressing me.
[laughs]
[John starts to sing] They’ll be blue birds over the white cliffs of Dover.
What do you think of Arsene Wenger?
John: It’s short for Arsenal. The most perfect match ever in the world was Arsene Wenger and Arsenal. Listen, young kids taking on the big money. You’ve gots to love it. You’ve just gots to. It’s all about the sport. For me the modern Arsenal, and I’ve always loved the team, but this young bunch of nippers that is an astounding, astounding creation. And when you hear the likes of Alex Ferguson yap on about ‘but they’re all foreigners’ does
it matter? Do you love sport or do you love England. Then welcome to McLaren.
I had a Mclaren I do not recommend a second one for anyone.
What was the most enjoyable part of being a Sex Pistol?
John: Well, it weren’t the sex was it, and it weren’t the guns.
Must have been the drugs.
John: No. No, that’s cheesey. The drugs were terrible, because it ruined
one of my best friends. The drugs was unacceptable. I’ve always been anti-drugs, and I’ve made that very clear all my life. [puts on deep voice] Except for amphetamine sulphate. Which you can’t
get!
[laughs]
Now, meth amphetamine. There’s a killer. I’ve watched this in America. It’s so utterly soul destroying, everyone who takes it loses their mind but they don’t know it. And maybe that’s
what happened to England, without the amphetamine.
 |
"Honestly,
life’s fucking good isn’t it…"
© Phil Singleton / www.sex-pistols.net |
|
[John keeps puffing away on cigarette]
Where’s the bouncer? Hello! Call the fire department. What a fucking lemon. Really, honestly, life’s fucking good isn’t it. This is all we got. Bob Marley said it yonks back, when I was a nipper, 15 years old, that’s like 45 years old ago for you lot, ‘Heaven is on this Earth’, it’s the fucking truth. There is no great god in the sky. There is us right now. And lets stop fucking squabbling… Lets play ‘Guitar Hero’ because
the money is good.
[Downs mic]
Out.
[Applause]
[picks mic back up and sings] No real reason!
John: Want to sing a Sex Pistols song with me?
Yeah!
John: Well, you start one for me… Don’t ask us to attend…
[One person sings the next line]
John: That’s it you fuckers let me down. You got the chance. I knew it. I knew it. I knew it. You’re
the fucking enemy. Come to Brixton and watch the real working class at
work. Be taught a fucking lesson.
You going down the Caly road?
John: The Caly road is where I went to school. Where there’s still
a lot of good people.
That’s it. Sweet. Sweet as a nut.
[lots of cheers]
[finish] |
