Posted on 04/22/2010 1:42:50 PM PDT by a fool in paradise
...His coffin, emblazoned with the slogan "too fast to live, too young to die", was carried on a horse-drawn carriage.
Mourners included his former partner, fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood, and Sir Bob Geldof.
McLaren, who died earlier this month aged 64, will later be buried at Highgate Cemetery in a private service.
...Beverley Gardener, 47, from Camden, went to Sex Pistols concerts in the late 1970s and said: "I just thought I'd come down to see him off.
"It's sad, but he was a beautiful man - the king of punk. That is all I can say about him.
...At midday, well-wishers were encouraged to participate in a "minute of mayhem" rather than the conventional minute's silence to mark McLaren's life.
Dame Vivienne's son Ben, who spent much of his childhood with the architect of punk music, told Radio 5 live this could involve playing some music or "tying up your boss".
...Members of the funeral party travelled on the bus through Camden, which played Sid Vicious's version of My Way at high volume.
...Other attendees at the funeral included artist Tracey Emin, musician Adam Ant and Joseph Corre, his son by Dame Vivienne.
The 200-strong gathering sang along to McLaren's version of the Max Bygraves song You Need Hands, and were encouraged to dance.
"Dear Malcolm, did you take the money with you? Is it in the coffin? Do you mind if I come back tomorrow and dig you up? I always had a soft spot for you. You showed me a lot when I was 17... and I owe you a lot for showing me a different side to life." (Steve Jones, Sex Pistol)
After the service, the Buzzcocks' Steve Diggle told the BBC it was "a very moving thing, very powerful".
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
I doubt if John Lydon, AKA Johnny Rotten, was there. I don’t think he really cared all that much for McLaren. McLaren got more credit than he deserved for punk.
More should go to John Lydon.
I didn’t even know he was sick
He isn't anymore.
John did send off a statement when Malcolm died. I think he’s gotten beyond some of their squabbles.
He just played Coachella in California with a reformed P.I.L.
Steve Jones’ statement was read but it doesn’t sound like he attended either.
Jones and Lydon live in LA.
Dee Dee Ramone hated the Ramones’ costume. He thought it made them look like slobs. And technically it did. In earlier years they'd been buying British mod/glam wear from Granny Takes A Trip in England.
Blondie and the Ramones’ manager both had ties to Warhol's factory people in the 1960s. It doesn't begin with one event or band but it was shaped by the participation and presence of a number of individuals.
After the Sex Pistols implosion, Malcolm manufactured the look of a number of subsequent British new wave/new romantic bands like Adam Ant (who apparently surfaced to go to this funeral, despite his breakdown last decade) and Bow Wow Wow.
John Lydon did steer the Sex Pistols away from being the pub rock band they might have become without his lyrics and presence.
I wonder if Glen Matlock was there? McClaren booted him from the pistols early on and replaced with sid vicious. Matlock could play and later had success with “the rich kids”
I think if any of the original (pre-Sid) Sex Pistols had been present, the BBC would’ve mentioned them by name.
Time was also that Winston Churchill was banned by the BBC for saying such horrible things about Germany's Nazi Party.
yeah I remember I grew up in England at that time. we would watch “top of the pops” a TV show that played the top 30 and the pistols were at #1 and they wouldn’t play the songs.
IIRC it was only “God save the Queen” that was banned and maybe “Anarchy in the UK”. there were a couple of other bands songs that were banned too, but my memory is somewhat hazy on which ones.
I think “Anarchy” was kept out of the number one single slot in Britain by leaving the number one slot blank, and “Anarchy” was at number two. That’s some brainpower, eh? I liked the Pistols once in a while (still do) because I don’t take them seriously, nor do I think they were intending to be taken seriously. Rotten has demonstrated over and over that he’s either completely poisonous, or wants everyone to believe he is.
One of my favorite “That 70s Show” episodes has the Hyde character meeting up with some wannabee biker chick (looked like a runaway from the Runaways) and the first verse of “Anarchy” was playing in Hyde’s head, it was great. My favorite of theirs is still “No Feelings”.
ah yes the famous bill grundy interview, I remember it well.
In American, the industry can keep you from attaining #1 if they want to. In the 1980s Tone Loc was outselling Vanessa Williams (if I recall) with his song "Wild Thing" (which I think was on a smaller label) but he wasn't getting enough airplay to qualify as "#1".
And it only goes down from there if you sell your mech in non-soundscan stores (which is used to track album sales today).
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