Following Gruff Rhyss recent Mercury Prize nomination for his Neon Neon album, Stainless Style, the Welsh songwriter has weighed in on the Kele Okereke/John Lydon controversy, saying the Bloc Party singer was a victim of an unprovoked attack over the weekend.
As we reported on Monday (July 21), Bloc Partys Okereke and Sex Pistols/PiL legend Lydon were involved in a scuffle at Spains Summercase festival, with Okereke claiming he was physically and racially attacked by Lydon. The Pistols singer has since denied Okerekes claims, telling the Bloc party member he should "grow up and learn to be a true man" and that his band were "jealous fools.
Now, while speaking to MTV, Rhys, who witnessed the alleged attack, has put in his two cents. "It was horrific. Kele is a very brave man and what he said is exactly what happened, Rhys said. "The statements Kele has said are absolutely true. It did happen.
Also backing Okerekes version of the story was another musician who played the Summercase festival, commenting on Drowned in Sound under the alias "bother that the situation between Okereke and Lydon "was total chaos.
"It got out of hand so fast, the musician wrote. "The Spanish security guards were total thugs. Our tour manager was put in a headlock after asking the security to let us go, as we had a flight to catch to England. I managed to sustain a knee injury at some point which was remarkable given that I barely got involved."
Neon Neon "I Lust U
As we reported on Monday (July 21), Bloc Partys Okereke and Sex Pistols/PiL legend Lydon were involved in a scuffle at Spains Summercase festival, with Okereke claiming he was physically and racially attacked by Lydon. The Pistols singer has since denied Okerekes claims, telling the Bloc party member he should "grow up and learn to be a true man" and that his band were "jealous fools.
Now, while speaking to MTV, Rhys, who witnessed the alleged attack, has put in his two cents. "It was horrific. Kele is a very brave man and what he said is exactly what happened, Rhys said. "The statements Kele has said are absolutely true. It did happen.
Also backing Okerekes version of the story was another musician who played the Summercase festival, commenting on Drowned in Sound under the alias "bother that the situation between Okereke and Lydon "was total chaos.
"It got out of hand so fast, the musician wrote. "The Spanish security guards were total thugs. Our tour manager was put in a headlock after asking the security to let us go, as we had a flight to catch to England. I managed to sustain a knee injury at some point which was remarkable given that I barely got involved."
Neon Neon "I Lust U
