Sex, Drugs & HIV – The Punk Charity Album That Changed the Game
Big thanks to Mat Sargent for the video clip featuring Steve Dior – proper rock ‘n’ roll gold.

Back in 1995, punk bassist Mat Sargent (of Sham 69, Chelsea, and Splodgenessabounds) launched one of the boldest charity albums ever made — Sex, Drugs & HIV. What began as a raw, personal response to the stigma around HIV and AIDS exploded into a massive 21-year musical project uniting more than 200 artists across every genre in British music.

Mat had been diagnosed HIV positive in 1989 and given just five years to live. Instead of backing down, he channelled everything — fear, anger, humour, and hope — into one monumental double album. Forty tracks deep, Sex, Drugs & HIV plays as one continuous, genre-bending journey through punk, ska, reggae, funk, metal, and soul — a sprawling concept album inspired by Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells, but with sharper edges and rawer truth.

The Beginning: Chaos with a Purpose
Recording started on 6 November 1995 at Dave Goodman’s Mandala Studios in Gipsy Hill, London. Goodman — the original Sex Pistols sound engineer who produced Spunk and The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle — already knew Mat’s drive from past Chelsea and Splodge sessions.

Mat booked the studio for a month, stacked with musicians on rotation: drummers one week, guitarists and bassists next, vocalists last. Seven players a day, non-stop for weeks — a true punk marathon. Six months later, they did it all again.

The Line-up: A Punk Family Tree
The guest list reads like a who’s who of UK punk and post-punk history.
Among the 200+ contributors:

Tony Hadley (Spandau Ballet), Poly Styrene (X-Ray Spex), Brian Robertson (Thin Lizzy, Motörhead), Jimmy Pursey (Sham 69), Lee Thompson (Madness), Mark E. Smith (The Fall), Micky Fitz (The Business), Paul Fenech (The Meteors), Afrika Bambaataa, Angie Bowie, and Judge Dread.

Highlights? Max Splodge learning the trombone mid-session and belting out a solo on “667 The Neighbour of the Beast.” Darrell Bath and Honest John Plain co-writing the title track. Madness, chaos, genius — all stitched together with the spirit that built British punk.

Documenting the Madness
Every second of the journey was filmed by Mat Sunderland, Dublin Joe, and Alex Sargent. Over 150 hours of footage became a series of 25-minute documentaries, one for each song — showing the real graft behind the riffs: late-night jam sessions, laughter, bickering, breakthroughs, and unity.

After Dave Goodman passed in 2005, Mat took the reins again at Panther Studios, run by Dick Crippen (Tenpole Tudor, King Kurt). They rebuilt the album piece by piece until it finally wrapped in May 2011. Mastering took place that October at Abbey Road Studios — closing the book on 16 years of relentless creativity.

❤️ The Cause Behind the Music
Every penny from Sex, Drugs & HIV goes to charities that supported Mat and others through illness and hardship — Cancer Research, Rape Crisis, Release, and the Terrence Higgins Trust.

This wasn’t just a record. It was a rebellion against stigma. A love letter to survival. A reminder that punk’s true power was always its community and conscience.

It stands today as a landmark moment in British music — a fusion of punk’s raw truth with real-world purpose.

Full Track Listing
Disc 1
Sex Drugs And HIV – Darrell Bath

Who’s Laughing Now – P. Paul Fenech

No Fun Here – The Business

This Modern World – Frankie Stubbs

Road To Morocco – Rory Wynne

Hashish – Howard Marks

Tortured Genius – Poly Styrene

Spinning In Circles – Gina Birch

Nightmares – Mat Sargent

Subway 6 – Chris Bowsher

Hours & Expenses – Mat Sargent

Living With Death All Around Me – Darren White

Gone So Long – Mat Sargent

Heroin – Pauline Black

Sly Fox – Phil Beckett

Be Gentle – Tony Hadley

Getting Better – Charlie Harper

Rich Girls – Andy Ellison

God Help Me – Nick Culmer

Arcadian – Peter Bywaters

Disc 2
Easy Target – Alex Hughes

XTC – Loretta Heywood

Blow Up Muscles – Mark Smith

Live A Lie – Campino

Secrets – Dick Lucas

Cigarette In The Ashtray – Jayne County

Kids Of Today – Beki Bondage

Pain / Mercy – Afrika Bambaataa

She Don’t Care – Steve Whalley

Pills – Angela Bowie

Far From Me Tonight – Chris Wilson

You Take Me Higher – Sonja Kristina

Get A Grip – Adam Ant

I Don’t Need A Helping Hand – Barry Upton

Why – Jimmy Pursey

Private Agenda – Jennie Matthias

Only Myself To Blame – Beverly Crime

667 The Neighbour Of The Beast – Max Splodge & Girlschool

Greek Street – Mike Spencer

Babylon – Mat Sargent

Order the Album
Get your hands on the limited 3-CD multipack for just £15 + p&p — available exclusively at the SHOP.

Check out the Studio Life – Documentary 25, a tribute to Andy Anderson, featuring Andy Anderson, Smeggy, Steve Dior, Bev Crime, Andru Bourbon, Tezz Roberts, Karl Morris, and Dick Crippen, filmed at Panther Studios (2008–2011).

Find Out More
Visit the official site: www.sexdrugsandhiv.com
Follow #SexDrugsAndHIV | #MatSargent | #PunkHistory | #HIVAwareness | #CharityAlbum | #BritishPunk | #UKMusicHistory | #AbbeyRoad | #Sham69 | #ChelseaBand | #Splodgenessabounds | #PunkLegends | #HIVAIDSAwareness | #PunkRockCharity | #MusicForACause

Sex, Drugs & HIV isn’t just a record — it’s a movement.
A 21-year punk mission that proves the loudest noise isn’t always anger — sometimes it’s compassion.