The Smiley Smile Message Board

Here's the statement, posted on both the Pistols and Lydon's websites:

"Next to the SEX PISTOLS, rock and roll and that hall of fame is a piss stain. Your museum. Urine in wine. We're not your monkeys and so what? Fame for $25,000 if we paid for a table, or $15,000 to squeek up in the gallery, goes to a non-profit organization selling us a load of old famous. Congratulations. If you voted for us, hope you noted your reasons. You're anonymous as judges, but you're still music industry people. We're not coming. You're not paying attention. Outside the sh*t-stem is a real SEX PISTOL."

Wow, how subversive.

 ::)

He HAD to say that, really. If they'd showed up and been good, who woulda cared anymore?

PS: Steve Jones' radio show is the best thing ever.

No, I think it is.  I don't think they're just talking to the Hall, but the fans too: "We're not your monkeys and so what?"  People love putting Lydon down now, as if he's done nothing in his whole career.  I'm glad he tells most people to take a hike.

That's just one more reason the Pistols were the finest that the British isles had to offer during the punk era.

Amen to you both Chris and Jason. There's NEVER any harm stirring the pot.

Daniele the PUNK CHICA!

Did you not know?
1977
Never go to heaven

I don't invest much time in ascertaining the histories of people who post here, Daniele.

It would have been more subersive if they'd shown up, played a few songs, dressed nice, said "thank you" to everybody, and then left.

I must agree.

Yeah, that woulda been subversive for the Sex Pistols, maybe, insofar as it would've contradicted their image as punks. But showing up and being nice is not by definition "subversive." Would you respect them any more for playing at that piece of sh*t the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame? I wouldn't. They reformed in '96 already and everybody cried "sellout." Why should they get back together for a bunch of dilettantes? f*** that. They absolutely did the right thing, even if it was predictable.

Nah, you show up, play nice, THEN f*** the whole thing up. That's subversive. What the Beatles did.
Otherwise it's just boring political manifestoes that no one pays any attention to.

Maybe, but it fits with rejecting their spot on that stupid Rhino box.  I think they're tired of everyone jumping on the punk bandwagon in the past few years.  Besides, if they showed up and acted nice, everyone would know it was a joke right away.  Look at who we're talking about.  Like it says in the letter, you're not paying attention.

Sounds to me like they're taking themselves and the hall of fame a little too seriously.

I feel like I've been cheated, somehow...

Balls to You All!@!!!!!!!

Yet another reason why Mike Love is a true punk rock icon.

Maybe Lydon and co have taken their cue from Bob Dylan.  Last year Dylan was inducted into the UK RnR Hall of Fame except he wasn't there at the ceremony because he was performing live that night at a UK venue!  As I understand it, the organisers wanted to do a live link up to the concert where Dylan would receive his 'induction' or whatever, a standard sort of thing with these type of ceremonies.  But Bobby wasn't having any of it.  In the event Woody Harrelson (?!) accepted the induction on Dylan's behalf.  A bland statement was put out by Dylan's organisation afterwards saying how very honoured he was etc etc.  I think the organisers were pretty dismayed by Dylan's non-co-operation, what with him actually being in UK at the time.   

Maybe I just expected a press statement that didn't sound like it was written by an inarticulate 20-year-old. Lydon's been dinking with the press for 30 years and that's the best he can do? "You're not paying attention?" Dude, we're paying attention. Even the rock hall yahoos are "paying attention."

Its more likely they just dont' *care*. I mean, duh, of course they HAVE to honor them by admitting them. They can't just ignore 'em.

Like Michael Moore, the job of people like Lydon is not to solve the world's issues, but to point to them asclearly as their mind will let them.

Jon, have you seen the letter? It's kinda scary, looks like one of those Zodiac Killer or Son of Sam letters. When I transcribed it, I corrected some bad spelling and punctuation. I'm a lilttle surprised to see someone as intelligent as Lydon could use a little summer school.

