Glen Matlock - I Was a Teenage Sex Pistol
interview by
Francesco Paolo Ferrotti
Glen Matlock is a rocker who defies easy categorization: he left the Sex Pistols before punk became a stereotype, and he's never wanted to be pigeonholed into any other stereotype either. With the Rich Kids, alongside Midge Ure, he flirted with new wave. He went on to collaborate with Iggy Pop, Johnny Thunders, the Damned and many others. After reuniting with the Sex Pistols for the 1996 world tour (and again in 2002 and 2003), he's now busy with his most recent project, the Philistines.
When he talks about his past with the Sex Pistols, you can catch a glimpse in Glen Matlock of the "ordinary guy" hiding behind every rock'n'roll artist: he speaks like someone who still has many vivid memories, memories - some fond, some less so - of a part of his life spent between the ages of eighteen and twenty.
Glen left the band right as it was about to reach the peak of its media notoriety; from a strictly musical standpoint, however, he remained the indispensable element behind the band's success: he was in fact the one who wrote most of their repertoire, including the now-classic "Anarchy in The UK", "God Save The Queen", and "Pretty Vacant".
Today, Glen seems to be the clearest-headed and most reliable voice when it comes to talking about the Sex Pistols. In 1990, he also published his autobiography "I was a teenage Sex Pistol" (the title of which we chose to reference here), recently reissued in an updated edition.
Informed of Onda Rock's upcoming publication of a new, extensive retrospective on the Sex Pistols, the musician kindly made himself available for a phone interview.
After an exchange of weather reports between Palermo and London, and after he filled me in on his upcoming dates with the Philistines, we start talking about the most sought-after topic: guess which one…
Sex Pistols: thirty years on, today they're regarded as one of the fundamental bands in the history of rock. A case more unique than rare, such huge fame built on a handful of songs… what do you think is the "secret" of the Sex Pistols? What was truly special about it?
That's a tough question… I'd like to know myself! (laughs) I think the point is that a lot of rock music doesn't express anything really authentic, it's artificial. We, on the other hand, weren't artificial at all, we were real… our music was like a kind of folk music for the modern age. I mean, even though we didn't have the sound of folk music, we had a sensibility that was in many ways similar: simple and direct.
What can you tell me about the recent refusal to show up at the Rock'n'Roll Hall Of Fame? Did you agree with the others?
There was a discussion about it within the band, and then we all decided together not to go, although I'm not sure whether it was the best decision. I actually visited the 'Hall Of Fame' on another occasion, and the overall atmosphere struck me as a bit tasteless, to be honest. So maybe it was better that we didn't go.
Now let's go back a bit to the '70s, all right?
Sure.
You joined the band in 1974, even before John Lydon arrived… what sounds were you influenced by in those very early days?
When I first met Steve Jones and Paul Cook, there was another young guy in the band at the time too, Wally Nightingale. They were all huge fans of the Faces. I loved them too, and that was the common ground we found: back then, the Faces were, in our eyes, the only English rock'n'roll band making good music with a cool look. When John arrived, we discovered that he actually couldn't stand them… but in a way, that made things more interesting.
What was the first Sex Pistols song ever written?
I think the very first one was "Did You Know Wrong", which was written quite a while before John joined. He later changed the lyrics: you know, once he was in the band, we started playing a different kind of stuff…
What are your favourite Pistols songs, the ones you're most proud of?
Direi i primi tre singoli, vale a dire “Anarchy”, “God Save The Queen” e “Pretty Vacant”.
"Anarchy in the UK": you wrote the music, right?
Yes, exactly.
After John wrote the famous lyrics, did the song change from how you'd originally envisioned it?
Not particularly, also because we worked on the track together… I had the idea for a song and we started rehearsing it with the band, then John came up with different lyrics and contributed his own new ideas: basically, the end result was something spontaneous.
Comparing the early recordings (the "Spunk!" bootleg) with the album "Never Mind The Bollocks", your bass parts sound richer on the early ones… or am I wrong?
Yes, let's say that on the album the bass has a more hammering sound and is a bit less colourful. I, on the other hand, believe that in the Sex Pistols the "colour" came precisely from the bass, a bit like it was with the Who, if you know what I mean…
Roughly how many shows did you play with the band between 1975 and 1977? Which one do you remember best?
There were maybe fifty at most. The most memorable gig? Perhaps the last time we played at the 100 Club: a huge crowd had gathered, and I remember it being truly exciting.
What did you think of certain provocations dreamed up by Malcolm McLaren, like the swastika stunt? What do you think of it now?
The idea was purely to shock people, there was no reference at all to its actual meaning… Punk was thirty years ago; but if we go back to '76, at that time the Second World War had only ended thirty years earlier: so it was a very strong provocation. I, however, never wore a swastika, because I was well aware that a lot of people had suffered because of it.
Do you think there was also a far-right element within punk?
It certainly wasn't like that when we started. It became a bit like that with bands like Sham 69, but it was mostly a matter of certain people trying to exploit the gigs for political ends; the bands themselves didn't like it at all.
In July '76, the Ramones arrived in London. Was there a sense of competition between London and New York, or did you see yourselves as part of the same movement?
I'd say more the latter… We'd heard about the American bands, but when we started playing none of them had put out an album yet. It was incredible to later realise how similar we were, even though neither of us had heard the other. I think it came down to the fact that we had the same goals and were all equally sick of the past.
