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Gruff Rhys confirms that Okereke attack was unprovoked

gruff rhys

Gruff Rhys (pictured), vocalist with Super Furry Animals and the Mercury-nominated Neon Neon, has backed Kele Okereke's claims that the Bloc Party singer was the victim of an unprovoked attack at the weekend.

Following yesterday's news that Okereke was beaten up by Sex Pistols vocalist John Lydon's entourage in Barcelona, at the Summercase Festival, and Lydon's subsequent statement suggesting the Bloc Party man should "grow up and learn to be a true man" and that his band were "jealous fools", Rhys has spoken to MTV News:

“It was horrific. Kele is a very brave man and what he said is exactly what happened.

“The statements Kele has said are absolutely true. It did happen.”

On DiS yesterday, a member of a band that witnessed the attack commented:

"It was total chaos. It got out of hand so fast. 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."

The case, it seems, is far from closed.



  • I saw on Planet Sound

    That Lydon apparently told him to 'Lay off with the black attitude'. What a cock.

    • I trust anything Gruff says

      Never liked Lydon anyway. I know it was mainly his 'entourage', still, don't like the man.

      • well

        Gruff > john lyndon.

        • as i heard it

          it was not lydon but one of his crew that said that.

        • also

          gruff > john lennon

        • Gruff is really adored in DIS

          its nice :)

        • Gruff = God

          I am/was a fan of both the Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd and I'm not too keen on Bloc Party, so initially I was kind of hoping Kele's claims were somehow unfounded or at least exaggerated. Gruff, however, is an absolute fucking legend and probably the coolest, most talented bloke on the planet, so in my book whatever he says goes. Fuck John Lydon and his entourage of twats, long live Gruff Rhys! (and Kele too, although I still maintain that his band are boring)

          • riiiiiiiight.

          • hmmm.

            Hope all the good folks involved are ok- and when I say "good folks" I mean Kele, Ricky, various Foals et al. What an awful incident.
            Also, uh, Gruff for emperor of the universe?

            • Agreed.

              Gruff seems like a pretty reliable witness. He always comes across as thoroughly decent.

            • I met Gruff in Barcelona at Summercase...

              I had a couple of beers (usually not allowed) and accosted him while he was wandering around site (ironically during the Pistols, who were rubbish). He was utterly utterly lovely...

              • Gruff

                for the official NATO peacekeeping ambassador of indie.

                • Gruff Rhys?

                  Hey, that kid's alright.

                  • Gruff =

                    GOD

                    • he is

                      indeed a lovely, lovely man, but something of a space cadet too!

                      But yeah, I think his word over Lydon's any day.

                      • Gruff

                        I agree, I didn't know what to think when I first heard the story but I have to accept Gruff's account given that he is the master of the universe and leader of all things pure and good.

                      • Agreed

                        a very furry God at that.

                        • I think some people

                          think he's a bit spacey but I think sometimes people forget English is his second language. He's said this himself. So it's kinda going through a filter before coming out which can add to the space cadet thing...

                          • not just furry

                            but SUPER furry.

                            • no I think thats a convenient excuse

                              which works quite well actually..

                            • He didn't come across very cadet-ty really...

                              ...although he didn't flinch an inch when I asked to have a photo taken of him and my monkey, and then didn't have my monkey with me (dammit). Thinking about it, maybe I wouldn't notice whether anyone else was a space cadet anyway...

                            • Euros Childs > Gruff

                              • why do you go and ruin the thread???

                                with your misguided views.

                                • come on...

                                  accept my inflammtory comment as the fact that it is!

                                  • Fuck off

                                    • wow

                                      mega reaction!

                                      Gruff is good though, I admit that in earnest.

                                      • Gtuff

                                        Having met him several times he is a legend!
                                        he made a birthday card for my friend.

                                        Euros childs was a bit moody both times i met him.

                                        • I don't want to think of Euros as moody.

                                          I prefer his music to Gruff's but I guess can't really comment on them as people though. They both seem like they have alot of time for folks though.

                                          • euros

                                            well the first time i met him, (this is before just before chops was releasd) he'd just finished playing to about 6 people which is kind of a good reason to be a bit pissed off when every other date on that tour was more or less sold out

                                            • I can excuse him then

                                              just as long as he keeps churning out great records.

                                      • Euros

                                        is releasing another new album this year. He's a demi-god!

                                        • John Lydon's a bit mouthy and a bit of an asshole

                                          and some spanish security guys (who I'd previously imagined to all be gentle politically correct keepers of the peace) turned out to be racist and rather heavy handed.

                                          Shrug.

                                          • serious?

                                            that's made my day! I've been listening to miracle inn consistently for the last few months.

                                            • John Inman > John Lydon

                                              cock

                                            • John Lydon's a bit mouthy?

                                              D'you think?!

                                              • same...

                                                but Gruff > 'Chops'

                                                Gruff Rhys is legend!

                                                • dunno

                                                  there's something about euros' voice that just makes me like everything he does even if it's throwaway nonsense.

                                                  • sfa tank

                                                    gruff should of driven the tank in,like some kind of indie UN envoy

                                                  • new album has been recorded already

                                                    as far as I know.

                                                    Chops > Yr Atal Genhedlaeth
                                                    Candylion > Miracle Inn

                                              • Gruff

                                                Is quite nice.

                                              • What, some SPANISH were being RACIST???!!

                                                never...

                                              • Gruff

                                                has got a lovely sweater on