Punk legend Johnny Rotten says McGregor 'a bit on the violent side' for politics

Irish Daily Mirror

2 days ago

Sex Pistols icon John Lydon says Conor McGregor is "a little on the violent side" as he opened up about the MMA fighter's political beliefs.
The singer - also known as Johnny Rotten - opens up in a wide-ranging interview on The Michael Anthony Show where he discusses his political views, his drug use, grieving after the loss of his beloved wife Nora and his unstable childhood.
John was speaking about the issue around illegal immigrants living in the UK, speculating that Ireland is having the same problem.
"Come on, Conor," he joked, referring to McGregor's rants on social media about Ireland's immigration laws.
But host Michael Anthony remarked: "Are you serious about the McGregor sh*t?," to which Lydon replied: "I believe what he's saying when he says, 'the time for politicians has ended.' This is a nice slogan, but I'm not quite sure I'd like to follow him into the next situation, because he's a little on the violent side."
Lydon also discussed his Irish roots and his summers spent in east Cork with his Irish grandfather, who never spoke to him because he viewed him as English.
But he said he would often take him out fishing in rough seas when he was "drunk as a skunk".
"We'd basically run around with no shoes on and be Irish, I suppose."
"Did you like it?," asked Michael, to which Lydon replied: "Not at the time. The farmhouse, which my granddad built himself, was bigger than what we lived in in London, so that was fantastic.
"It was amazing, their pet donkey and horse liked me.
"My granddad, who never spoke to me at all because he viewed us as English. But he would take me fishing. He made his own rowboat, and he took me out with a net catching mackerel.
"I was thrilled at that. It's only in later years, when you look back on it, I suppose, in a romantic way too, just how fabulous that was, the gift he was giving me, and not a word said, you know, and in ferocious seas, these are all words and lyrics I use in songs ever since. They're all directly related to those moments, because it was a focus on nature, life and the danger of it, and him being oblivious to that rocky, f***ing Cork Harbour, huge waves, and he's standing up there drunk as a skunk."
He also revealed his late mother and father asked a priest in Ireland if he should go into the priesthood.
"I was furious," he said, laughing.
"What on earth were mum and dad thinking I was?
"It was viewed as like the nut house, where the stragglers went and just got shooed into the corner and everyone could go 'Holy Jesus'."
Lydon also spoke about his friendship with the late Pogues star Shane MacGowan, adding: "I loved him. I knew him when he had a f***ing thick English accent."
Lydon also opened up about the final moments of his late wife Nora Forster, who passed away in April 2023 at the age of 80 – five years after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.
He said Nora had a painful death and admits his regrets when he couldn't agree with medics about a DNR.
"She died so painfully. Gasping. They call it the death whistle. Hour after hour and trying to adjust her and make her more comfortable.
"She died when they took her off the bed and put her on the floor essentially."
He said he couldn't agree to a DNR but he admitted now looking back, it might have been "tortuous" for her over the two hours between getting an ambulance and getting her to a hospital.
"I couldn't say bye," he admitted, as he became visibly emotional during the interview.
Lydon admitted he stopped drinking for six months but can be seen enjoying a beer during the podcast.
"I didn't want to get into the habit. I was using alcohol, particularly after the death of Nora, to use it as an escape trying to put the pain away," he added.