Sunday, March 12, 2006


excellent John Lydon appearance on Jimmy Kimmel recently. Gotta love it. Straight shooter.

John's thoughts on American Idol from this interview:

"They're trying to incorporate you into their methodology, and if you're writing music and you're singing things and you believe in what you're doing, it's from your heart, and that' s the thing those institutions negate on."

After 6 years formal vocal training for a classical operatic career (didn't happen) I can say that what John said there is something that runs through EVERY thread of the music industry. A university music program is a political animal that is designed to KILL THE JOY OF MUSIC. And you can take that to the bank, my darlings.

added Sunday midday - The funny thing is that when I knew of John simply as the godhead of the Sex Pistols and PiL, although I agreed with so much of what he said lyrically, I never thought he was a person who could sit still, but ever since Rotten TV, I have come to see him as someone with a very peaceful, well-grounded inner core who knows exactly who he is and sees the bullshit coming from a mile away and is not afraid to call a dog a dog. THAT's what I mean when I say he's a straight shooter. He's my kind of people, and with the gravitas of physical maturity now that he's hit the ripe old age of 50, I actually find him really attractive. Wow. Now I never saw that coming!

3 comments:

Tickersoid said...

John "waving his testicles in the face of authority" there.

The internet seems to be depleating the power of the 'industry'.
Witness the sensational rise of the 'Arctic Monkeys' by virtual word of mouth.
They still ended up with a deal, but must of had a hell of a lot of 'clout' when it came to negotiating it.

Barbara Bruederlin said...

There's nothing finer than an olde punk, especially one who's still pissed off after all these years.

phlegmfatale said...

tickersoid - if the internet is depleting the power of the industry, then I think that's a great thing - it becomes much more egalitarian and a truly open marketplace, rather than merely exposing the hothouse flowers the industry wants to promote for commercial reasons.

Yup, barbara - you know I love him.