Malcolm McLaren RIP

Punk has always been as much about the spirit as the music – a state of mind, an attitude that you recognise as soon as you see or hear it.

Malcom McLaren was a master manipulator of others who had this Punk spirit – notably Johnny Rotten & Vivienne Westwood – but, personally, I would argue that he was not a bona fide Punk. I see him more as an entertainer – a Svengali-like attention grabber; a Warhol-like self publicist with an ego to match .

His slippery personality means that when you start talking in terms of integrity or honesty his reputation begins to become a little tarnished. Nevertheless, you can’t ignore the fact that, but for him, there would have been no Sex Pistols. His place in history is assured.

On the day he died, Anarchy In The UK was played on the radio both going and returning from a concert in Bologna by present day carriers of the flame, A Silver Mount Zion (SMZ) from Canada. Continue reading →