2011 Tour Reports
Following on from the popularity of last year's fan reviews we'd love your Tour Reports and Reviews from all shows... Send them to the site.
Send us your reviews from ALL shows...
Public Image will also be contributing to the page from time to time.
Thank you for your active participation. We'll be adding more as we get them. Keep them coming throughout the tour...
"Public Image Limited. Good, serious, proper music for good, serious, proper people"
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Tokyo, Studio Coast, Japan, August 15th 2011
Studio Coast was fucking amazing !!!
Simon Gilmartin
What a awesome performance in TOKYO 8/14!I've really enjoyed! THANX SO MUCH! lol You were the perfect！SO HAPPY!
B.Uyama
Setlist 01. (This Is Not a) Love Song 02. Poptones 03. Home 04. Pulic Image 05. Albatross 06. Usls1 07. Flowers of Romance 08. Psychopath 09. Warrior 10. Disappointed 11. Bags 12. Chant 13. Religion --- Encore ---14. Death Disco 15. Memories 16. Rise 17. Open Up
Thank you for awesome show last night. I am sooooo happy. See you :-)))
Spiral Gene
Your show at Studio Coast was really amazing! Thanks for coming to Japan.
Mamoru Yamashita
Studio Coast very f'ing good!!! I was amazed you actually came on at published time of 7pm, good Japanese time keeping?. Anyway, even though I heard "love song" from the queue outside, I got the rest and you guys were fantastic. Lu, Bruce and the "Genius at work" totally cut the place up; and hey John you pretty f'ing fantastic. Last time we were together was Melbourne 1989; nothing has changed, you guys played the house down and I got pissed and stomped hard. Actually a lot has changed; last night not a single Mohawk in sight? Fist me, the World is bent
Greg Beggs
Dear PiL ( I am one of your biggest FANs... ;) I loved your show at Studio Coast in Tokyo so much that I wanted to show my appreciation. Look what I did to myself ! ( I took me a long time!) Do you like it?? ;) I was indeed right in front of you during your show! You were ACE!!Was super wicked!! It was too wicked that I had to paint myself with your colour!
Michiyo Seki Mac
PIL's performances in Tokyo was awesome! I went to summer sonic and studio coast. I really really enjoyed!
And thank you for your kindness to fans. It's like dream that I could meet you after show at studio coast. You've been my hero since i was 15. You are the one, you are the best! Thank you so much! I'm looking forward to PiL's new album and coming to Japan again.
PS. And that's me I posted the video of you and Japanese fans on YouTube. Thank you for post it on PiL's site :D
Junko H
John and Rambo singing and signing with fans after the show - posted by fan
Summer Sonic Festival Tokyo, Japan, August 14th 2011
Hello PiL, I'm Sachi who attended your show at Summer Sonic in Tokyo. It was amazing show!! I have never thought I could see PiL though I was born in 1990. So I thought I have to attend this show when the news that PiL will perform at Summer Sonic announced.
When all members appeared on the stage, I couldn't believe that I'm at the show of PiL! but I was! It was my very first time to see your show. When they started playing This Is Not A Love Song, I forgot everything I was thinking. I concentrated into only the music of PiL. I always watch the video of This Is Not A Love Song that they played in Tokyo long time years ago on You Tube (this is my favorite video!) so it was one of my dream to listen to this song at the show.
I wish your show continued more hours. All songs were amazing!! Thank you for coming Japan.
Sasaki Sachi
Public Image, live at Tokyo Summer Sonic (posted by fan)
Off Festival, Katowice, Poland, August 7th 2011
Hello PIL, Proper band, proper music so gig also had to be proper. And it was. PIL is not joke. This is not touring retirement found. There's no flogging dead horse. There is no faking. Serious emotion, dedications, and commitment. 100% pure professionalism. Even without new song(s) it was very good show. They really take no prisoner- they stole the day. It was best performance of the day. Perfect sound, great interaction with crowd.
