Eurovision’s disgusting, says Lydon
...who wants to represent us!
JOHN Lydon has branded Eurovision ‘disgusting’ and ‘phoney’, despite admitting the chance to represent Ireland in the contest later this year was a ‘fantastic opportunity’.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Radio 1 this week the former Sex Pistols frontman, 66, also admitted to never having watched the annual event.
He said: ‘It’s absolutely awful – the songs, the whole thing of it is disgusting to me.’
The punk rocker – best known by his stage name Johnny Rotten – will bid for the spot alongside his band Public Image Ltd.
‘I’m a songwriter, I perform live, and these shows just come across as so dreadfully phoney to me,’ he said, before adding, ‘but look, we’re giving it a chance to break out of that mould’.
When asked how he plans to make his mark on the competition he went on to say: ‘I’ve no idea. Apparently, I have to do karaoke over a backing track.’
However he then expressed his gratitude for being invited to compete, saying: ‘What a fantastic opportunity these people have given me.’
The band previously revealed they would compete with an unheard song called Hawaii – dedicated to John’s wife Nora, who has Alzheimer’s.
And the frontman admitted that he ‘cried his eyes out’ when writing and recording the song.
‘My wife, when she sees this, it’s going to melt her, Alzheimer’s
‘Apparently I have to do karaoke’
or not. It’s the most rewarding thing,’ he added.
Lydon found fame as lead singer of The Sex Pistols in the 1970s alongside guitarist Steve Jones, drummer Paul Cook and bassist Glen Matlock. Matlock was later replaced by Sid Vicious. After the group’s break-up in 1978, Lydon formed Public Image Ltd.
The singer – whose mother is from Co Cork and his father from Tuam, Co. Galway – will see his band compete with the other entries, ADGY, Connolly, Wild Youth, Leila Jane, and K
Muni + ND. This year’s Eurovision will be held in Liverpool on behalf of war-torn Ukraine.