punk is alive

£5 Million Punk-Memorabilia Collection Burned on the River Thames, Which, Yeah, Is Pretty Punk

Photo: John Phillips/Getty Images

Agent Provocateur founder Joe Corré, son of designer Vivienne Westwood and Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, celebrated the 40th anniversary of the release of the Sex Pistols’ “Anarchy in the U.K.” by burning his extensive collection of punk memorabilia, as well as political effigies, on a barge floating on the Thames. The collection was allegedly valued at more than £5 million. “Punk was never, never meant to be nostalgic — and you can’t learn how to be one at a Museum of London workshop,” Corré announced to onlookers, according to The Guardian. “Punk has become another marketing tool to sell you something you don’t need. The illusion of an alternative choice. Conformity in another uniform.” Corré was moved to burn the items by his disgust at Punk London, a formalized celebration of punk across the city. Gee, this is going to be pretty hard for you modern punks to top. Most of you don’t even have £5 million in memorabilia, let alone access to a barge.

Photo: John Phillips/Getty Images
£5 Million Punk-Memorabilia Collection Burned