Sex Pistols’ Glen Matlock on how the government have “made a right cock-up” of Brexit

31 January, 2023

Glen Matlock

Sex Pistols’ Glen Matlock has opened up about how the government have “made a right cock-up” of Brexit.

Matlock made the comments while appearing on BBC Breakfast this morning to discuss his new single ‘Head On A Stick’ from his upcoming album, ‘Consequences Coming’. The album is released April 27 via Cooking Vinyl.

Discussing his new single, Matlock said: “It’s coming from an album called ‘Consequences Coming’… and I think there are some consequences coming for the people who represent us,” Matlock said of the current Tory government.

Asked if he had the same amount of anger as during the punk years, Matlock replied: “In a different way. I’m livid. I’m livid, as a musician, about the loss of our movement in 27 countries and how it’s hamstrung us.”

He went on to say the Tory government have “made a right cock up of things” with Brexit, adding: “I would like to see their heads – metaphorically – on sticks”.

When the BBC host pushed back on Matlock’s comments, the musician added: “I know the BBC have to push the government line a little bit…I can’t see any (benefits). And lots of people can’t see any.”

He concluded: “The EU offered our government a way around it… and our government turned it down.”

You can see a clip of the interview here:

Last year, the UK government were warned again that musicians and crew “could find themselves unemployed en masse”, after a hearing at the House Of The Lords revealed the damage already being caused by Brexit on those wishing to tour Europe.

NME was invited to the hearing led by industry insiders and the #CarryOnTouring campaign where the impact that new post-Brexit touring rules were having on the lives and jobs of UK musicians and road crew was revealed in stark detail. Music fans were  encouraged to write to their MPs to demand action.

In 2021, the UK music industry spoke out together on how they had essentially been handed a “No Deal Brexit” when the government failed to negotiate visa-free travel and Europe-wide work permits for musicians and crew. As a result, artists attempting to hit the road again after COVID found themselves on the predicted “rocky road” for the first summer of European touring after Britain left the EU – finding that the complications of Brexit are “strangling the next generation of UK talent in the cradle”.

Figures from the UK music industry also spoke to NME about how the first summer of post-pandemic touring has shown that the complications of Brexit are “strangling the next generation of UK talent in the cradle”.

As major touring across the continent returned after a two-year break due to the COVID pandemic, artists, managers, and more told us of how the “nightmare” of new red tape saw artists suffering due to “Brexit fuck-ups and a lack of government control” – with White Lies making headlines as one of the major acts forced to cancel dates in Europe due to their equipment being held up.

A study at the time by Best For Britain – a group “pushing for closer relationships with Europe and the world” – showed that the number of British artists scheduled to perform in Europe as part of this year’s festival season had fallen by 45 per cent when compared to 2017-2019 (pre-Brexit).

Touring aside, UK independent artists and labels are also experiencing the devastatingly “outrageous” impact and “spiralling costs” of sending music products and merchandise to Europe in the wake of Brexit – leading to more huge losses of income.

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