Saturday, November 2, 2024

Taylor Swift hails Sabrina Carpenter ‘the pop princess of our dreams’

Taylor Swift has hailed Sabrina Carpenter "as real as they come" after she used her one day off from touring for their...

Latest Posts

Ed Sheeran beats new copyright claim

Ed Sheeran has beaten a copyright appeal over his track ‘Thinking out Loud’. Last year, the star and...

Snoop Dogg’s ‘weed song’

Snoop Dogg has called his upcoming Tom Petty collaboration a "weed song". The 53-year-old rapper's new album 'Missionary' will...

Tony Iommi admits Black Sabbath reunion concert is up ‘in the air’

Tony Iommi admits Black Sabbath's one-off reunion is "up in the air". Frontman Ozzy Osborune has said he's determined...

Hugh Jackman to headline BST Hyde Park

Hugh Jackman is set to perform at BST Hyde Park. The 56-year-old actor will be performing musical theatre classics,...

John Lydon brands Sex Pistols music request for TV drama to ‘slave labour’

John Lydon has compared a 1998 music licensing agreement struck by the Sex Pistols to “slave labour”.

The ‘Anarchy in the U.K.’ band’s former frontman appeared in court in London on Wednesday (21.07.21) to give evidence after being left furious that their music is to be used in director Danny Boyle’s FX drama series, ‘Pistol’, which is based on ‘Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol’, the memoir of his former bandmate Steve Jones.

Lydon – who already blasted Boyle for allegedly making the programme without his participation or consent – described the 23-year-old agreement as “like a total trap or prison”.

Jones and the group’s ex-drummer Paul Cook are suing Lydon – who was also known by the stage name Johnny Rotten – for trying to stop their music being used, as they claim the BMA (band member agreement) has a clause which means decisions regarding the use of their back catalogue is decided on a “majority rules basis”.

Lydon told the courtroom: “I care very much about this band and its reputation and its quality control and I will always have a say if I think anything is being done to harm or damage [it].

“I don’t want anything I’m involved in to victimise any one of us. It would destroy the whole point and purpose of the band and so I don’t understand the BMA… I don’t remember signing it.

“You can’t let your history be rewritten for us by a complete stranger with no interest in it. This is my life here. This is my history. I didn’t write these songs [for them] to be given off to nonsense.”

The punk rocker insisted “all decisions” about their music and brand have always been made with a “unanimous” agreement.

He continued: “I don’t understand how Steve and Paul think they have the right to insist that I do something that I so morally heart-and-soul disagree with without any involvement.

“My fear is that they’re demanding that I agree to sign over the rights to a drama documentary that I am not allowed any access to.

“I don’t think the BMA applies.

“I didn’t ask for this court case, it was brought to me, so I will naturally defend myself.

“There is no point in me being here or ever was if it is the case that I can just be completely outvoted by the vested interests of all in one management camp.”

Edmund Cullen QC, Jones and Cook’s representative, insisted Lydon must “deeply regret having signed the BMA” for him to refer to it as “slave labour”.

He said: “Given that you regard it as slave labour, you will do whatever it takes to try and get out of it.”

In his witness statement given earlier this week, Cook claimed Lydon “can be a difficult character and always likes to feel that he has control”.

The musician added how: “I thought that our relationship with John would get worse when we used it.

“Maybe Steve and I have been too nice to John over the years in trying to maintain good relations and that we should have been tougher.

“I am unhappy that he would behave like this over an important personal project for Steve, particularly as we have always backed his personal projects.”

Lydon had claimed he was excluded from all aspects of the production and was left fuming by publicity pictures of Anson Boon, who will play him.

A spokesperson for ‘Pistol’ insisted they always intended to communicate with the PiL singer before filming began and Boyle had written to him via his management company but to no avail.

The representative said: “[Danny] wished to speak with Mr Lydon personally about the production of Pistol. Ultimately, however, direct contact was declined.”

Latest Posts

Ed Sheeran beats new copyright claim

Ed Sheeran has beaten a copyright appeal over his track ‘Thinking out Loud’. Last year, the star and...

Snoop Dogg’s ‘weed song’

Snoop Dogg has called his upcoming Tom Petty collaboration a "weed song". The 53-year-old rapper's new album 'Missionary' will...

Tony Iommi admits Black Sabbath reunion concert is up ‘in the air’

Tony Iommi admits Black Sabbath's one-off reunion is "up in the air". Frontman Ozzy Osborune has said he's determined...

Hugh Jackman to headline BST Hyde Park

Hugh Jackman is set to perform at BST Hyde Park. The 56-year-old actor will be performing musical theatre classics,...

Don't Miss

Rag’n’Bone Man and Bananarama set for Hampton Court Palace Festival 2025

Rag’n’Bone Man and Bananarama have been added to the line-up for Hampton Court Palace Festival 2025. The 'Human' hitmaker...

The Maccabees confirm reunion show at All Points East 2025

The Maccabees are reuniting for their first concert in eight years at All Points East. Orlando Weeks and co...

The Zutons to honour Amy Winehouse on BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge this week

The Zutons will honour Amy Winehouse by covering the late star's 2006 hit 'Back To Black' and 'Valerie' on BBC Radio 1’s...

Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carrabba ‘wouldn’t have a career’ without illegal download sites

Dashboard Confessional frontman Chris Carrabba says he “wouldn't have a career” without the illegal music download sites of the noughties.

Olivia Rodrigo hails Chappell Roan as an ‘inspiration’ to her in the music industry

Olivia Rodrigo has hailed Chappell Roan as an “inspiration" to her. The 21-year-old singer has struck up a close...

Stay in touch

To be updated with all the latest news, offers and special announcements.