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Rotten Talk Archive
March 2006 |
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march
24th 2006 |
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On
Wednesday, March 22nd, John and Rambo attended a charity launch
for Nordoff-Robbins
Music Therapy in Los Angeles. Unbeknown to them The Pretenders
were playing next door. And completely unbeknown to them, Steve
Jones was to turn up and play the encore of 'Pretty Vacant' along
with Chrissy and the band. An amazing coincidence that turned into
a thoroughly entertaining night.
Below,
Mr Rotten tells the tale of his surprise visit, 'straight from the
horses mouth'. A tale that covers musical therapy, Emerson Lake
and Palmer, moshing. Oh, and biscuits too... |
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John pays a surprise visit! |
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"Well,
the fun was, my accountant Larry Einbund had invited me to attend
the launch of Nordoff-Robbins Musical Therapy;
on the west coast. It comes from Britain, and its been highly
successful there and now its spreading here. It was a wonderful
event, truly great, and a genuine cause. I really liked the people
involved."
"Normally, Im
very wary of charity mongers because they tend to be in it just
for their ego. But this wasnt begging bowls and all of that
nonsense. Its a valuable cause, and I just remember meningitis
for me; and look at what musical therapy has done for me (laughs).
In my day it was hardcore Victorian. Isolation was basically the
thing, and being quite cruel, I suppose. I didnt know who
I was, and no one would tell me, and when they did, it would be
like: thats it shut up, no questions."
"But the most hilarious thing was after the event ended;
the Chrissy Hynde gig downstairs! I didnt even know she
was playing The House Of Blues that night. We met her in the car
park in the way in (laughs). She thought we were coming for her!
She was most perturbed to know we werent (laughs). It was
good to see her after such a long time, and it was friends right
from the first second. So I went to see them play after. And they
did Pretty Vacant with Steve Jones! No one even told
us he was there! It was total, honest shock!"
"After they had finished their set Chrissy Hynde handed me
the microphone and I said hello to the drummer I
really like him hes fun, good bloke, I know those two people
really well but Steve Jones just vanished! So I just
screamed out Wheres Fatty! Will Fatty
Jones please come to the stage! (laughs) No, he had cleared
the building! (laughs)."
"It was a great night, and all for the charity event. But
you know, the way the world is, I bet this will be spun around
that I was just there to show off and be whatever, but who cares,
the truth wins out in the end."
"I was very pleased with the Music Therapy Clinic. It was
amazing. One of the people on the board was a very old proper
English gentleman who spoke about the wonderful time me and him
had on British Airways flight 20 years ago [puts on posh accent]
Fucking off those snobby stewards! (laughs)."
"They gave really good little speeches. Its good to
see people doing things that are good for other people. I only
went there to hear about it, but now I think I want to be involved
with it. Its a worthy thing, like I said, its not
begging bowls. This is to help people who cant recover quickly
from illness or brain damages. It works. I know it does. Music
does help the brain expand, and anything thats broken can
quickly get corrected with a good old pop ditty."
"They had put together a nice little film, and it was just
excellent. Its not a Sting / Bono led charge for glory,
they dont want to raise huge funds, its all very underplayed,
and a bloody excellent night actually. It was fun to see Ray Cooper,
the old Virgin exec there. It was good to meet him, it really
was. But the biggest fun of the night was meeting Keith Emerson,
of Emerson Lake & Palmer (laughs), I really got on well with
him! Its amazing how this music industry wants us to be
enemies, and were not."
"And then a bit of a let down [puts on hushed voice] with
the Chrissy Hynde gig! (laughs) No, it was great fun she was really
on form. Me and John we ran straight into the downstairs. Im
not one for hanging around with celebrities up in the balcony,
although it was nice to rub shoulders with Rosanna Arquette and
Faye Dunaway (laughs). Its like, Mr Rotten is here in the
front row! You know, I can slam it with the best of them! Its
not bad, a 50 year old bloke, bouncing up and down, like a young
whippersnapper (laughs). It would have been too easy, too cushy,
to run on stage and wallow in the limelight, but I dont
need to do that. I wrote the song and the whole hall is singing
it, thats good enough for me!"
