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New details of the bust-up between Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke and ageing Sex Pistols singer John Lydon emerged today as the Foals' tour manager revealed that three members of the Oxford band suffered injuries during last weekend’s fight.
Foals tour manager Nick Jenkin today called Lydon’s description of the event at Barcelona’s Summercase Festival “totally untrue,” and said he watched Okereke being punched by the Sex Pistols’ entourage while the band’s frontman, known as Johnny Rotten, taunted the Kaiser Chiefs’ Ricky Wilson, after he went to the aid of the Bloc Party singer.
Jenkin also told Times Online that Foals frontman Yannis Philippakis tried to help Okereke but was put in a sleeper hold by a security guard until he passed out and was then handcuffed as he lay on the ground. “He had a boot on his back,” Jenkin said.
Foals bassist Walter Gervers suffered a black eye and guitarist Jimmy Smith was shoved through a barrier during the brawl on Saturday afternoon, Jenkin said.
Okereke, a Liverpudlian of Nigerian descent, claimed on Monday that he was racially abused and beaten up after he approached Lydon and asked if he had any plans to reform his onetime band Public Image Ltd.
He said The Sex Pistols frontman became “intimidating and aggressive”, while his entourage responded with a racist tirade, including the statement, “your problem is your black attitude,” before attacking him. He also alleged the Kaiser Chiefs and Foal members who came to his aid were attacked.
Lydon, however, denied the allegations, accusing Okereke of lying about what he described as a “perfect evening”. He also rubbished the racism claims, saying the Sex Pistols' fans were made up of a cross-section of races and cultures.
"Its a shame that the wonderful world of the media is riddled with nonsense like this," he said, before calling on Okereke to “grow up and learn to be a true man.”
But Jenkin’s claims today threw doubt on Lydon’s story. The tour manager said: “Kele looked in pretty bad shape. The Sex Pistols were in everyone’s face, obviously looking for violence.”
Earlier today Neon Neon frontman Gruff Rhys also leapt to Okereke's defence, telling MTV the brawl was "horrific" and that the singer's version of events was "absolutely true".
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That attitude, Mikey, is the problem with British culture as a whole.
Al, London,
grow up mikey, its about the music not everything has to be violent
Chris, Portsmouth,
Mikey, according to the article it was the Sex Pistols' entourage that did most of the beating up (allegedly). Even if the entourage were all 50-year-olds, ganging up on someone is not very sporting, is it?
Jason Kwan, Gainesville, FL, USA
Today's young bands just haven't got the toughness we had in my day. If I'd been slapped around by a bunch of pot-bellied 50-year-olds when I was a groovy young punk rocker I'd keep quiet about it, not go whining to the press. Everyone who's had an NME spread in the last 5 years should be rounded up
Mikey, Bromley, Kent