John Lydon For Eurovision 2018? Former Sex Pistols Frontman Responds To Speculation


It is around that time of year that entrants for the coming edition of the Eurovision Song Contest are being announced on a regular basis, whether through national finals or internal selection. So far, four countries have announced their participants; Finland, Belgium, Azerbaijan, and The Netherlands. Earlier Monday, November 27, former Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon responded to recent speculation that he may appear on stage in Lisbon come next May.

According to Diffuser, the 61-year-old gave an interview with Today FM in which he addressed what he refers to as a “hilarious” rumor. Although the former Johnny Rotten admits that the idea is certainly outlandish and he has no idea how it originated, he did not entirely rule it out. He only went as far as to say that if he did take on the task of appearing at next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, it would be a great performance.

As for what country Lydon would represent at Eurovision 2018, the choices would seemingly be between the United Kingdom and Ireland. The singer himself hails from Holloway, England, while both his parents were born in Ireland.

The UK and Ireland have not exactly had the best of luck in the contest over the past decade. Ireland has failed to qualify in the last four years, and the last time the country made the final their entrant came in last place. Before that, they enjoyed an eighth-place finish and two bottom-half placings, prior to this failure to advance for two years. Given Lydon’s infamy in the music world, it is possible he could bring the country back to its former glory; Ireland still holds the record for the most Eurovision wins, seven, with the last being in 1996. Indeed, the nation took home the trophy three years in a row; 1992, 1993, and 1994. They won again in 1996.

The United Kingdom did somewhat better in the Eurovision Song Contest this year than is normal for them, placing 15th in the Grand Final. As the UK is part of the Big 5, they advance to this stage automatically without having to compete in either of the semi-finals. This can be a blessing or a curse, depending on the artist; if the artist is already well-known and liked, not seeing their rehearsal videos and backstage performances is not a big deal for the fans as they already know what to expect. If it is a new or relatively unheard of artist, this exposure is desperately needed as when the time comes most will have already chosen their favorites and one performance will not change their mind. As such, the United Kingdom has faced a series of abysmal placings in the past decade; three bottom five rankings, and one last place. Two were bottom-half finishes, while their reprieves came in the form of fifth and 11th place. Although the rule of well-known artists finishing higher is generally the case, it was not in 2013 when former superstar Bonnie Tyler took the stage and ended up coming 19th.

[Featured Image by Alastair Grant/AP Images]

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