The former Sex Pistols star signed up to play Biblical villain King Herod alongside ex-Destiny's Child singer Michelle Williams, 'N Sync star JC Chasez and Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd in a U.S. touring production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage musical.

However, the stars were stunned when the show was axed without warning less than two weeks ahead of opening due to poor ticket sales, and Lydon admits he found the news hard to accept as he had spent so long on the project.

He tells Chroniclelive.co.uk, "Last year was very, very difficult... I had committed to Jesus Christ Superstar. I really wanted to do that, it was going to be a stunning production... I really got on with the people and was trying on a completely different musical universe that I'm used to. I approached it very much with an open mind and an open heart. Then they just pulled the plug on us just as we were about to start...That was terrible for me as I had committed to it for a year of my life. Something that let me down so badly."