- Title: Malcolm McLaren's son to burn Sex Pistols punk collection
- Date: 24th November 2016
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (NOVEMBER 24, 2016) (REUTERS) JOE CORRE, SON OF VIVIENNE WESTWOOD AND MALCOLM MCLAREN STANDING TALKING TO COLLEAGUE OUTSIDE BUILDING WHERE NEWS CONFERENCE IS BEING HELD CORRE WALKING INTO BUILDING CORRE ENTERING ROOM FOR NEWS CONFERENCE CORRE'S COLLEAGUES SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOE CORRE, SON OF VIVIENNE WESTWOOD AND MALCOLM MCLAREN, SAYING: "I've been wondering for a long time what to do with it all and I think this is the right opportunity to say 'You know what, punk is dead. Stop conning a younger generation that it somehow has any currency to deal with the issues that they face or it's going to give them any currency to create their way out of the issues that they face'. It is not. It is dead and it's time to think about something else." CAMERA CREWS AND CORRE SEATED PEOPLE LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOE CORRE, SON OF VIVIENNE WESTWOOD AND MALCOLM MCLAREN, SAYING: "For me it was like 'If you are going to sell all this stuff, who is actually going to buy it? Who would actually buy all this collection?' It would end up going on some banker's wall. That's who'd buy it and that doesn't satisfy me very much." "EXTINCTION BURN PUNK POSTER" ON WALL CORRE SEATED SURROUNDED BY MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOE CORRE, SON OF VIVIENNE WESTWOOD AND MALCOLM MCLAREN, SAYING: "Because I think the die-hard fans are confused and they don't interest me at all. Why would I give it to them? They are just conformists in another uniform. Who cares about being a die-hard fan of something that's over and become a McDonalds brand? Why on earth would you want to give it to them?" VARIOUS CORRE SEATED SURROUNDED BY MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOE CORRE, SON OF VIVIENNE WESTWOOD AND MALCOLM MCLAREN, SAYING: "Bewildered to a degree and that's a strange word to use with him because he wasn't that type of guy. But I think he would have felt that to a degree with regard to the obvious takeover of punk rock by the corporate sector and the whole idea that the establishment kind of owns this as part of the theme park that we are going to start calling London. I think he....had he been alive he would have taken this opportunity to say something about it. Whether he would have agreed with me to burn the lot, I think he probably would have done and I think he'd think it was kind of hilarious." VARIOUS CLOSE OF CORRE SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOE CORRE, SON OF VIVIENNE WESTWOOD AND MALCOLM MCLAREN, SAYING: "That guy [Sex Pistols leader singer, Johnny Rotten] has taken the blows and he has lived the life and everything but I don't think that he has had anything relevant to say for the last ten to twenty years." VARIOUS OF "EXTINCTION" POSTER VARIOUS OF CORRE TALKING TO A COUPLE WITH A BABY OUTSIDE THE BUILDING
- Embargoed: 9th December 2016 17:11
- Keywords: Joe Corre Sex Pistols punk memorabilia Burn Punk Malcolm McLaren Vivienne Westwood
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK / PARIS, FRANCE / NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK / PARIS, FRANCE / NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Music
- Reuters ID: LVA00159SWWG7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A collection of punk memorabilia worth millions of dollars will go up in flames this weekend when the son of Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren and fashion designer Vivienne Westwood burns the items to protest the movement being co-opted into the mainstream.
Joe Corre will set fire to Sex Pistols records, clothing and memorabilia on Saturday, the 40th anniversary of when the influential punk rock band released debut single "Anarchy in the U.K.".
"I've been wondering for a long time what to do with it all and I think this is the right opportunity to say 'You know what, punk is dead. Stop conning a younger generation that it somehow has any currency to deal with the issues that they face'," he told a news conference on Thursday (November 24).
"It is not. It is dead and it's time to think about something else."
The collection, which includes rare recordings, posters and clothes sewn by Westwood, is valued between 5 million and 10 million pounds ($6.24 million-$12.5 million), Corre, who co-founded lingerie brand Agent Provocateur, said.
The burning, at a yet to be revealed location, is in protest at the British capital celebrating 40 years of punk with a series of events under the banner "Punk.London".
Asked why he did not sell the items and give the money to charity, Corre said: "Who is actually going to buy it?...It would end up going on some banker's wall. That's who'd buy it and that doesn't satisfy me very much."
"I think the die-hard fans are confused and they don't interest me at all. Why would I give it to them? They are just conformists in another uniform."
Corre said his mother, Britain's grand dame of fashion who played an integral part of the 1970s punk scene, would be at the burning and that his late father would have approved.
"Whether he would have agreed with me to burn the lot I think he probably would have done and I think he'd think it was kind of hilarious," he said.
However Sex Pistols lead singer, John Lydon, formerly known by his stage name Johnny Rotten, has criticised Corre, telling British media he should sell the memorabilia and donate the funds to charity.
Corre said however he would keep a few items of sentimental value, including clothing he helped his mother sew as a boy. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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