Punk News

Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood’s son accused of faking his burning of £5 million worth of punk memorabilia.

By Staff Contributor
Joe Corré

A former associate of Joe Corré, has claimed that the burning of millions of pounds worth of punk memorabilia on the Thames was all just an elaborate hoax.

Last week Punktuation’s feature about collecting punk memorabilia, quotedJoe Corré as saying that he was angry at the ‘Antiques Road Show’ approach to punk rock collecting, and to restore some sense of anarchy and power to the punk legacy, he decided to set his punk collection alight on a barge in the middle of the River Thames.

However, yesterday, Richard Hillgrove, a former associate of Corré, told The London Evening Standard newspaper, “It was a trunk full of old toot. Five years on, it’s about time people realised.”

Corré yesterday denied the claim: “To be clear, I certainly burned genuine items. Richard was not there. Afterwards, he tried to convince me to announce that it had all been a hoax and I had only burned fakes. I told him I thought that was a terrible idea and completely stupid.”

PunkMemorabilia

Hillgrove, a PR who used to work with Corré, said the burning was “based on the Great Rock’n’Roll Swindle,” the Sex Pistols song. The punchline is, ‘He’s swindled you’ – but where’s the punchline?” He added: “Everyone knew it was a farce.”

Corré countered: “I don’t know what he is talking about…?You will be able to see what a nonsensical statement that is when you see the film.”

Corré is due to release a documentary, Wake Up Punk, next year, which features the burning event.

Read: Punk Rock Collectables That Might Make You Rich!

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