Why Malcolm McLaren's son is burning his punk memorabilia

Joe Corré has one of the most valuable collections of punk memorabilia in the world and on November 26th, he's going to burn it all. 

Corré, the son of two of punk's most  important pioneers—Sex Pistols' manager, Malcolm McLaren and fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, is angry about a year-long celebration to mark the 40th anniversary of the Sex Pistol's first single, Anarchy in The U.K.

"It's the last nail in the coffin for punk," he tells host Brent Bambury. "Punk rock has been little more than a tourist attraction for many years".

It's like 'Oh wow there wasn't a royal wedding this year to distract us so let's celebrate Anarchy in the UK."Joe Corré

Corré is especially outraged at the fact that Punk London is supported by the Mayor of London, the British Museum and the British Library. 

"Punk rock was absolutely hated by the establishment in the 70s," he tells Bambury. "The Sex Pistols couldn't play gigs because they were banned. You couldn't hear their records on the radio because they were banned. I mean who celebrates 40 years anyway? It's like 'Oh wow there wasn't a royal wedding this year to distract us so let's celebrate Anarchy in the UK."

Corré's collection is worth about $9-million Canadian. He's got an original acetate test pressing of Anarchy in the U.K., a pink-enamelled metal handkerchief imprinted with Sex 430,  the name and number of the shop his mother Westwood ran on the King's Road, as well as a lot of his mothers old designs. 

Corré says his ideal scenario is to bring the lot of it down to the lawn in front of Buckingham Palace and burn it there. 

"We're going to ask [London Mayor] Boris Johnson to light the match."

Otherwise, he'll settle for Plan B. 

"Put everything on a Viking ship down the Thames and set light to it." 

Corré says he feels a deep connection to the memorabilia.

"These things have been a part of my life for a long time. These items do mean a lot to me."

But he says he has no qualms about letting it all go. 

"A phoenix can rise out of these ashes and people can actually start to create their way out of  what is at the moment, a no future situation for this current generation."