Sex Pistols lead singer causes strife
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Two former Sex Pistols members are suing singer Johnny Rotten for the right to use the band’s songs in an upcoming series about the rock icons.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Guitarist Steve Jones and drummer Paul Cook are hoping to include the songs in </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pistol</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a new show based on a memoir written by Jones.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rotten, whose real name is John Lydon, has called the series “disrespectful” and has refused to grant permission for the songs to be included.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Edmund Cullen, a lawyer representing Jones and Cook, told a London High Court judge that the former bandmates have a “brittle and fractious” relationship.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He argued that decisions regarding licensing requests could be made on a “majority rules basis”, based on the terms of a 1998 band agreement.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lydon has argued that his consent is required for the music to be licensed.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cullen said the band’s original bassist, Glen Matlock, and the estate of Matlock’s replacement, Sid Vicious, were in support of Cook and Jones.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mark Cunningham, Lydon’s lawyer, said in written arguments that the memoir depicts Lydon “in a hostile and unflattering light” and at one point describes the singer as “the annoying little brat with the great bone structure who’s always asking for more”.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The court case will continue this week.</span></p>
<p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pistol</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> stars Anson Boon as Lydon and Maisie Wiliams as Jordan Mooney - also known as Pamela Rooke - and is due to be broadcast next year.</span></p>
<p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Johnny Rotten / Instagram</span></em></p>
