The former Sex Pistols frontman has never been afraid to speak his mind. He talks about looking after his wife, Nora; his support for Trump and Brexit; and why he can’t abide ‘moaners’
John Lydon is telling me that he’s barely noticed lockdown, with Nora, his wife of 41 years. He wears a mask (“It’s about being generous. You might be contaminating someone”), but that’s about it. “Nora and I aren’t very social animals. We have friends, but we don’t go out much, so it’s no loss.” In recent years, Lydon, 64, has also been under a different kind of lockdown, caring for Nora, 78, who has Alzheimer’s. “There should be an anti-lockdown for John movement,” he says, with characteristic wryness.
We’re talking over FaceTime. It’s midday at Lydon’s Los Angeles home (which, he tells me, was built by Mae West). The former Sex Pistol and ongoing Public Image Ltd (PiL) frontman exudes spiky energy and good humour; wild hair springing over his forehead, a beer and a cigarette on the go. “I’m no good at this stuff,” he says, peering suspiciously into the computer screen. “It’s a miracle it’s working at all.”
