Rotten's Response

Johnny Rotten

Maarts, from The Vinegar Stroke posted the following note from John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten of the seminal punk band the Sex Pistols) on the Castaways forum and I thought it was worth posting here. It is, as soon becomes evident in reading the thing, Lydon's response to the news that the Pistols had been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Enjoy:



Bravo, Mr. Lydon. Seriously.
The Sex Pistols always disdained the whole system that makes such affairs as the R&RHoF possible and it would be the pinnacle of hypocrisy for them to attend and pretend that they were somehow honored to be inducted.
They've already made their statement, and in doing so they left their mark in an indelible manner not seen since the likes of the Beatles and the Velvet Underground...I mean, I won't even attempt to count the number of bands who were influenced by the Pistols or encouraged by them to pick up an instrument and start a band; even if it were only Joy Division and REM they would have deserved immense respect, but those two groups are just the tip of the iceberg of acts who have acknowledged them as influences.
And I think it's classy of Rotten to make his point in a note as opposed to showing up and making some grand nose-thumbing statement during the ceremony, which would have been controversial and legendary but would also be "working within the system" (using the R&RHoF as the venue would give publicity to the whole establishment, publicity that the Sex Pistols, already legendary and not a working band anymore, certainly don't need).