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Johnny Rotten Calls Sting, Police 'Dead Carcasses'

In the past few weeks, John Lydon the gentle, demure former TV host has been replaced by his brash, opinionated alter ego, the man appropriately called Johnny Rotten. The first of the Sex Pistols' chief rabble-rouser's Rotten pronouncements was to determine that Rudy Giuliani was "scary to high hell" in a roundup of presidential candidates he recently gave to Spinner, sparing none of the other 2008 White House aspirants in the process.

Now, on the heels of an announced one-off reunion of his notorious '70s punk band to commemorate the 30th anniversary of its only album, 'Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols,' he has taken potshots at the also recently reconstituted Police. When asked to compare the Police, who are in the midst of a yearlong international reunion tour, to the reconvened Pistols, Lydon instead decided to compare the late-'70s/early-'80s multiplatinum trio to "soggy old dead carcasses."

In an interview that aired on Virgin Radio in the U.K., Lydon, referring to Police frontman Sting, also expounded, "You know, listening to Stink [sic] try to squeak through 'Roxanne' one more time, that's not fun. It's like letting air out of a balloon."

His Rottenness then went on to compare the substance-abuse woes of Amy Winehouse and Pete Doherty to that of his late bandmate Sid Vicious. "They obviously don't enjoy what they're doing," he said. "And that's why you turn to drugs. And that's what happened with Sid, he wasn't happy about what he couldn't do. It's a slow suicide," Lydon continued, "and it's a cry for help because they're in pain, they're in mental pain. And this is a disgusting industry because people just cut you dead."

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Jim

I saw the Police recently here in Philadelphia. I thought they all looked good but noticed that Sting had lost a step or two with the vocals. I do commend them on a fantastice setlist. I also saw Genesis who sounded incredible but lacked the setlist with imperative Genesis songs that were not played.

September 26 2007 at 3:26 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
wufinz@aol.com

I thought johnny rotten died years agao. Maybe he sis. Anyway, he was a sellout no-talent even back in the day. The Sex Pissals were a joke

September 25 2007 at 1:50 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
trish

Me thinks its a case of the pot calling the kettle.
Bugger off ya posh git.

September 25 2007 at 12:39 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
cpngroats

takes one to know one..!! wot..?
ggc

September 24 2007 at 8:35 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
duckworth

If you listen to Never Mind the Bollocks and you are over the age of 14, you have shitty taste in music, even by punk rock standards.

The Police were nice enough to, in their ride of fame, introduce a good number of British ska bands, like UB40, the Specials, and Selecter to American audiences. Plus they were friends with Toots Hibbert, much cooler than Sid Vicious.

September 24 2007 at 7:08 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
fatherdjohnson

A case of the pot calling the kettle black. And how moronic does one have to be in order to regard Johnny Rotten as a 'legend'?

September 24 2007 at 3:54 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
fartingbaboon

And what has Johnny Rotten done in the past 30 years? Nothing. He did hit the nail on the head talking about musicians wasting their lives using drugs... Amy Winehouse is an idiot. She was put in rehab, but took off.... Doesn't she have a kid?

September 24 2007 at 3:12 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
fartingbaboon

And what has Johnny Rotten done in the past 30 years? Nothing. He did hit the nail on the head talking about musicians wasting their lives using drugs... Amy Winehouse is an idiot. She was put in rehab, but took off.... Doesn't she have a kid?

September 24 2007 at 3:12 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Nick

A little harsh, but true.

September 24 2007 at 1:00 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
jenbird

Dear Johnny,
I Love You. The stinker is shit always has been why would anyone listen to that tripe?

September 24 2007 at 12:46 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply