Last night, the Sex Pistols with Frank Carter took to the stage in Sydney, where they paid tribute to Blondie's Clem Burke, who passed away aged 70.
The Blondie drummer passed away following a battle with cancer, with former bandmates Chris Stein and Debbie Harry paying tribute to him, describing Burke as the "heartbeat of Blondie".
“His talent, energy, and passion for music were unmatched, and his contributions to our sound and success are immeasurable. Beyond his musicianship, Clem was a source of inspiration both on and off the stage. His vibrant spirit, infectious enthusiasm and rock solid work ethic touched everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. Clem’s influence extended far beyond Blondie", they wrote. See this statement in full here.
At the beginning of the show, Sex Pistols' frontman Frank Carter paid this sweet tribute to Clem Burke.
“Good evening Sydney,” he began. “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. An incredible drummer who sadly passed away yesterday".
Carter continued: “Tonight is for Clem and it’s for friendship".
Footage of this was shared by Sex Pistols' Glen Matlock, who had previously worked with Burke for many years with Blondie. Check that out here.
Along with this footage, Glen Matlock also paid tribute to Clem Burke, sharing an image of the pair on Instagram.
“Such a sad news couple of days. What a drummer, what a friend, what a guy. Will miss you big time mate", he added in a caption.
As well as Matlock, many household names paid tributes to Clem Burke, including Charlatans' lead singer, Tim Burgess, who shared this post on social media.
He wrote: Oh man Clem Burke was the epitome of a super cool drummer – so influential and a lovely guy".
Along with his work with Blondie, Clem Burke also collaborated with the Ramones under the name, Elvis Ramone, as well as playing the drums for The Romantics between 1990 and 2004. He also played for household names including Pete Townshend, Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop, and Eurythmics.
