Glen Matlock

I admit it. When I first discovered the Sex Pistols, I thought Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious were the coolest people ever, and we all knew that Glen Matlock was awful because he either washed his feet too often, or maybe it was because he like the Beatles just a little too much?

Whatever Glen may have lacked in self-destructiveness, he made up for with selflessness.

You’d think that once he got booted out of the band in order to make room for Sid Vicious, he’d have walked away from them and revel in watching Sid struggle. Instead, Glen patiently taught Sid the basics of playing bass.

And when the Pistols imploded a year later and Sid was looking for new direction, what then? Why, he joined up with Glen Matlock, along with Steve New and Rat Scabies and played a show under the monicker the “Vicious White Kids”.

Unlike the rest of his bandmates, Glen never strayed far from the punk scene. In the years since, he’s played variously with:

Johnny Thunders

Iggy Pop

Blondie

Iggy Pop

Currently, he’s playing in the Faces, backing Rod Stewart. Its still a bit ironic given that 50 years ago, Matlock’s band (the Pistols) relentlessly mocked everything they could about Rod Stewart and the Faces – their hair, their style, their music….

I guess what they say is true, you always grow up to _____

He also played in the Phillistines as well as the International Swingers (with Blondies’ Clem Burke)

When it came time to play tributes,

He also joined the stage with Walter Lure, Clem Burke and others at the Johnny Thunders Birthday Bash, an annual event that used to be put on by Bowery Electric.

he joined the Sex Pistols for their reunions, helped reform the band with a new singer.

He shared connections with David Bowie through Iggy Pop and Earl Slick, and even shared a rehearsal space, but for some reason they actually never collaborated.