Malcolm McLaren in his completely appropos "Cash from Chaos" t-shirt, as seen in Julien Temple's THE GREAT ROCK 'N' ROLL SWINDLE (1980).And so another Icon of my youth bites the dust, this latest passing due to mesothelioma, an almost ironic end for the man who inflicted what was once considered a cultural cancer upon the public of Great Britain.
Malcolm McLaren's story is a fascinating one and can best be appreciated as part of the equally compelling tapestry that is the chronicle of the British punk movement, both in terms of fashion and music, and since I was merely a fan and observer of that whole thing I suggest checking out the excellent documentary THE FILTH AND THE FURY (2000) for the curious layman, perhaps the last word on the rise and inevitable implosion of the Sex Pistols. Along with his involvement with the Pistols, McLaren also managed the New York Dolls during that group's waning days and he also came up with Bow Wow Wow, one of my Top Ten favorite bands and one of the most overlooked and underrated groups of all time.
The excellence that was Bow Wow Wow, circa 1983.Just about every account I've ever read about McLaren flat out states he was a fucking douchebag, Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) being particularly vitriolic in his assessment, but I will always be grateful to him for bringing the world the Sex Pistols and Bow Wow Wow.
The original Sex Pistols lineup (meaning with Glen Matlock, pre-Sid Vicious).
1 comment:
Agreed. Punk Rock existed before McLaren dipped his dirty fingers in and messed around with it. Without him, though, Punk would not have become the cultural enema that it became. Rest in something resembling peace, you rotting bastard.
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