31 Dec, 2001

Londoner's Diary (page lead)

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS since their punk rock heyday, the Sex Pistols are in rage again. But this time it's over a new advertising campaign for the anti-single currency campaign.

The 'No' campaigners have covered London and the country with posters bearing the 'catchy' slogan "Never mind the euro... It's the hospitals", printed in the style of the band's famous cover for the album Never mind the b*ll*cks... Here's the Sex Pistols .

The band's agent, John Giddings, is outraged that the campaign is using their artwork. "They're taking the mickey," Giddings tells me.

"There's no way the band would support this. Not in a million light years."

Meanwhile, the 'No' campaign takes a phlegmatic approach to Giddings's views. "We don't care," says a spokesman diplomatically.

Thankfully former Sex Pistols ' bassist Glen Matlock is more supportive of the campaign's agenda. "I'm not a big fan of the euro," he says.

"There's something a bit dull about saying, 'Can I have a five euros note?' when you could be saying, 'Can I have a fiver?'"

Jamie Reid, designer of the original Pistols' Never Mind... album cover, was uncontactable, but according to a friend, he would not object to this use of his artwork.

"He is against the whole corporate thing," says the friend. "The euro is obviously very capitalist, so he would be against it from that point of view."