Really enjoyed reading this, lots of good personal anecdotage and nifty inversions/plays on words e.g. "commodified the explosion", "inimitable and irresistible to imitate".
I just wish it had been longer and allowed for more discussion of punk's place in today's world -- the idea that offence is now what the Right does, for example.
It's ironic, too, and presumably again cos of space limitations that after saying the author of McClarens biography only glancingly describes "Anarchy in the UK" that Simon (who we all know can describe the fuck out of music) only has space to glancingly describe it's "sound storm". But then, perhaps there's not all that much to describe when it comes to the Pistols?
I must say all the situationist stuff about the boredom of modern life still resonates with me. What I found particularly interesting about McClaren as Simon writes about him is as a figure who wanted to rebel but slowly but surely was completely absorbed into the establishment (and perhaps always wanted to be there).
I personally feel this is what's happened to me. Not that I was ever a rebel, but you know - the job, the rent or mortgage, the nice TV and all that. And all the while the thrilling intensity of life disappearing into the rearview mirror.