Documentary Review: I Was a Teenage Sex Pistol
In 2023, I was overjoyed that I got to do a zoom interview with music legend Glen Matlock. The English rocker began as the bassist in the original Sex Pistols. He co-wrote 10 of the 12 songs on Never Mind the Bullocks Here’s the Sex Pistols but parted ways during the recording process. He did play on some of the songs though. But he re-joined for all of their reunion tours. He was charming, but also opinionated. He's been a part of the early days of UK punk in the 70s and since then he's played with numerous rockers (The Damned, Iggy Pop, Blondie, and more) and he's done some underrated solo work too. In 1991, Matlock told his story in the memoir I Was a Teenage Sex Pistol, which has since been reissued and now that memoir is getting the music documentary treatment, which drops this week.
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Matlock tells his story of what happened with his time in the Sex Pistols and primarily how it was his decision to leave the band as he was tired of the in-fighting. Fellow Pistols' Steve Jones and Paul Cook appear as well. Sadly John Lydon, who has been estranged from the band for years now, is not in this. Other interviewees include Billy Idol, Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, the late Clem Burke, the late Wayne Kramer and more. It briefly touches upon his post-Pistols career, but tries to keep the focus on his career in that band. It's interesting that he left and then re-joined for the 1996 reunion and every reunion since. As of this writing the Sex Pistols are going to tour later this year with their current singer Frank Carter. It'd be even more interesting if the doc got into this current iteration of the band.
Matlock on left in 1976 with Sex Pistols Johnny Rotten (John Lydon), Steve Jones and Paul Cook
Bottom line: there's been loads of other docs about Sex Pistols, notably The Filth and the Fury. This one doesn't really uncover a smoking revelation about the Sex Pistols. But because Matlock himself is engaging and quite a personality, you're very much on board with this doc and hearing his story in his words. Hearing members of Blondie, Billy Idol and more talk about their overlap with the Pistols is enjoyable, but again it's not the definitive Pistols doc, and even as a Matlock doc, it's not exactly definitive (they could've covered more), but it's enjoyable for punk fans!
For info on I Was a Teenage Sex Pistol
3.5 out of 5 stars