Which other bands from that period did you like?
I liked Buzzcocks, Voidoids, Ramones, the Clash of "London Calling"… back then, though, what I really appreciated was the people who came to the shows.
Speaking of the Clash, is it true that at one point you were about to join the band?
Well, there's a very small story about that: it was back when Paul Simonon wasn't yet an experienced bassist. When I left the Sex Pistols, Joe and Mick asked me, "what do you think you'll do now?" and they even floated the possibility of me playing bass in the Clash. But then nothing came of it, because Paul was there. And that's where the story ends.
At what point did your relationship with the other Sex Pistols start to deteriorate?
After the TV clash with Bill Grundy, things changed profoundly: both people's attitudes towards the band, and the band's own attitudes as well. It had become very hard to carry on. I was still young back then: when I quit, I felt I'd made the best choice for myself…
Did you still consider yourself a “punk” after that?
In a way, yes, but I wanted to do something different. When I left the Sex Pistols, the last thing I was interested in was becoming just another second-rate punk rocker. So instead I tried to do something very different. I never wanted to end up like the UK Subs or Gene October, you know?
Yes, I understand: after ’77, punk had become something far too predictable… don't you think?
Let's say the audience increasingly overlooked the musical side of things, and that was a real shame.
A personal curiosity of mine: is that you playing bass on “Schools Are Prisons” (featured on the bootleg “Pirates Of Destiny”)?
Well, let me explain: I knew the producer Dave Goodman and did a few sessions for him, recording bass parts. Later on, Goodman pieced together some songs and put out records under the name “Sex Pistols”, which weren't actually the Sex Pistols at all, and that annoyed me quite a bit. So, I might have played bass on “Schools Are Prisons”, but I can't say for sure, because it wasn't originally called that…
“Vicious White Kids”: how come in '78 you ended up playing with Sid Vicious, after he took your place in the Sex Pistols?
The thing is, people believed we were bitter enemies, when that wasn't the case at all. So we decided to put on a single show together to prove we were on good terms… it was a great gig, and you probably know there's even a record documenting it. It was recorded by someone in the audience on a cassette recorder, which is why it sounds the way it does!
In 1996 you reunited with the other Sex Pistols for the world tour… Was that a positive experience for you?
Yes, very much so! We finally played our music again, and we did it across five different continents, in front of almost a million people… it was truly extraordinary. You know, a lot of successful bands keep playing the same songs for decades, until they become dated; unlike most, we'd never done that before, so we still felt pretty “fresh”. For obvious reasons it couldn't be like '77, but none of us ever thought it would be.
How are your relationships with the others these days?
Decent, when we happen to talk. I see Paul fairly often, because my son has become a Chelsea fan, and so has Paul. Recently he even got us season tickets. Steve, on the other hand, now lives in America and I hear from him now and then. John also lives in America; we talk about once every two years…
Do you have any regrets about the past?
The past can't be changed. The future is what matters.
Any plans in the near future?
Lots! As you know, I've got a new band, the Philistines: we've played a few dates around Europe and we've got a gig tomorrow night. Then next week, like every year, I'll head to New York to play at the Ramones festival, together with members of Blondie and David Bowie's band, and others...
Did you know the Ramones well?
No, I wouldn't say I knew them that well, I mean... when I met them, they were just four kids. But I'm interested in all the people involved in the Ramones world today, and it's also a great excuse to go back to New York!
What kind of music do you listen to purely for fun or to relax?
I listen to my old favourites: Faces, David Bowie, and plenty of others. If you saw my record shelf, I think you'd be pretty surprised! The way I see it, if you always listen to the same kind of thing you end up musically limited. That's why I listen to a lot of different music...
Which recent bands do you like? What's the last record you bought?
There are so many bands around today... it's really hard to keep up with them all! I'll tell you, lately I don't mind Mika! (laughs)... The last record I bought was an OutKast album: I only like one song, the rest of the album is rubbish.
Do you know Italy? When will you be back here to play?
I've already been about ten times: I love coming to Italy, I'll be back soon!
We hope to see you again soon, then... and thank you!
It was a pleasure! Ciao! (in Italian)
(16/05/2007)
This interview is dedicated to Pietro, Gianpiero and all the old friends with whom I used to sing Clash and Sex Pistols covers back in those (distant?) 90s in Palermo...
Thanks to Simon Agger.
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This article is an English translation of the original Italian text by Francesco Paolo Ferrotti, published on OndaRock.it. It was translated with the help of artificial intelligence, under the editorial responsibility of OndaRock's editor-in-chief, Claudio Fabretti.
Glen Matlock on OndaRock
Discography
| SEX PISTOLS | ||
| Never Mind The Bollocks (1977) | 9 |  |
| Spunk! (bootleg, 1977; reissued 2006) | 7.5 |  |
| Filthy Lucre Live (live, 1996) | 6 | |
| THE RICH KIDS | ||
| Ghost Of Princes In Towers (1978) | ||
| GLEN MATLOCK | ||
| Who's He Think He Is When He's At Home (1996) | ||
| THE PHILISTINES | ||
| Open Mind (2000) | ||
| On Something (2004) | ||
| Glen Matlock's autobiography: I Was a Teenage Sex Pistol (1990; 2006) |
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