Neon Lord Byron (2020)
"I am such a strange mélange of good and evil
that it would be difficult to describe me."
Despite the fact they shared a birthday [1], had several mad, bad, and dangerous character traits in common, and that punk was, in many respects, a continuation of the English Romantic tradition, there's only a single reference to Lord Byron in Paul Gorman's monumental biography of Malcolm McLaren [2].
But whilst it's true that Malcolm spoke more often - and more affectionately - about Oscar Wilde than he did Byron, I'm sure the latter as a sexy, stylish rebel against conventional morality who is often described as the first rock star poet, also figured strongly in McLaren's imagination.
Indeed, thinking of those character traits that they had in common, one might even describe McLaren as a Byronic hero: i.e., a flawed genius whose attributes include great talent and passion; a distaste for society and social institutions; a lack of respect for those in authority; a reckless disregard for consequences; and, ultimately, a self-destructive streak founded upon the Romantic belief that it is better to be a flamboyant failure than any kind of benign success.
Notes
[1] Byron was born on 22 January, 1788. Malcolm McLaren was born on 22 January, 1946. Other famous Aquarians who share this birthdate include Sir Walter Raleigh (1552), Francis Bacon (1561), and John Donne (1573).
[2] Paul Gorman, The Life and Times of Malcolm McLaren, (Constable, 2020), p. 50.
This post is written in memory of Malcolm, but is dedicated to all those who knew and loved him.
