Former Sex Pistols’ frontman John Lydon has failed in his bid to signify Ireland within the Eurovision Song Contest.
His band Public Image Ltd (PiL), the post-punk band shaped by Lydon following the break-up of the Sex Pistols, completed fourth out of six acts in Ireland’s Eurosong competitors to pick its entry to this yr’s contest.
They had been overwhelmed by rock band Wild Youth’s tune We Are One who will compete on the contest in Liverpool in May.
The outcome was determined in three components – a public vote, a nationwide jury and a world jury.
PiL’s entry was an emotional ballad known as Hawaii, which he described as a love letter to his spouse Nora, who resides with Alzheimer’s illness.
In the tune, Lydon, previously often called Johnny Rotten, displays on their happiest moments over their 40-year marriage together with their time in Hawaii.
Before the competition, he mentioned: “It means the world to me, that is our previous few years of coherence collectively. And I miss her like mad.
“I miss my missus, if you keep voting for me I’m going to miss her even more.”
Read extra: When is the tune contest, who’s internet hosting and when can I get tickets?
He mentioned he was nonetheless “terrified of mugging it up, getting it wrong, letting people down – mostly letting Nora down”.
He spoke fondly of watching Eurovision as a toddler, saying: “This is something that I watched when I was young with my parents. I remember Johnny Logan, I remember Cliff Richard, I remember Sandy Shaw.
“It’s as good as any other way of listening to music, I don’t have any prejudices about things like that.”
He added that he selected Ireland “because I’m as much Irish as anybody else by blood”.
Read extra: Eurovision declares viewers throughout the remainder of the world can vote in subsequent yr’s contest
PiL was shaped within the late Seventies and has scored 5 UK prime 20 albums.
The band can also be planning to launch a brand new album in 2023 – their first since 2015.
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The UK is but to announce particulars of potential entrants to Eurovision.
Liverpool is the host metropolis for this yr’s contest after organisers mentioned it will be unsafe to host the competitors in Ukraine after Kalush Orchestra’s 2022 win.
Since the UK’s Sam Ryder completed second final, the BBC stepped in to host the competition as a substitute.
Source: information.sky.com”