Tribute to Clem Burk in Sydney
Sex Pistols and Frank Carter honored the renowned drummer Clem Burk during their performance in Sydney. Check out the photos below.
- Read more: Klem Burk, 1954-2025.
This heartfelt tribute followed the announcement of the artist’s passing on Monday (April 7), made by his bandmates Debbie Harry and Chris Stein. They referred to Clem as the “heartbeat” of the group, who sadly passed away at the age of 70 after battling cancer.
Tributes began pouring in from fans and fellow artists, with emotional responses from Tim Burdess, Dave Davies, Johnny Marr, and many others.
On April 8, Sex Pistols, together with Frank Carter, took the stage and dedicated their set to Clem Burk, a close friend of the band for years.
“Good evening, Sydney,” the frontman announced at the start of the show. “I just want to take a moment to dedicate this show to an incredible person and a dear friend, Clem Burk. An amazing drummer who, unfortunately, passed away yesterday.”
He continued: “This is for Clem, and it’s all about friendship.”
Remembering a Music Legend
Glen Matlock, the band’s bassist, who collaborated with Burk for many years as part of Blondie, also shared his condolences. He posted a photo of the two and expressed his respect following the news of Burk’s passing.
“Such sad news in just a couple of days. What a drummer, what a friend, what a guy. He will be deeply missed,” he wrote in the caption.
Burk joined Blondie’s lineup in 1975 and is credited with keeping the band together after the departure of original bassist Fred Smith.
Though widely recognized for his work with the group, he also collaborated with numerous other prominent names in the industry while Blondie was on hiatus from 1982 to 1997. His ventures included a brief stint with the Ramones as Elvis Ramone, drumming for The Romantics from 1990 to 2004, and playing alongside Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop, Peter Townsend, and Eurythmics.
Both Burk and Matlock teamed up for a project under Iggy Pop, and in 2011, they reunited with James Stevenson from Chelsea, Generation X, and Gene Loves Jezebel, as well as Gary Twinn from SuperNaut to form The International Swingers.
In 2023, Matlock caught up with NME backstage at Glastonbury, reminiscing about his time working with the iconic drummer and his first encounters with Blondie.
“I think I first met them when I was chatting one night with Sid Vicious at the Electric Ballroom in ’78 or ’79,” he recounted. “Blondie had just emerged as a band, and I believe that’s when I met Clem (Burk) and Debbie (Harry) for the first time.”
“What I found endearing about them was that when bands go on tour and take days off, everyone tends to drift away, but they always seemed to stick together. I thought that was really nice.”
He also mentioned that his return to Blondie was sparked by an unexpected phone call from drummer Clem Burk.
“I was in the middle of making my risotto, almost ready, and then the phone rang; it was Clem calling,” Matlock recalled. “I told him, ‘My risotto is almost ready, and you’re ruining it, so go ahead.’”
“He said, ‘We need a bassist,’ and I replied, ‘I thought you had one.’ He said, ‘It didn’t work out, can you come?’ I thought he meant a couple of months down the line, but he clarified: ‘No, next week.’”
“I was in that night and knew what I had to do. I had worked with Clem on many things over the years; it’s always great, some hairstyle-related, but we played well together, and I love Blondie’s material. They have a fantastic approach, constantly pushing the envelope a bit. They also have great tunes.”
