Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols)

Punkast is a weekly podcast exploring punk in the historical present through critical conversations, inquiry, and collaboration.

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In this episode:

‘There's no future unless you try and change it.’

Jessica Schwartz is joined by Sex Pistols bassist and songwriter Glen Matlock in a conversation recorded in London at Oxford Circus. Together, they reflect on the political and cultural conditions that shaped the emergence of punk in 1970s Britain—from economic decline and social unrest to questions of identity, community, and change.

Matlock discusses the early days of the Sex Pistols, London's music and style cultures, the role of Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood's shop, and the relationships between punk, politics, and everyday life. In addition, he reflects on Brexit, nationalism, cultural memory, and the ways people continue to search for belonging and possibility through music and collective action.

Glen Matlock is a musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Sex Pistols. He co-wrote many of the band's best-known songs, including “Pretty Vacant,” and contributed to the music of “Anarchy in the U.K.” Beyond the Sex Pistols, he has performed with Rich Kids, The Faces, and numerous solo projects. A lifelong songwriter and performer, his work continues to draw on influences ranging from early rock and roll and British mod culture to soul, rhythm and blues, and jazz.

Recorded at Oxford Circus, London, United Kingdom, in December 2019.

One of the earliest interviews recorded for Punkast, this conversation captures a moment when debates around Brexit, nationalism, and cultural identity were reshaping public life in Britain, while reflecting on the histories and conditions that helped give rise to punk decades earlier.

Links + References:

Glen Matlock

Glen Matlock - YouTube

Glen Matlock - Sex Pistols | The Official Website

I Was A Teenage Sex Pistol (Paperback)

I Was A Teenage Sex Pistols (Trailer)

Credits:

Punkast is hosted and produced by Jessica Schwartz.

Guest produced by Tequila Mockingbird.

Editorial support: Arrow Avalon– audio editing.

Cover Photo:

Danny Clifford

Transcript:

Audio-synced transcript

Theme Music:

Lady Bits, "Bitch-a-thon," Lady Bits

Related:

Jessica Schwartz co-hosts the Punk Scholars Podcast on the Punk Scholars Network.

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