Alternative DJ Paula Frost looks set to cause a stir in punk circles by mashing up classic tracks by the Sex Pistols and Ramones.
The London-based DJ has released a tribute song which mixes the Pistols’ Pretty Vacant with the legendary New Yorkers’ Blitzkrieg Bop.
The track is not being released commercially, but has an accompanying video, which is on YouTube.
Directed by UK Subs drummer Jamie Oliver, it was filmed around some of London’s iconic punk locations.
These include Vivienne Westwood’s World’s End boutique on the Kings Road, where the Sex Pistols famously auditioned Johnny Rotten.
The video also features cameos from original Pistols bassist Glen Matlock, and Ed Tudor-Pole, from Tenpole Tudor.
Ed has his own Pistols provenance of sorts, singing Who Killed Bambi? and The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle in the Malcolm McLaren film of the same name.
Left alone
The Paula Frost mash-up may polarise opinion, with some old school punks thinking such classic songs should be left alone.
But it has at least one well-known fan in Jason Williamson from Sleaford Mods, who said: “I like it. I shouldn’t. But I do!”
DJ Paula Frost’s influences include The Prodigy, DJ Shadow, Shy FX and Underworld. She has toured New Zealand, Japan, Italy, Vietnam, Cambodia, Russia and Croatia.
She has also worked with reggae singer and DJ Tippa Irie, played Rebellion online festival, and supported punk duo Slaves.
Her debut EP, Orbit, was released on Glasstone Records in 2020 to high acclaim, with a debut album, Mesmeric Soundsystem, due for release later this year.
It’s not the first time the Pistols have been mashed up. Ray Of Gob, which mixed God Save The Queen with Madonna’s Ray Of Light, got thousands of views after being posted online a few years ago.
Since then, we’ve seen their music remixed with songs by artists as diverse as The Clash, Electric Six, Cher, Basement Jaxx, Ce Ce Peniston and Dire Straits, to varying degrees of success.
