Entertainment For Lively Minds
Public image Limited
Posted by Grant on 19 December 2009 - 12:24am.
I'm off to see them tonight in Manchester (it being 12-25 an'all) and am quite looking forward to it. Anyone caught any of the previous shows? Anyone going to the Academy tomorrow night?
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I was tempted..
..but cried off when I heard Wobble wasn't on board. Let us know how it went..?
The initial reviews have been pretty promising...
http://www.johnlydon.com/jlnews.html
I'm in
I'd been wavering on this one for a while, not least because the ticket price works out about £40 once you've paid the booking fee which just seems a bit much for a 4 piece band at a Student Union gig.
The combination of an old mate coming up to see the show and the chance of a cheaper ticket on the "secondary market" means I couldn't resist.
By all accounts this is going to be great and with the set leaning mostly on the early, dark stuff from 1st Issue and Metal Box and although Wobble and Levene won't be in the house this youtube clip suggests that the band would appear to have it pretty much nailed.
on the subject of pil...
I'd just like to say that i think Lydon's life and career trajectory is an inspiration.'What? butter salesman?' yeah, I even like that. it's a fuck you to everyone who would diss him for it.. (Strangely though, i AM bothered by iggy's foray into mammonworld...go figure)But the point i want to make is simply this: Rise was the best single of the 80's, bar none. Not for the last time, Merry christmas to you all..
Was at Glasgow gig last night
and would definitely recommend you go, assuming the early stuff is what you particularly like (First Issue, metal Box & Flowers of Romance all heavily represented).
Some groovy segues and very throbbing bass add to the appeal, as does the pantomime dame act which is Mr L.
Look out for the live CDs probably on sale (some of them signed).
Forgot to add
although the backing threesome are not from any of those classic albums, they are perfectly fine. If I were you I wouldn't worry that it's not Mr W etc.
Trades Descriptions Act
How is this PIL? It's a solo gig, isn't it?
Every Fall gig
is a solo gig then!
Maybe Lydon
will take a week off after this tour then go out again with the same session men and say "Now we're the Pistols"!
To be fair
2 out of the 3 were in PiL in the 80s, I believe, just later on than the classic stuff.
I give in
I didn't know that.
I believe Wobble was asked....
and, allegedly (m'learned friends) the price was not right. To be honest, I think there was only room for one superstar ego on stage tonight and the current band tore the place up.
Reporting back..
Despite having either a hell of a cold, or, as he claimed Swine Flu, which ensured he spent the gig knocking back liquids and snorting from Vicks'Sinex, despite the fact that he was spitting phlegm and mucus into a bin by him on stage, despite him being in his early 50's and despite a very cold Manchester evening in a cavernous venue, Mr Lydon sang, swore and polemicised for over 2 hours like a fucking trooper.
Most of the early First Edition and Metal Box tracks were played with a smattering of later numbers and all were performed with vim, vigour and passion.
Track Listing - (Similar to Birmingham and Leeds)
The Rabbit Song (intro)
Public Image
Careering
This Is Not a Love Song
Poptones
Albatross
Tie Me To The Length Of That
The Suit
Death Disco
Four Enclosed Walls
Flowers of Romance
Psychopath
Disappointed
Warrior
USLS 1
Banging The Door
Chant
Bags
Memories
Annalisa
Religion
Sun
Rise
Open Up
Bloody great stuff!
I Second Edition That...
It was terrific. He lost his rag with some total idiot in the crowd at the beginning who threw a beer but unlike Mozzer he just gave the guy a complete verbal shoeing and carried on with the show.
Lydon has never been the healthiest man in Rock (or Pop) and was gargling and spitting out what looked like Brandy after every song and had basically Boots medicine counter set up on the drum riser but he sounded in fine "voice" to me and nailed every song. Excellent sound too (loud and clear but not painfully so), and he is a truly mesmirising showman, and there were even a few sing-a-long moments.
I thought his sidemen were excellent too, the Bass Player did a fine job of being 'Wobble' in particular especially when Lydon encouraged the sound engineer to crank it up during 'Religion'..."MORE BASS WALTER!..."
A great clip
Thanks for posting that.
What a great set-list...!
I didn't bother with the gigs as without Wobble (would have loved Keith back too) I thought it might be a bit of a pantomime. I mean I remember the session band he had around the Live In Tokyo video, This Is Not A Love Song period so I feared the worse.
However, I'm regretting it a bit now after reading all the reviews and comments.
And to end on "Open Up"...wow!
Personally...
I find his persona boorish,hypocritical,intellectually retarded and just plain dull.Sorry.
So did I...
...until I saw him interviewed by Andrew Graham DIxon on The Culture Show. He rose to the occasion for once I thought and seemed much more approachable and less cynical and aggressive.
Read Wobble's book
for some interesting insights into the Lydon character, (if you haven't already). Read it anyway, it's good.
Seconded
I also enjoyed the book. As he now lives in Stockport(ish) I did wonder if he might turn up to watch PiL - perhaps he did?
For what it's worth, Lydon can make some pretty crass comments - he did on Saturday night, railing against the smoking ban and politicians (pick on them sure, but have a proper pop at the Bankers is all I'm saying) and bemoaning the state of Britain - a bit rich especially when you consider he's an ex-pat married to a publishing heiress.
HOWEVER he does push forward the notion of a unity and some sense of "us" and them, which seemed to work. He's still charismatic.