"They
also had the most amazing Sid Vicious look-alike guitarist, he
was about 18, he looked like a really shy, spotty, nervous young
Sid (laughs), and I kept shouting Hoi Sid! They were
great, really good, excellent. Fantastico."
"The biggest laugh was, it proves that Chrissy Hynde went
to a Sex Pistols gig, because she had the lyrics taped to the
floor! (laughs) She was reading off the floor, as Ive did
many a time myself. Very punk! She did it quite well I gotta tell
you, I would be offended if it was a bumsuck version. It was bang
on the money, in a great sense of fun way. [jokey voice, shouts]
The weak link was of course Steve Jones but we wont mention
that will we!" (laughs)
"Seriously, Im not having a go at Steve because I did
it in the nicest possible way, theres no harm meant in me.
Have me in the front row, bouncing up and down. I wasnt
there to shout abuse, and I didnt even claim any royalties!
(laughs) Or swear. Rambo wouldnt let me swear in public,
I tell you, this Army style discipline is way severe! (laughs).
[puts on soft posh voice] After Steve Jones exited the stage,
and Chrissy Hynde handed Johnny the microphone standing
politely in the front row of the audience Johnny ever so
kindly requested that Fatty Jones please return (laughs), but
Steve let his audience down once again, and apparently exited
the building, (laughs), oh well, maybe Ill catch him another
time (laughs)."
"Oh, one last thing [puts on stern voice] I have one major
complaint to England. The chocolates and cakes that are imported
from Britain are manufactured to American standards, so they enrich
the flour! Its a major, major complaint! We cant buy
Rich Tea Biscuits in America! They are done to the American style
[shouts] what is the point! Enriched for North America, what nonsense.
Enriched?"
"We bought a bag of Rich Tea Biscuits, and John went: [puts
on a Rambo voice] These dont taste right so
I got my magnifying glass out and read the ingredients and
apart from the usual 24 chemicals the flour
was tampered with, and enriched to meet American standards. They
can not be fucking with our British biscuits! How dare they! Im
in an uproar on this one! Im gonna be outside the Whitehouse
next week, hands off our biscuits you Yank! Thats the original
do not imitate! (laughs)
[At
this point Mr Rambo interjects]
"Yes! Colemans Mustard is altered too, its the
same thing. No sting, plenty of vinegar, bloody hell! An Englishmens
mustard is his own! Theyve crossed the line, swords are
drawn!"
John Lydon.
The Horses Mouth.
March 23rd 2006.
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Rotten
Talk Archive |
August
2004 - February 2006 |
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Taking
Liberties Not Taken Easily!
JL.Com, April 12th, 2006 |
More
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame fabrications; The Brits; New York Metropolitan
Museum of Modern Art. Pistols in Japan? |
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John
Lydon. "What Makes Britain Great?"
JL.Com, October 27th, 2005 |
'Rotten
& Reynebeau: What Makes Britain Great' TV series, and the state
of the nation. Charlie are you listening? |
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“Hello,
my name is John and I’m here to promote my album…”
JL.Com, October 13th, 2005 |
Special
'The Best of British £1 Notes' interview |
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"I'm
a Sex Pistols Let Me In There!"
Fodderstompf, January, 2004 |
Pre-jungle
'I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here' interview |
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"The
Public Image"
Fodderstompf, January, 2004 |
A
lengthy look at PiL (and thats from start to finish, not just
the first three albums), plus info on his work-in-progress 2nd solo
album, and life in general through the eyes of Mr Rotten |
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"Sex
Pistol Will Play!"
The Filth and the Fury, August 2003 |
The
Rock n Roll Hall of Shame, Pistols to play Baghdad? Sex Pistols America
2003 |
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"Pistols
at the Palace"
Crystal Palace, July 2002 |
Crystal
Palace gig programme. The Sex Pistols Silver Anniversary! |
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