While discussing why he chose not to work with Damon Albarn on Gorillaz’s latest release, Plastic Beach, the former king of controversy also threw in a dig at U2 for reasons no one but John Lydon would probably understand.
“They have been quite negative, which has astounded us because PIL is the perfect festival band,” he said. “You don’t want U2 — that’s a band that never should have existed, there’s no life experience in any of their songs.”
Somehow, Lydon goes from talking about why PiL is right for festival shows to why U2 shouldn’t exist.
Don’t worry, John: U2’s itinerary was messed up recently because Bono hurt his back. Didn’t you hear about them pulling out of Glastonbury?
The 54 year old said, “They gave me a bell but the answer was ‘no’. I really don’t want to be dabbling in other people’s gene pools.”
“I’ve worked the many so-called famous people but it’s never been for any deliberate financial motivation. If I did it wouldn’t be a business phone call followed by a management agreement and then for an album manufactured and marketed as to what the current popular trends were.”
Instead John’s is keen to make new music with his band Public Image Limited (PIL) who kick off a six-date UK tour next week.
Public Image Limited are playing a string of 02 Academy dates around the UK in London, Bristol, Liverpool, Oxford, Leeds and Glasgow.