Two former Sex Pistols — guitarist Steve Jones and drummer Paul Cook — are suing John “Johnny Rotten” Lydon for blocking the licensing of the group’s music for Danny Boyle’s Sex Pistols miniseries.
Pistol is a six-episode limited series that’s been adapted from Jones’ 2017 memoir Lonely Boy: Tales From a Sex Pistol. It’s been causing tension among the onetime bandmates ever since it was announced, and while legal action isn’t a surprise, the direction of it is. In April, it was Lydon who threatened to sue, called the decision not to hire him as a consultant “disrespectful.” His attempts to curmudgeon his way into a check didn’t work, and he’s now trying to grind the production to a halt by refusing to grant permission for the group’s songs.
As The Associated Press reports, Jones and Cook are relying on a 1998 accord in which the Pistols agreed that future decisions would be made on a “majority rules basis.” Their lawyer claims that bassist Glen Matlock and the estate of his replacement, Sid Vicious, all support licensing the music. He also referred to a “brittle and fractious” relationship between Lydon and, well, everybody.
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For his part, Lydon insists that licensing music can’t be done without his consent. His lawyer also complained that Jones’ memoir paints him “in a hostile and unflattering light,” going so far as to describe him as “the annoying little brat with the great bone structure who’s always asking for more.”
Lydon remains a colorful character. Last year he said he’d been suffering from fleas, telling the world “there’s a fucking bite on my willy.” Perhaps unsurprisingly, he recently came out as a Trump supporter.
As of now Pistol is expected to air sometime next year on FX.
