Friday , March 29 2024

Rotten Speaks, Billboard Withers

The Sex Pistols hit the road this summer – will the road hit back? It is pointless to try to confront an antagonist such as Lydon in an interview format, especially a timed interview format:

    As first reported here, the cross-country, 13-date trek will launch Aug. 20 in Boston. The run is the first for the Sex Pistols since the group’s 1996 Filthy Lucre reunion tour. The band had called it quits in early 1978 after Rotten walked off the stage at a San Francisco concert.

    ….From his Los Angeles home, Rotten was only willing to give Billboard.com’s Todd Martens a 10-minute phone interview, and strictly held to the time limit. Before introductions could be completed, Rotten interrupted to say, “You now have 9 minutes and 33 seconds.”

    Are we going to hear anything new on this tour?

    It’s new if you’ve never seen us before. Then it’s all new. Every time we perform the songs they’re new, simply because of that.

    With all that’s going on in the world, I just figured you might have something to say about it, and this tour would preview new work.

    Look, we’re the Sex Pistols. It is what it is. We only needed to make one album to absolutely define how the world is. There’s no need to duplicate or jump on that like it was a system for money. It isn’t about that. We’ve never been into it for that. It would be wrong to try and come up with another Sex Pistols album. I don’t feel right about it. There’s no need for it.

    What we’ve done is an achievement in itself. It’s a historical one. We’ve had no help from the music industry. Never. Never. We’ve been disenfranchised from the day we started and we still are. We’re going out on tour by hook or by crook at the cheapest price possible. You compare our tickets to the other wankers out there. We’re doing that with no recording company sponsorship. We have no record label. Any young band should watch this and know that the music industry is out there to do you no good. No good at all. They specialize in compromise. Once you compromise, you’re finished. You’re dead. You’re nothing but a coat hanger that they dress up.

    Let’s go back to what you said about recording another album. If there’s no need to duplicate it, then I don’t understand why that same standard doesn’t apply to touring.

    The truth is the truth. We do what we want to, and that’s the truth. Who’s to say we shouldn’t keep touring? This is the Sex Pistols, mate. We don’t follow any rules. Rules are for fools. Rules should be in constant in change. If rules don’t adapt to the current mode of society, then rules are irrelevant, and no rules apply to the Sex Pistols. We hurt no one, and oddly enough, what we do benefits everyone.

    ….Aside from touring without a label, what else are doing to chip away at the system?

    I’m going to Baghdad. The Sex Pistols will play Baghdad. You’re offering them democracy; well let’s give it to them in its ultimate extreme. They are human beings just like us.

    How are you going to get over there?

    The more red tape they put in front of me, the stronger I feel about it. I see no reason for denying the people of Baghdad anything. Don’t let people suffer. Just don’t. It’s not right. The longer troops stay on those streets with guns, the longer it’s going to get more bizarre. We all know that. Do they need democracy? Is democracy so great? It comes with a few problems, doesn’t it? Let’s let them know.

    ….Aug. 20: Boston (Fleet Boston Pavillion)
    Aug. 21: Wantagh, N.Y. (Tommy Hilfiger @ Jones Beach Theater)
    Aug. 23: Atlantic City, N.J. (Trump Marina)
    Aug. 24: Washington, D.C. (9:30)
    Aug. 25: Toronto (Molson Amphitheater)
    Aug 27: Cleveland (The Scene)
    Aug 28: Detroit (Cobo Arena)
    Aug. 29: Chicago (Aragon Ballroom)
    Aug. 31: Englewood, Colo. (Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater)
    Sept. 3: San Francisco (Warfield Theater)
    Sept. 5: Las Vegas (The Joint)
    Sept. 6: Los Angeles (Greek Theater)
    Sept. 7: San Diego (San Diego Street Scene Festival)

About Eric Olsen

Career media professional and serial entrepreneur Eric Olsen flung himself into the paranormal world in 2012, creating the America's Most Haunted brand and co-authoring the award-winning America's Most Haunted book, published by Berkley/Penguin in Sept, 2014. Olsen is co-host of the nationally syndicated broadcast and Internet radio talk show After Hours AM; his entertaining and informative America's Most Haunted website and social media outlets are must-reads: Twitter@amhaunted, Facebook.com/amhaunted, Pinterest America's Most Haunted. Olsen is also guitarist/singer for popular and wildly eclectic Cleveland cover band The Props.

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