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John Lydon Talks Shit to Henry Rollins and Marky Ramone at Punk Doc Event

John Lydon, Henry Rollins, and Marky Ramone Fight at 'Punk' Premiere

The promote the release of the Epix docuseries Punk, a handful of the genre’s most recognizable elder statesmen got into a verbal slap fight during an event in Los Angeles Wednesday night. Unsurprisingly the main instigator was PiL frontman and singer for noted boy band the Sex Pistols John Lydon, who got snippy with Marky Ramone and Henry Rollins.

The panel discussion, which was moderated by Rolling Stone writer Kory Grow, also featured L7’s Donita Sparks, Duff McKagan, and Punk producer John Varvatos. According to Grow, the discussion turned spicy when Lydon started sparring with Rollins.

“Henry, we ain’t never met before, have we?” Lydon said. “You’ve said silly things but excellently good things, too.”

“And you called Black Flag a bunch of suburban rich kids and we wanted to tear your ears off,” Rollins replied.

“Yes, I did, but I didn’t like the fucking music,” Lydon said. “It was boring.”

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Lydon saved most of his ire for Ramone, dredging up the old rivalry between the Sex Pistols and The Ramones. The discussion heated up when Lydon referred to Ramone as “a daft cunt.”

“Punk music for me was positive, proof positive, that we could change our life’s by music, meaning what we said, attack the political systems,” Lydon said, before motioning to Ramone. “This daft cunt is into fucking drugs.”

The exchange played out like a geriatric punk episode of The Jerry Springer Show. At one point Lydon got up out of his chair and danced around, mocking Ramone, who told Lydon: “You talk the talk, but you didn’t do the walk, just like the MC5.” Lyon then said that Ramone looked like “a heavy-metal fucking reject.”

“Sit the fuck down,” Ramone replied.

You can watch your two punk uncles engage in the saddest musical dick measuring contest below. The best part might be Rollins smirking, recording the whole fiasco on his phone, and just generally relishing in the mess.

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Punk premieres on Epix on March 11.