The son of the late Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren is planning to burn his collection of punk memorabilia, estimated to be worth around £5m.
Joe Corré, who set up lingerie brand Agent Provocateur, says the ceremonial burning is a protest at the way punk’s legacy has been co-opted by the mainstream. The incineration will take place in Camden, London, on 26 November, to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Sex Pistols single Anarchy in the UK.
The focus of Corré’s protest is Punk London, an event that claims to celebrate the history of punk, yet according to Corré has been backed by the Queen, as well as Boris Johnson, mayor of London and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
In a statement, Corré said: “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 fucking museum piece or a tribute act. We need to explode all the shit once more.”
Art x Jamie Reid