The Sex Pistols dedicated their set in Sydney, Australia Tuesday, April 8, to late Blondie drummer Clem Burke.
The punk greats have been on tour with Gallows singer Frank Carter, who opened the show with a quick tribute to Burke, who died earlier this week at the age of 70. “Very quickly I just want to take a moment to dedicate this show to an amazing man, and a friend of the lads, Clem Burke,” Carter said. “An incredible drummer, who sadly passed away yesterday. So tonight is for Clem and it’s for friendship.”
Burke had several ties to the Sex Pistols, especially through bassist Glen Matlock and guitarist Steve Jones. After Blondie disbanded in the early Eighties, Burke began playing with Jones in the supergroup Chequered Past (which featured several other ex-Blondie members, too). Decades later, in 2011, he and Matlock would co-found the International Swingers, while in 2022, Matlock joined Blondie as a touring bassist.
Following the news of Burke’s death, Matlock shared a photo of the two of them on social media and wrote, “What a drummer, what a friend, what a guy. Will miss you big time, mate.”
Blondie confirmed Burke’s death, saying he died after a “private battle with cancer.” Burke joined Blondie in 1975 and appeared on all of their albums. He was also a highly in-demand session drummer, playing with the likes of Pete Townshend, Iggy Pop, and Bob Dylan.
As for the Sex Pistols, they kicked off their reunion tour last month, with Carter replacing Johnny Rotten (who has repeatedly expressed his displeasure with the tour). Following the group’s current Australian leg, they’ll spend much of the summer touring Europe and the U.K. A North American run is set to launch Sept. 16 in Dallas and wrap Oct. 16 in Los Angeles.
