Ongoing History Daily: The Great Thames Punk Fire
November 25, 2016, was the 40th anniversary of the release of the Sex Pistols’ first single, “Anarchy in the UK.” When that record came out in 1976, the British establishment considered it to be treasonous, an act of insurrection against the status quo. Now, though, the Sex Pistols (and punk in general) is recognized as an essential part of the cultural history of Britain. Punk has been wholly embraced by the very people it was designed to offend.
This greatly annoyed Joe Corre, the son of Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren. To protest the corporatization and commoditization of punk, he took over $8 million of punk rock memorabilia dating back to 1976, loaded it on a boat on the Thames, and set the whole thing on fire.
A very punk rock thing or a terrible destruction of history? Your call.
