Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke has accused John Lydon, better known as The Sex Pistols firebrand Johnny Rotten, of “an unprovoked racist attack”. Bafflingly, Lydon has issued a statement categorically denying the incident.
Both musicians are taking markedly different stances. Okereke’s story goes something like this: he approached Lydon backstage at the Summercase festival in Barcelona and asked him if there were any plans to reunite the Sex Pistols’ frontman’s ‘other’ band Public Image Ltd. The response he got was less than welcoming. Bloc Party’s management reported: “The Sex Pistols singer became intimidating and aggressive while his entourage responded with a racist tirade including the statement, ‘your problem is your black attitude.’
“Kele was then set upon by three members of Lydon’s crew who punched him in the face and head as well as attacking people who tried to protect Kele from the assault including Yannis Philippakis from Foals and Kaiser Chiefs’ Ricky Wilson. The incident was broken up by festival security and was later reported to Spanish police. Kele also reported the incident to police in the UK after returning from Spain.” Philippakis is said to have been detained by police. Further to the statement, Okereke himself told media, “I am disappointed that someone I held with such high regard turns out to be such a bigot.”
This all sounds a little intricate for a fabrication, right? Not according to Lydon, who isn’t having a bar of it. “I feel very sorry for a man that needs to lie about what was a perfect evening,” Lydon’s statement reads. “Trouble was brought us, resulting in those causing the trouble being physically removed by festival security…If they need publicity so badly this is the allegation universe they run into.” After denying the claims of racism, the Sex Pistol can’t resist a parting jab at his accuser. “Grow up and learn to be a true man. It’s a shame that the wonderful world of the media is riddled with nonsense like this.”
The “wonderful world of media” doesn’t know what to think…
saimagizzle
said ages ago