Anyway, I think it's great, I've been on a big Pistols kick for about a month, so the timing is perfect. This is exactly what they should have done IMO. I wouldn't have wanted them to show up and act thankful and assimilated, I wouldn't have wanted them to show up and act like arrogant, embarrassing assholes. The thing to do was to blow it off. I wasn't expecting such a vitriolic flipping of the bird, but it seems appropriate coming from them. I think he's completely sincere, too, I'd say he did this (and pulled the rest of the band behind him) because he felt it, not because it's what everyone was waiting for. And on a superficial level, I have to say it's kinda exciting to see them, even briefly, back in the public eye as Sex Pistols again rather than former Sex Pistols.

Oh, I think Steve and John are going to be appearing together on Jimmy Kimmel's show sometime in March, I think it might be March 10, if anyone wants to catch it.

It would matter if they hadn't done a "Take the money and run" world tour reunion. Or if Lydon showed one pint of sense of humour. He must always be ... in charge. He's boring.

I hope you're being sarcastic. Michael Moore.... BAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!

Took the words out of my mouth.

See, we're still talking about that to this day.  Who will be talking about the Pistol's snub in a decade or so?

She's not being sarcastic. Agree or disagree with the guy, he definitely raises some interesting issues.

And they admitted from that start that that tour was what it was.  I think it was so Lydon could get money to put together his own studio to do the music he really wanted.  Boo hoo.


And both of them got the idea from Steely Dan.

The "subversive" thing would be to pretend that the Hall doesn't even exist.

Read about his history with illness and school.  Steve Jones was actually illiterate in 1975.

Oh, I think anyone who's still talking about the Pistols and/or the Hall, which should be plenty. Think about it, since it's inception, alot of people have expressed the opinion that a rock hall of fame is a bizarre notion, a way to institutionalize and legitimize teenage rebellion, anger, lust, etc. Domesticating a lion. Everyone talks, but the Pistols were the first to actually reject it. Until now, everybody has wanted to get in, every year the inductees get a front page headline in the music press. When McCartney got in as a solo, his daughter wore a shirt proclaiming, "It's about f*ing time" or something to that effect. The Pistols are the first to openly backhand the whole thing. I think this is a moment that will have some resonance throughout the coming years. It's not as jarring as if it had come out of nowhere and taken everybody by surprise, but it's still significant.

And about the reunion tour, I have no problem with it. I thiink it was a dream come true, and it would have truly sucked if they all went to their graves having never played before all the people that love their music and never had a chance in hell to see them in their heyday. At the start of the tour, Lydon commented that as soon as something is held up as a sacred cow, not to be tamepered with, to remain perfectly preserved behind glass in a museum, he gets the urge to destroy it. The Pistols of all people shouldn't be some precious icon to be protected and worshipped, let 'em get out there on the boards and blast a crowd to the back wall. You'd rather go see Matlock solo and imagine what it was like? Listen to John's exuberance on the live CD, "Finsbury Park never looked so f*cking good!" They finally got a chance to claim what was owed them; some money for their trouble and the sound of a huge audience that appreciated them. It was a good deal.

Indeed that was my point.

If they wont induct YES, Genesis, Rush or the Guess Who, then the Pistols will have to wait!!!

Just because we're still talking about something - does that make it good?

They delivered the goods and cashed the money, more power to them. Only some dork who still believes in punk would criticize them for doing the reunion tour.

What I was talking about was Lydon's attitude during that tour. After all those years when he could bragg to the press how he was always ahead of the pack, he was being predictable and cashing in. FINE. Could he drop the act? HELL NO. What does the humourless prick do? Anytime a journalist mentioned "sell out" he would tell him to "f*** off" and walk away.

MOST POMPOUS HUMOURLESS PRICK EVER.

And now this "statement" as if we're still in '76 and they're shocking the establishment. YAWN. Give me Mike's speech anytime.