John Lydon - John Lydon's Butter Tour

Punk legend John Lydon says Public Image Limited (PiL)'s forthcoming tour has been funded entirely by Country Life butter.

The former Sex Pistols star has hit back at critics of his appearance in the TV adverts this year, saying the concerts wouldn't be going ahead without the lucrative pay cheque he received.

Speaking to the Camden New Journal newspaper, he said: "Why are they questioning me? 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.

"The money I got from that advert is the advance on the PiL tour. We live on a lucky end of a shoestring here until the first gig money comes in."

The flamboyant frontman promised fans an evening to remember at the concerts.

He added: "Expect extreme good taste, variety, voracity, honesty, excitability - a full gauntlet of all the emotions a human being can possibly go through. Songs that experience the tragedy of death to the joy of life."