Malcolm McLaren’s Son Torches Rare Sex Pistols Record, He’s ‘Disgusted’ With Punk’s Evolution

Sex Pistols' Anarchy in the UK goes up in flames - Photo for East Coast Rocker
Sex Pistols' Anarchy in the UK goes up in flames - Photo for East Coast Rocker
Virgin Promo Pic - Denmark Street rehearsal room, London, March 1977 Photo: Janette Beckman
Virgin Promo Pic – Denmark Street rehearsal room, London, March 1977 Photo: Janette Beckman

Sex Pistols heir Joe Corre —  the son of legendary band manager Malcolm McLaren — burnt his original acetate of Anarchy in the UK on Tuesday evening after it failed to sell on eBay as an attempt to save it and raise money for charity. Rising to pressure from cultural critics who have slammed his plans to burn his £5 million collection, attempts were made to flog it on eBay rather than it facing the flames.

Sex Pistols on eBay

Over a week ago bidding started on ebay at £6,000 rising to a high of £62,500 on Sunday, Nov. 17 before Corre took it down for failing to reach the reserve price of £1,000,000.

Instead it went up in flames including the turntable he was playing it on. “It might be culturally significant to certain punk hangers on and freeloaders, but not to me anymore” he says. “The whole lot is going.”

Disgusted With Punk ‘Freeloaders’

Corre is disgusted with how punk has been appropriated by the commercial sector and the state. At 3:45 PM on Saturday, Nov. 26 at a secret central London location, Corre is torching everything he has collected, many of which belonged to Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren.

Recently, the Sex Pistols‘ original bassist Glen Matlock said the punk rockers might reunite again. Matlock played bass in the band from 1975 to 1977. He left and was replaced by Sid Vicious. He was part of the group’s first reunion in 1996 and the brief reunions that followed in 2002, 2003, 2007 and 2008.

Check out the Sex Pistols official website here.

Video courtesy Universal Music Operations Ltd.