Johnny Borrell has recalled one of the strangest episodes from his group Razorlight’s early years, joking a mysterious wound resembling stigmata may have been linked to taking ecstasy during the height of the band’s hard-living rock-and-roll lifestyle.
RadarOnline.com can reveal Borrell, 46, made the remarks while reflecting on Razorlight’s early career alongside drummer Andy Burrows, 47, as the band prepares to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its smash self-titled second album with a UK tour this November.
During the conversation with ContactMusic.com, the frontman revisited an incident from the group’s breakthrough years in which he claimed to have developed what appeared to be stigmata – wounds traditionally associated with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Although Borrell – renowned as a former rock wildman – admitted he never received a definitive explanation, he said a doctor jokingly suggested the injury could have been caused by ecstasy use.
A source close to the band claimed: “Johnny has always been willing to laugh at some of the more chaotic moments from Razorlight’s early days. He’s looking back with perspective now rather than trying to glamorize that period.”
The insider added: “The story captures the unpredictable lifestyle the band experienced at the time, but these days the focus is much more on celebrating the music than reliving the excess that surrounded it.”
Speaking about the incident, Borrell asked Burrows: “Do you remember when I got the stigmata?”
When asked what had caused the unexplained wound, Borrell admitted he did not know.
He recalled: “I said to (the doctor), ‘What’s going on?’ He said, ‘Maybe just ecstasy.'”
Borrell added the injury “grew out like a ring” before insisting with a laugh: “It actually happened.”
The exchange came as the pair discussed the legacy of Razorlight’s 2006 self-titled record, which featured hit singles including America and Before I Fall to Pieces.
Produced largely by Chris Thomas, the album marked a commercial high point for the band and will now be performed in full by the group’s classic lineup of Borrell, Burrows, Björn Ågren and Carl Dalemo during the anniversary tour.
Looking back at the record two decades later, Borrell said his perspective had softened with time.
“I feel a bit more chill about it, to be honest,” he explained. “Yeah, that’s alright. It’s pretty good. It’s not bad.”
He continued: “Honestly, one thing I think, listening back to it now, is I really like it. I see where it fits into the catalogue of rock ‘n’ roll – I kinda get it. “Especially with Chris Thomas – sonically, he had his stamp on stuff.”
Burrows also reflected positively on the album, describing it as “a good effort” while discussing how the record has stood the test of time.
The anniversary tour marks the latest chapter in Razorlight’s reunion after years of lineup changes and periods apart.
Fans attending the November shows will see the four musicians who recorded the album reunite on stage to perform the record in its entirety, revisiting songs that helped establish the band as one of the defining British indie acts of the mid-2000s.
The performances will celebrate not only the album’s commercial success but also a period in which Razorlight became one of the most prominent guitar bands of their generation, with Borrell now able to reflect on both the music and the band’s more turbulent moments with considerably greater distance than during their early years.