Johnny Lydon aka Johnny Rotten, who has been living in Los Angeles for about 20 years now, recently gave an interview to the LA Times to promote his latest project ‘Mr. Rotten’s Scrapbook’, a limited edition book and a sort of collection of doodles, drawings and writings. But among other things, and in a true punk style, he spoke out his mind regarding the current punk scene:
‘Many of the punk bands are cop-outs and imitators and have made it easy for the likes of Green Peace — Green Day, who I hate. I really … I can’t stand them. To me, they’re like coat hangers, and haven’t earned the right, they haven’t earned the wings, to be wearing the mantle of punk. They haven’t had to go through the violence, and the hate, and the animosity that us chaps way back when had to put up with. We had to fight for every single footstep.’
So if Johnny hates Green Day, who could be his inheritor?
‘I don’t think I’ve done anything good if it ends up with Green Day on Broadway. But I have done something good that Lady Gaga is so quite as mentally insane as she is. There’s someone out there — yeah, ultimately just shock, but the lyrics are so good. They really are. And so every now and again, as corrupt as the music industry is, there is one in there that can manipulate it properly. She’s one. So applause to her.’
Lady Gaga? When, as Helen reports elsewhere, has just declared that she wants her new perfume to smell of blood and semen, I totally see that.