Malcolm McLaren has died at 64 after a battle with cancer.

Powderfinger have announced they are splitting. I assume they kept hanging around until they got to GP Rage again and then called it a day.

I've just posted on Rage about McLaren's passing.

I think he was a remarkable singer/songwriter and many of my memories of 80's Countdowns feature him in them.

Hopefully Rage will do a good special on him - he produced many fine videos and took great care in ensuring they stood out.

Judging by the various McLaren clips they've shown over the years Rage hasn't any excuse for not doing a comprehensive special.

The following is on the Rage website:

RIP Malcolm McLaren 1946 - 2010. rage will play a track in tribute tomorrow morning.

"a track" doesn't sound very comprehensive but I guess it is short notice.

I guess this will be it:

OBIT Malcolm McLaren (Rage)
MALCOLM McLAREN Buffalo Girls (Virgin)
BOW WOW WOW I Want Candy (BMG)
SEX PISTOLS Pretty Vacant (Virgin)

Quite a shock really to hear the news today. Reports say it was a 'long battle' - he hid/kept it to himself well; I hadn't heard of him being ill until now.

I wonder if Rage even still have the 'Deep In Vogue' video? It has been requested a number of times, but they've shied away from it. Unless they were holding it back for Wildcard? I've got a VHS-sourced copy but it would be nice to get a digital one.

I also hope they play 'Something's Jumping In My Shirt' in their Malcolm tribute. I remember catching that a few times in 1989, but haven't heard it since.

"Powderfinger have announced they are splitting. I assume they kept hanging around until they got to GP Rage again and then called it a day."

Yes, that will be it - they've been hanging out for Rage to invite them back on to GP for one last time...

I am completely DEVISTATED about Malcolm's passing.

When I found out this morning by SMS from a friend, I was SHOCKED to say the least! ... I got all my Malcolm records and CD's out and have made a shrine for him as a tribute.

HE is one of my Favourite artists. I have always thought he was the biggest genius.

I always thought how amazing it was, the fact that he has created such GENIUS and FANTASTIC music, art and fashion yet he never had the best singing nor rapping ability as far as some people were concerned BUT it was ALWAYS BETTER and one step ahead of anyone else's ideas!

I loved the fact that he took underground culture and bought it into the mainstream just a little without messing with it's oirigins and not making it manufactured. And the way he bought those from the club scene and unknowns to appear on his magnificent records

He is one of the very LAST great eccentric GENIUS' we had left.

It's a very sad time for me.

I saw him live in 1996 doing a 2 part talk in Melbourne and he was just AMAZING!... I could have listened to him for days!.

I still have Malcolm's rage Guest Programming from 1996 as well.

What did he pick when guest programming rage, out of curiosity? A lot of interesting and obscure stuff?

It was 1996 so he chose a bit of Indie stuff like Blur and Oasis.

He also chose everything from Kylie's "I Should Be So Lucky"! to Bowie's "Ashes To Ashes" to Grandmaster Flash I think Sylvester, Velvet Underground e.t.c...

His Playlist wasn't as good as him himself that night. I was just DESPERATE to get all his video's after he was guest.

That night they played Deep in Vogue and Something's Jumping.... How brilliant!

Though in 1996 I had a Mono video, but hey. What do ya do!

I think I have a vague memory of seeing 'I Should Be So Lucky' on Malcolm's GP, and being surprised. I was doing year 12 at the time though, so it's all a bit of a blur. At the time, I tended to focus more on Friday night's rage with new releases. What was I thinking?

I'm not suprised about Powderfinger breaking up. Just last week I was looking at the Aria charts and thought it was about time they called it a day, due to the low sales of their latest album. ie it has only gone platinum, compared to the multi platinum sales they have had with previous albums. Anyway, at least they had 14 years of chart success, which is huge for any band. And I must say, they are bland rock and very radio friendly which suits most people's taste - a bit like Nickelback!

Talking to Martin Plaza (Mentals) back in 1998, he commented how bland and boring they were and was amazed at their popularity and success.

Oh yeah, RIP Malcolm. I think 'Madam Butterfly' is a masterpiece and is a fitting song/tribute to his death - and I like the video too :)

I didn't mind 'The Day You Come', and maybe also 'My Happiness', but yes, Powderfinger were incredibly bland IMO. Just the kind of schmuck Triple J cream themselves over, with a stupid band name to boot (see also Grinspoon, Silverchair, etc. etc.).

Can we PLEASE not talk about P.Finger breaking up under Malcolm Mclaren's thread.

They don't even deserve a mention in the same sentence as Malcolm!!!!

Thanks for the memories, melodies and mischievous-merry making Malcolm. We have lost one of music's navigational beacons in that far horizon.