Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood's Son Plans to Burn Expensive Punk Memorabilia

BY Gregory AdamsPublished Mar 15, 2016

There's apparently no future for a massive punk memorabilia collection owned by Joe Corré, son of Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren and fashion designer Vivienne Westwood. To protest a series of state-sponsored events celebrating 40 years of punk culture, he's announced plans to burn his memorabilia collection, purportedly valued at $9 million CDN.

A press release [via Crackhas Corré, who founded lingerie company Agent Provocateur, calling out the Punk London events taking place around the city this year. The events, which include various exhibits and talks, are sponsored by the BFI, the British Library, and the Museum of London. Apparently, the Royal Family have even given the whole thing a studded and safety-pinned thumbs up.

"The Queen giving 2016, the Year of Punk, her official blessing is the most frightening thing I've ever heard," Corré complained in a press release. "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."

His plan is to stage a ceremonial burning of various punk artifacts at London's Camden district on November 26. The date happens to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the release of Sex Pistols anthem "Anarchy in the U.K."

"A general malaise has now set in amongst the British public. People are feeling numb. And with numbness comes complacency. People don't feel they have a voice anymore," Corré continued. "The most dangerous thing is that they have stopped fighting for what they believe in. They have given up the chase. We need to explode all the shit once more."

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