ANARCHY IN THE U. K.
WHY PUNK ROCK IS DEAD AND SHOULD BE SET ON FIRE.
Punk is dead. At least Joe Corre, son of legendary Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, would have us believe. Corre is so outraged that punk has been co- opted by the mainstream — and even endorsed by the Queen — that he plans to burn a collection of punk memorabilia worth five-million pounds ($9.4 million).
NOW I GOT A REASON
London has decided to host a year of gigs, exhibitions and programs to celebrate 40 years of punk. It will “look back at the excitement and energy of the movement’s genesis, and at punk as an ongoing catalyst that continues to inspire, refuse categorization and spark creativity around the world,” says the organizers of Punk London, which is supported by Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, as well as a host of other organizations including the National Lottery and the British Library.
THEY MADE YOU A MORON
But Punk London has outraged Corre, shown above, who sees it as selling out what punk was all about. “The Queen giving 2016, the year of punk, her official blessing is the most frightening thing I’ve ever heard. Talk about alternative and punk culture being appropriated by the mainstream. Rather than a movement for change, punk has become like a f--- ing museum piece or a tribute act,” he said in a statement. He also accuses the public of becoming “numb” to the issues around them. “A general malaise has now set in among the British public. People are feeling numb. And with numbness comes complacency. People don’t feel they have a voice anymore. The most dangerous thing is that they have stopped fighting for what they believe in. They have given up the chase. We need to explode all the s--- once more.”
AND NOW, THE END IS NEAR
As a protest, Corre intends to destroy his collection of punk memorabilia. It is not known what he intends to burn on Nov. 26 — to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the release of the Sex Pistols’ debut Anarchy in the U. K. — but he is inviting other people to add items to his fire.
WE’RE SO PRETTY
Corre, who is also the son of fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, co- founded lingerie chain Agent Provocateur, which was later sold for £ 60 million.
DON’T KNOW WHAT I WANT
The Sex Pistols caused uproar when they burst onto the music scene with an image that was raucous, belligerent, and pretty much anti- everything. In 1977, they released God Save the Queen, to coincide with the Queen’s Royal Jubilee, which accused the Monarch of running a “fascist regime.” A year later they broke up, but their influence inspired a whole movement.