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\n\tWhen Glen Matlock published his memoir I Was A Teenage Sex Pistol<\/em> in 1996. he \u201cthought I\u2019d never have to talk about (the story) again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\tBut 30 years later, he\u2019s doing it again.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe Sex Pistols\u2018 founding bassist \u2014 who co-wrote 10 of the 12 songs on 1977\u2019s seminal Never Mind the Bollocks, Here\u2019s the Sex Pistols<\/em> before parting ways with the band that year \u2014 is now the subject of a documentary also titled, wait for it\u2026 I Was a Teenage Sex Pistol<\/em>. Based on the book, of course, the 94-minute film begins streaming May 26 on Apple TV and Prime Video. It\u2019s directed by Andre Relis (Randy Rhoads: Reflections of a Guitar Icon<\/em>) and Nick Mead (Who Do I Think I Am?<\/em> ).<\/p>\n\n\tAmidst its reams of vintage footage and images is commentary from Matlock and a wealth of friends and associates, including Billy Idol; Blondie members Debbie Harry, Chris Stein and the late Clem Burke (Matlock\u2019s been touring with the band since 2022); the late Wayne Kramer of the MC5; Spandau Ballet\u2019s Gary Kemp; Rat Scabies of the Damned; Slim Jim Phantom of Stray Cats; Kenney Jones (the Faces, the Who); Cheetah Chrome (the Dead Boys, Rocket from the Tombs; L.A. Guns\u2019 Tracii Guns; and members of the\u00a0Vandals, Bazooka Joe, Doctors of Madness and more.<\/p>\n
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\n\tSex Pistols frontman John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten), the band\u2019s late manager Malcolm McLaren, and the late Sid Vicious, who replaced Matlock during February of 1977,\u00a0are represented via archival footage and audio clips.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s no real kind of MGM, the big lion thing,\u201d says Matlock, who co-produced the film. \u201cIt\u2019s a little bit more of a DIY project. People have been interested over the years; it didn\u2019t come together, and then I met Nick Mead, who introduced me to Andre Relis a couple of years ago, and we slowly went about piecing it all together. I think it\u2019s come together really well.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tHe adds that, \u201cI think what\u2019s quite good about it is Andre\u2026 is sort of a bit late to the punk rock thing. So he asked people questions that may be a bit naive, but he gets a more straightforward answer out of them than\u00a0somebody who knows it already and asks some tricky question instead.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tThe point of the I Was a Teenage Sex Pistol<\/em> documentary is much the same as the book \u2014 essentially restoring Matlock\u2019s somewhat obscured contributions and his place in the band\u2019s groundbreaking legacy. \u201cI thought this might make a slightly different take on the Sex Pistols story,\u201d he explains. \u201cI\u2019ve always felt I\u2019ve been passed over a little bit in the public eye. People like to paint me as the guy from the Sex Pistols that nobody knows; there were so many people involved that they\u2019ve all got their own take on the story. This is mine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\tThat notion is certainly supported throughout the film. As Joe Escalante from the Vandals says on camera, \u201cWe\u2019re kind of fed a Sid Vicious story, that Sid Vicious was punk rock and Sid Vicious is the Sex Pistols. And we found out Sid Vicious could not play bass, did not play bass, and there\u2019s some other guy named Glen Matlock. And we\u2019re like, \u2018Who\u2019s he?’\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tMatlock \u2014 who\u2019s long contended that he chose to leave the band while others have maintained he was fired \u2014 says that he\u2019s \u201creally pleased with the quantity and the caliber of people who stood up to pick me up a little bit \u2014 friends, acquaintances, work colleagues. That can only boost your confidence a little bit, and it\u2019s interesting to hear the slightly different takes on things.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat \u2026Teenage Sex Pistol<\/em> does make clear\u00a0is the key role the bassist played in the band\u2019s formation and its music, including its first single, \u201cAnarchy in the U.K.,\u201d and the equally iconic \u201cGod Save the Queen.\u201d In the documentary Matlock demonstrates show they came about, playing the chord progressions on his bass for the camera. \u201cI always tried to get Steve (Jones) doing something on the root (progression), which he\u2019d pick up on and lay around with a little bit,\u201d Matlock\u00a0explains. \u201cThen I\u2019d give it a bit more color, like what (John) Entwistle did on (the Who\u2019s) \u2018My Generation\u2019 \u2014 nowhere near as good as that, but counterpoint rhythms and things like he does.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
