John Lydon: 'PiL reunion tour funded by Country Life butter adverts'

John Lydon has admitted that his upcoming tour is only happening because of the money he has made from starring in the Country Life butter TV adverts.

The frontman added that he's "living on the lucky end of a shoestring" until the band receive the money for their first gig (scheduled to be at O2 Academy Birmingham on December 15).

"The money I got from that advert is the advance on this," Lydon told the Camden New Journal about the Public Image Ltd. tour.

He then defended his appearance in the TV adverts, saying that the British public should be grateful to him for doing so because of the forthcoming gigs they enabled him to perform.

"Why are they questioning me?" he said. "What manual am I supposed to adopt? I'm promoting a British product which I'm very proud of. Anything I can do to help British industry is fine by me and in return you've got PiL."

Lydon went on to praise Take That singer Gary Barlow, who had happened to walk past as the interview was taking place.

"He's a fine lad, nothing wrong with him," remarked Lydon about the chance meeting. "I saw him on the Jonathan Ross show. I get on well with Jonathan Ross, I think he's all right, and if he likes him he must be kosher."

Public Image Ltd. Play:

Birmingham 02 Academy (December 15)
Leeds 02 Academy (16)
Glasgow 02 Academy (18)
Manchester Academy (19)
London Brixton 02 Academy (21)
London Electric Ballroom (22, 23)

To check the availability of Public Image Ltd. tickets and get all the latest listings, go to NME.COM/TICKETS now, or call 0871 230 1094.

Public Image Ltd. tickets: