Former Sex Pistol and Ex-MP Collaborate to Protect Live Music Venues

Glen Matlock, a former teenage member of the Sex Pistols known for challenging the establishment, and Kevin Brennan, an MP and ex-government minister, formed an unexpected alliance to safeguard music venues, connecting the worlds of punk and politics. Their involvement contributed to a campaign that resulted in legislation designed to protect venues facing threats from property developers. Matlock, currently on tour, discussed his surprising bond with Brennan, the former MP for Cardiff West, who now serves as a senior advisor to Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan, and their shared commitment to preserving live music. Matlock’s current solo tour features two performances in Wales and comes after a reunion with former Sex Pistols members Paul Cook and Steve Jones, though without John Lydon, also known as Johnny Rotten, following another disagreement within the notoriously volatile group. The performances by the reunited Pistols generated funds to assist in saving Cook’s local London venue, which was at risk of closing. Matlock stated, “Bigger bands shouldn’t forget how they came through and if they can help out in some way, they should.” He added, “We helped Shepherd’s Bush Hall, and it led to the Sex Pistols reforming properly.” During the late 1970s, the Sex Pistols, as leading figures of the punk movement, were widely perceived as public enemy number one due to their attacks on the music industry, the monarchy, and various other institutions. Presently, their bassist and primary songwriter is dedicated to ensuring that contemporary bands retain performance spaces. He recounted, “I was involved with The Musicians’ Union.” He continued, “There was a photocall outside Parliament about the Agent of Change Act, calling for action to protect music venues.” He explained, “Situations like where there’s a club and someone builds a block of flats next to it. Then people moan about the noise, when the venue was there first.” He elaborated, “Whoever changes what is already there is the ‘agent of the change’ and has to deal with the consequences. Something needed to be done because it was closing down venues around the country.” Matlock recalled, “This guy came up to me and said what do you think about this bill? He said: ‘I can help – I’m the Labour MP for Cardiff West’. We swapped numbers and I got on the Tube. “When I got home and got [phone] reception again, he’d sent me a draft white paper. We had a meeting and he invited me to the House of Commons.” Brennan had previously supported amendments to planning legislation aimed at protecting venues, including efforts to preserve those located on Womanby Street in Cardiff. Brennan stated, “This was an issue I was interested in, so I went over, then realised who it was. I was a big fan of the Sex Pistols and The Clash.” He continued, “Quite a few politicians are into music and a lot of musicians are interested in politics. If people like Bono and Bob Geldof can get involved in politics, why can’t politicians get involved with music?” He noted that The Music Venues Trust works to prevent the unwarranted closure of grassroots music venues, which face various pressures such as problematic landlords, noise complaints, or other concerns. Brennan explained, “We did this through a private member’s bill in Westminster: The Agent of Change Bill had cross-party support and passed into law.” He added, “So the principle has been established. But it doesn’t mean there aren’t still other pressures on venues, from issues like planning to financial viability rates.” Nevertheless, their camaraderie may not have been as improbable as it seemed. Brennan, who resigned as an MP in July after 23 years, was a member of what he termed the world’s inaugural parliamentary rock band, MP4, and composed and recorded his own musical pieces. Matlock remarked, “It transpired that Kevin was an accomplished folk musician.” He added, “He told me about recording his album and I said ‘I can put some bass on it if you like’.” Brennan stated, “So I ended up making my little indie folk album The Clown and the Cigarette Girl with a Sex Pistol on bass.” He continued, “We did a launch in Cardiff, a big surprise for the crowd of 150 to see a punk legend at St John’s Church in Canton. Then the next night he played with Blondie in front of a few thousand people [in Cardiff].” He described Matlock as “a musician’s musician – he just loves to play.” Brennan concluded, “I never thought when I became a MP I’d end up playing in a band with a Sex Pistol. Funny how things turn out!” Matlock commended Brennan as a “very good folk musician” and “one of the few people in Parliament” who had addressed the impact of Brexit on musicians who tour. The Sex Pistols’ bassist observed that there is now “a realisation Brexit hasn’t been good for touring musicians. There’s been a huge knock-on effect, not just for musicians, but for trucking companies, catering workers, lighting guys. There has to be a better way through it.” He noted that individuals such as [The Who singer] Roger Daltrey and Johnny Rotten supported Brexit, but upon understanding its potential impact on them, they signed a petition advocating for special rights. Matlock added, “I haven’t spoken to John directly about this, but he knows what I think.” In 2021, Daltrey, for his part, affirmed his continued support for Brexit but expressed a desire that the then-Conservative government had “made the easing of restrictions for musicians and actors a higher priority.” For his current tour, Matlock is deliberately selecting venues in smaller communities that are not frequently included on tour itineraries. Consequently, he is scheduled to perform at The Tivoli in Buckley, Flintshire, on Thursday, 21 November, and at Clwb Crown in Merthyr on Friday 29 November. The Merthyr engagement evokes memories of a Sex Pistols concert held nearly 48 years ago in Caerphilly, a few miles distant, during the peak of their fame. In December 1976, the band had recently used expletives on teatime television, leading to the cancellation of numerous performances on their Anarchy in the UK tour. However, despite proceeding, the Caerphilly concert was met by a substantial gathering of singing Christians who picketed fans entering the venue, an event documented in the Sex Pistols’ film The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle. Matlock recounted, “The show was rescheduled from the Anarchy tour. Things got big in the meantime, we went back a few weeks later and there were people saying we were calling up the devil and kids would go to hell if they went to the gig.” He continued, “It was cold and pouring with rain, we were inside and they were all out getting wet. One of the local councillors in more recent years admitted it was all a bit daft, really. Good publicity at the time, though.” By the upcoming year, Matlock will have completed five decades of live performances and shows no signs of reducing his activity. He has performed with groups such as Blondie, The Faces, and Primal Scream, in addition to the recently reunited Sex Pistols, authored two books detailing his musical career, and released his most recent solo album, Consequences Coming. He stated, “I still write protest songs. I think consequences have been coming for a long time for some our more self-centred politicians. I still have so much to say.” Matlock further commented, “I never used to think past the end of the week when I was a teenager. But collectively with the Sex Pistols we really had something.” He concluded, “It’s great that people picked up on it, and here I am still gigging, speaking out and getting to see the world.”