No longer just the end product of a Bovine Sex Club patron's crude fantasies, this past Friday former Sex Pistols/PIL frontman John "Johnny Rotten" Lydon, The Cult guitarist Billy Duffy and singer Bif Naked shared the stage of Healey's in Toronto to announce that a rocker talent search will come to Canada for a 10-date tour in May that will hit Ottawa, London, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Regina.
Lydon, Naked and Duffy are garnering attention for Bodog Music's Battle Of The Bands, a U.S.
reality television program and tour that has the label searching the world for new talent and offering a $1-million recording contract to the winner. A Bodog Music rep said a Canadian version of the show is "in the works," with celebrity judges to be determined.
The U.
S. show has seen no less than 7,500 applicants shuffle through, with the final dozen touring the States and honing their chops. Hopefuls here have the opportunity to compete simply by signing up through the Bodog .
So how do Lydon, Duffy and Naked fit in? They offer their services as judges, with roles that are obvious and almost caricature-like. Lydon, the mouthpiece, dominates.
He's unafraid of stating his mind with irrefutable honesty, while Duffy plays the casual observer. Naked sits quietly between the two as if fearing for her life, yet provides ethos at just the right moments. The trio explain their involvement in the contest with answers ranging from the obvious "for the money" to admitting the desire to impact the lives of young bands.
"Judging these bands isn't easy," notes Lydon with distinct sincerity. "We were taught the lesson that we're messing with people's lives. You end up being more careful on their behalf not to ruin their lives than you would with your own.
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"You do realize the consequences of your actions and words," says Duffy. "I started out being somewhat harsh with bands, but quickly understood just how wrong that is. I want to offer positive critical analysis of them because tearing them apart is just lazy and not constructive.
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Having been the subject of many attempts at ruin in their cumulative 80-plus years in the spotlight, these three would know the feeling. Still, the question remains as to whether or not these industry longhorns actually see anything worthwhile in the competitors, or if it's just another attempt at keeping their mugs in front of cameras?
"We love these bands because they write their own songs," grumbles Lydon.
"Anyone who has enough guts to stand up on a stage and perform original art deserves our respect and approval.
"It's so easy to cast things off as not being good, but when was the last time you put your fear aside and did something creative in front of others?
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