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\n\tThe documentary also explores the roots of punk rock in the United Kingdom, with observations from the figures such as Alex McDowell, an acclaimed production designer who booked what was to be the first Sex Pistols concert, at the Central School of Art and Design, and Mike Thorpe, a record executive who signed the band to its ill-fated first contract with EMI. \u201cI did subscribe to the socio-politico kind of thing myself,\u201d Matlock says now, \u201cbut that could be misconstrued because everybody in the band had totally different ideas about it. Paul (Cook, drummer) might have been more along my lines. (Jones) couldn`t give a s\u2014 as long as he got paid and there were some girls involved. And John ended up more on the sort of (politically) right end of things, which I\u2019m certainly not. I\u2019m not an out-and-out socialist, but I\u2019m leaning that way. So there was a big split in the camp.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tAfter leaving the Sex Pistols, Matlock formed Rich Kids with a then-unknown Midge Ure, then went on to the short-lived Vicious White Kids with Sid Vicious, Spectres and the all-star International Swingers. He also worked with Iggy Pop, the Damned and the reformed Faces before his tenure with Blondie.<\/p>\n
\n\tCook and Jones appear in \u2026Teenage Sex Pistol<\/em>, their relationships with Matlock largely repaired since he rejoined the band for its 20th anniversary Filthy Lucre<\/em> tour in 1996 and continues working with them. \u201cMe, Steve and Paul have always gotten on enough,\u201d Matlock notes. \u201cThey always blame (McLaren) for what happened. We\u2019re not the best of friends, but we\u2019re not the worst of enemies. We sort of hang together and enjoy each other\u2019s company when we do that.\u201d <\/p>\n\n
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\n\tBut Matlock remains unhappy with Pistol<\/em>, the 2022 British TV miniseries which was based on Jones\u2019 memoir Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol<\/em>, and executive produced by the guitarist. \u201cI did tell Steve, I said, \u2018Mate you got a shocking memory,\u201d he says. \u201cI wasn\u2019t that happy with it, but that\u2019s not why I made this movie.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\tMatlock says there were \u201ca few people I did ask\u201d to be interviewed for the film but refused. \u201cThey were maybe more in the John camp,\u201d he notes, \u201cso probably said \u2018no\u2019 because it could\u2019ve been awkward. Lydon was not approached, under the assumption he \u201cjust wasn\u2019t interested. He\u2019s moved on from (the Sex Pistols) now. But good luck to John; he\u2019s got the Public Image (Ltd.) thing going. People say we\u2019re a tribute band without John, but there\u2019s three of us, and he\u2019s the only Public Imager. I think he\u2019s painted himself into a corner of a very big hallway.\u201d <\/p>\n
\n\tAsked if he\u2019d be open to having Lydon back in the Sex Pistols if he wished, Matlock is silent for a moment before saying that, \u201cIt\u2019s just not gonna happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n
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\n\tMatlock, Jones and Cook are happy enough with the current incarnation of the Sex Pistols, however. British singer Frank Carter began fronting the band during 2024, at the suggestion of one of Matlock\u2019s sons; the group will be going on a 50th anniversary Jubilee<\/em> tour this year, starting June 11 in Europe \u2014 with several festival appearances \u2014 with U.S. dates beginning Sept. 11 in Dallas to make up for shows canceled last fall after Jones broke his wrist.<\/p>\n\n\t\u201cFrank has given us a new lease on life,\u201d Matlock says. \u201cIt\u2019s a bit like the beginning in the band, when we first started out, before John got his face in the papers. Jenny, (Cook\u2019s) wife), came to see us and said, \u2018Y\u2019know what; that\u2019s the first time I\u2019ve ever seen you guys come off stage with a smile on your face.\u201d And he predicts that bonhomie might even lead to some new music from the quartet.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\u201cI\u2019d like to,\u201d Matlock says. \u201cI\u2019ve got some tracks; they\u2019re not finished songs, just sort of earmarked if that (opportunity) comes up. I think Frank would like to. The only thing is Steve lives in L.A., I live (in London), Frank\u2019s out of town. When we get together (to tour) we have enough time to do what we need to do. There\u2019s not a lot of hanging around. But who knows. We\u2019re beginning to run out of time a little bit, but never say never, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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[analyse_source url=”https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/music\/rock\/glen-matlock-interview-i-was-a-teenage-sex-pistol-1236257740\/”]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2638326-e1779850325947.jpg?w=1024″] Trending on Billboard When Glen Matlock published his memoir I Was A Teenage Sex Pistol in 1996. he \u201cthought I\u2019d never have to talk about (the story) again.\u201d But 30 years later, he\u2019s doing it again. The Sex Pistols\u2018 founding bassist \u2014 who co-wrote 10 of the 12 songs on 1977\u2019s seminal […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[48,226],"class_list":["post-1957163","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-billboard-com","tag-crawlmanager"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1957163","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1957163"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1957163\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1957163"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1957163"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1957163"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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