John Lydon recalls a backstage spat with David Bowie: “That’s uncool, Dave”
Whether the influence was direct or indirect, John Lydon likely wouldn’t have dyed his hair bright orange to slip into his Johnny Rotten ego as the provocative frontman of Sex Pistols had it not been for David Bowie. After surging to worldwide fame and acclaim in 1972 under his Ziggy Stardust guise, Bowie inspired a new wave of fashion in the music world, highlighted by androgyny and glittery flares. This so-called glam-rock era was a precursor to punk.
When Sex Pistols arose from the bohemian backstreets of London in 1976 as Britain’s answer to Ramones, they had more front than Brighton. This group of rebellious youths subscribed full-heartedly to punk’s anarchistic, contradictory edge and, consequently, had loud, passionate views frequently undermined by capriciousness.
Knowing full well that they wouldn’t have existed if The Beatles hadn’t obliterated several barriers in the 1960s, John Lydon and Steve Jones were careful not to gush over John Lennon and Paul McCartney. By the 1970s, The Beatles had enjoyed their time in the sun, and the kids sought new idols. To them, The Beatles were as edgy as custard, worth only the dust on their parents’ record shelves.
Famously, Glen Matlock was an unashamed Beatles fanatic. Speaking to the Big Issue in 2021, he remembered hearing The Beatles’ ‘Twist and Shout’. “I heard it, and I thought I’d immediately start the Sex Pistols,” he recalled fondly. Matlock’s allegiance to the Fab Four was often rumoured as the reason for his dismissal from Sex Pistols in 1977, but he denies this as a factor.
Sex Pistols had a similarly complex relationship with David Bowie as another crucial building block on the road to punk. When picking out his 25 favourite songs to date in 1977, Lydon gave a nod to Bowie’s 1973 LP Diamond Dogs, selecting its energetic lead single, ‘Rebel Rebel’ as a favourite. However, always aloof, Lydon was careful not to pile too much praise on the Starman as a youngster.
Over the years, Lydon’s outlook has shifted somewhat: he’s just as passionate in his viewpoints but seems more willing to pile praise where it’s due. Speaking to Far Out in 2023, Lydon denounced the American influence on the British punk wave. “An awful lot of American journalism is saying that New York punk is where it all comes from,” he leered. “Oh, go fuck yourselves; it is talking shit. I was brought up in Britain!”
Continuing, the Public Image Ltd. singer praised Britain’s glam heavyweights as his heroes. “Mud, Sweet, T. Rex, Mott the Hoople, Dave Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Alex Harvey Band, Status Quo, Traffic, a vast extending universe of music,” he listed. “That’s what influenced me.” More vocal and honest compared to his aloof youth, Lydon admitted that Hunky Dory is one of his favourite albums of all time, even if Earthling was a crushing letdown.
While speaking at the Hard Rock Cafe in Glasgow in 2022, Lydon remembered another, more personal letdown. He remembered sitting backstage before a concert in Sweden once, and while tackling a bout of stage fright, Bowie entered the room. “You’re trying to find your head and get in the right space, and in walks David Bowie,” Lydon recalled. “Hi John, I’d like you to meet my son, Zowie Bowie. Would you sign his albums for him?” Bowie asked.
Lydon felt Bowie’s interruption was “uncool”, given that he was due on stage shortly. “That’s such a horrible pressure, man,” Lydon continued. “I said to him, ‘That’s uncool, Dave,’ and you should know that because you wouldn’t let me backstage before your gig.'”
Bowie said, “Of course,” he would let Lydon backstage before a gig, leading to a theatrical exchange of views. Lydon exclaimed that he had been “furious” about his altercation and decided to give Bowie a taste of his own medicine. When Iggy Pop had a concert in London several months later, he had some famous friends, including Bowie and Brian Eno, backstage, and Lydon turned up to crash the party.
“I burst into the dressing room, and they’re all having super lines of cocaine on the table, and [they’re] furious that I spotted it,” Lydon recounted. “The biggest fucking joke of it was I knew the dodgy cunt they bought that shit from.” Giggling, Lydon saw the humorous side of his affront with Bowie and proclaimed, “That’s life, do you know what I mean? That’s real life!”
