God Save The Sex Pistols - Press Conference 7th November 2007. Exclusive Report & Pictures

Last night I was privileged to be present at a Sex Pistols press conference to launch Guitar Hero 3 & the Pistols gigs. The venue was Hoxton Square Bar in Shoreditch.

John Lydon, Steve Jones & Glen Matlock were present at the venue early evening while TV crews filmed interviews, including the clips seen later yesterday evening on ITV London & Channel 4.

Later in the evening John took the stage for 40 minutes to tell the gathered media about Guitar Hero 3 & the forthcoming tour. Luckily I was present and witnessed a fired-up John at the top of his game, fielding all sorts of questions, ranging from the relevant to the totally preposterous.

Here are a selection of quotes.

Why Guitar Hero? 'The offer came in! I took it home and played it with a bunch of kids, mostly my brother who lives near me in LA, & I f**king loved it. It was teaching you how not to be a rock star... how not to be an a***hole in your life.'

He added: 'I love the money!' 'Get 'em when they're young, it's a kiddies world.'

Sex Pistols: 'I enjoy my TV work, doing my nature stuff, it's been a challenge to tell it like it is, but in a weird way it's similar to being a Sex Pistol, my Pil and solo stuff. Always my respect goes back to 'thank you Sex Pistols.''

What would 19 year old JL think of 51 yr old JL? 'I cannot possibly answer that. What a ridiculous proposition.'

Gordon Brown: 'A Scottish man running England. I don't see an Englishman running Scotland. If we did, we could truly call it Great Britain.'

Living in LA: 'Where I live is irrelevant. I still pay my English taxes. I warned you about Tony Blair, didn't I?'

USA tour? 'Probably so, yeah.'

The Holidays In The Sun Tour: 'We agreed to do one gig and it just went... the reception was so huge, one led into five, and then you can't miss out Manchester, and you certainly can't miss out Scotland and Glasgow is the centre of that universe.'

What was the best thing about being a Sex Pistol? 'It weren't the sex and it weren't the guns.'

John was not standing for any nonsense from the crowd. At one point someone asked him to 'finish the question.' He responded, 'YOU finish it' and threw the microphone into the crowd at the perpetrator.

Malcolm McLaren and Channel 4 also came in for a tongue-lashing.

On this evidence, the shows starting tonight are going to be unmissable. Equally biting, quick-witted and focused.
This IS Johnny Rotten.

I can't wait for the action to start.

Review by Phil Singleton 8th November 2007

Pictured right: John defies the smoking ban.

Photos from the event can be viewed at: brianrasic.com/

Holidays In The Sun 2007 Index