Unprovoked verbal attacks are the norm for artificial punk legend,Johnny Lydon, AKA "Johnny Rotten".  He is a bit like the Don Rickles of rock.  To be insulted by the man is an honor, not to be taken seriously since the man is no wherenear a serious musician.  He's a carnival barker's creation.  For fuck's sake, he's reduced to going on Judge Judy!  (see below)

So, I have to take what Bloc Party's management is accusing Lydon of--a racism-laden physical assault on Bloc Party's black singer, Kele Okereke--to be more than a bit odd.  Lydon has a history of working with African American artists, including famous bassist Bill Laswell and DJ Afrika Bambaataa.  His second group, Public Image Limited, was heavily influenced by Lydon's love for reggae and dub, via Jamaican immigrants in his neighborhood. 

Look, is Lydon an asshole?  Absolutely.  Is he a racist asshole?  His personal and professional history indicate otherwise.

Then again, when I interviewed Bloc Party bassist Gordon Moakler last May, the post-post-punk band didn't strike me as a bunch of Motley Crue badasses.  The prep school educated band was more likely to dispute the results of a chess tournament than instigate a fight.

Could this all just be an elaborate media hoax by the two parties?

From The Guardian:

Bloc Party singer Kele Okereke was left with severe facial bruising and a split lip following an alleged racist attack by Sex Pistols singer John Lydon. The incident occurred on Saturday evening at the Summercase festival in Barcelona, with one witness claiming Lydon's entourage behaved like "a gang of racist thugs".

In an official statement released by the Okereke, who is of Nigerian descent, the singer says he approached Lydon backstage and asked him about the possibility of a reunion for Public Image Ltd, the band Lydon formed following the Sex Pistols demise in 1978. In Okereke's words, Lydon became "intimidating and aggressive while his entourage responded with a racist tirade, including the statement, 'your problem is your black attitude'." An assault allegedly ensued in which three people attacked Okereke.

Several other bands witnessed the incident, with Foals' singer Yannis Philippakis and Kaiser Chiefs singer Ricky Wilson intervening on the Bloc Party singer's behalf. "It's not an issue of the physical assault, even though it was an unprovoked attack," said Okereke. "It is the fact that race was brought into the matter so readily. Someone as respected and as intelligent as Lydon should know better than to bring race into the equation, or socialise with and encourage those who hold such narrow-minded attitudes." He added: "I am disappointed that someone I held with such high regard turns out to be such a bigot." The incident has since been reported to the police in Spain and the UK.

Lydon, in his own sarcastic way, denied the racial overtones, also via The Guardian:

John Lydon has responded to allegations of his involvement in a racist assault by saying his accuser is a liar and in need of the publicity. In a carefully worded statement, Lydon said: "I feel very sorry for a man that needs to lie about what was a perfect evening." In Lydon's version of events, the Sex Pistols singer claims that, "trouble was brought us, resulting in those causing the trouble being physically removed by festival security". He added: "If they need publicity so badly this is the allegation universe they run into."

Referring to his alter-ego in the third person, Lydon says: "After the show John Rotten and management remained behind to sign autographs, which we did for four solid hours without incident and had a great time talking to other Spanish bands, this seems to have sparked jealousy in certain bands."

His only reference to accusations that Kele Okereke was the victim of a racially motivated assault is to say: "We are in the middle of a wonderful tour, after 30 years we are achieving a true unity in our audience. They are multi-varied, all ages, all races, creeds and colours. When you are at a festival with bands who are jealous fools, lies and confusion usually follow."

Later, he apparently directs a comment to Okereke: "Grow up and learn to be a true man", before adding "It's a shame that the wonderful world of the media is riddled with nonsense like this."

It will be interesting what further developments, like arrests, occur and if any black artists, like Africa Bambaataa, will rise to Lydon's defense.

Maybe Judge Judy can resolve this?