Spiegeltent Palazzo
George Square
4-6 August
“Yes I was that soldier !” Glen observes as he introduces the show. The performance is an 80 minute mélange of reminiscences and songs from a varied career that was launched when he was catapulted from the anonymity of working behind the counter in Malcolm MacLaren’s shop to national infamy as bass player with the Sex Pistols.
Glen describes the beginnings of the Sex Pistols including the pivotal role that the Sensational Alex Harvey Band had in influencing MacLaren’s thinking about how the Pistols might present themselves. He recounts his time with the post-Pistols band The Rich Kids that also featured Midge Ure and Rusty Egan. He also talks in detail about his work with Iggy Pop on the Soldier album and notes that his first meeting with David Bowie who also worked on that album was memorable (DB – ‘I believe you were in the Sex Pistols’ .. GM ‘Yeh’ … DB [haughtily and dismissively] ‘Ah the Noble Savage’ … Glen thinking to himself ‘what a cunt’). Glen recounts with pride and affection his recent contribution to The Faces who were always big heroes of his when he was growing up in London.
The songs Glen performed solo with his Gibson acoustic guitar included the two Pistols classics ‘God Save the Queen’ (‘this is a song I wrote and John wrote the lyrics’) and ‘Pretty Vacant’. The most powerful performance was his rendition of ‘Ambition’ that he wrote for Iggy Pop and features on the Soldier album.
This was a compelling gig – fascinating and enjoyable in equal measure. The ex Sex Pistol Glen Matlock is a thoroughly nice bloke ! My only gripe is that 80 minutes was nowhere near long enough – we never did get to hear why he left the Sex Pistols – I guess I will have to buy the book of the same name. The show runs until Wednesday the 6th August and I would recommend catching it. FOUR STARS
Reviewer : Chris Donkin
Mumble Music 