Mr Edmonds not only played fantastically on all sorts of guitars but also did some nice choreographic ("Albatross"). Rhythm section was sublime. This bass on "Religion" or "Public Image" or drums on "Flowers of Romance" or "Bags". People danced and didn't mind about mood, sung along asked by Mr Lydon or not. Lot of bands ought to go, see and learn from PIL. Too bad that gig was that short, 11 songs setlist is just a teaser. But it's because it was festival. Hope to see you once again on regular gig.
It was worth waiting several years to see you. Now i can't wait to listen your next album. Thank you PIL.
Here's few photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/b52t/
Bartek Tw
The gig in Katowice was absolutely amazing. After all these years ... to see you live is a life changing experience. You stopped the rain! God must be on your side!!!
Joanna Grigorjewna
Awesome concert that I’ll remember for a long time. Thanks guys!
Kornel Grabka
Albatross, live in Katowice (posted by fan)
Guilfest 2011, Guildford, Surrey, UK, July 17th 2011
Hello PiL, Amazing Gig you put on at Gulifest, the Bass in Religion was Fucking Ace !! It should have been called PIL i fest, as PIL stole the show, yet again !! We need more Bass in the UK, so please PIL come back home soon, Good to see you all again, Regard's the Claude & Janette. x x
Claude & Janette
I was surprised at how small the stage was. The times I saw them at Alton Towers, Reading Festival and Bingley Live, the stages were much bigger. A great set though with loads of songs crammed into the short time they had, All the favourites were in the set, including Public Image, Death Disco, Flowers of Romance and Religion. The bass on Religion seemed to sound even heavier and louder than it does inside a venue and hopefully drowned out James Blunt.
David Worth
A good crowd with lots of us bringing our kids. The set went down a storm, although we lost a few people (not familiar with the band) during RELGION, which was a shame as RISE and OPEN UP were excellent and the passion of all (Crowd and band ) was intense. Brilliant and so good to see in the local park. Hopefully PIL will play the new Guildford Civic Hall one day.
James Potter
Plenty new recruits in the crowd last night. Young and old. When the rain swept in as the sun went down during Chant it was the side of Gulildford the tourists never see. Stunningly beautiful.
Death Disco had anger I'd never heard before. What a first encore. Rise and Open Up united the festival like no other band could dream of. C'mon other so-called 'established' UK festivals. This is the real deal. How many times can you see the same bands? Get some Public Image Ltd on the bill next year.
Thank you PiL. And thank you John for the sewage tank! Back to the bingo for us. Come back soon.
Foxton
Pil were sensational tonite. Fantastic.
Adrienne McSweeney
Gavin Lloyd Wilson
FESTIVAL STEALERS! With effortless & endless charisma John & P.I.L put on easily the best show & stole the whole festival. My 15 year old Sam & his friend Jack loved the music (their chosen headliners 'Gallows' cancelled) & were enjoying John's enigma when it occurred to me & my brother that they didn't know who he is! Imagine their surprise when told!! Punk Royalty turned dance/rock maestro. What a memory! THANKS
Nigel
Stunning performance, really intense, blew the opposition away!
Kazem Modaberi
Home, live in Guildford (posted by fan)
Colours of Ostrava Festival, Ostrava, Czech Republic, July 14th 2011
RAMBO COMING TO THE RESCUE
Brilliant show, brilliant participation. PS: The stage is for PiL. Thank you Ostrava you did us proud.
In the entire colours of ostrava festival PIL was definitely No. 1, great concert last Thursday!!!!!
Harbobo Sicouret
This is Not a Love Song / Home, live Ostrava (posted by fan)
Bazant Pohoda Festival, Trenčín Airport, Slovakia, July 9th 2011
Pohoda festival in Slovakia, Trencin, nine ouseven two eleven. John has passed during this test, while the heart of warrior was shown the flubber was shitstorm blown and I was once again in my sodding head enjoying the final threat.
Thanks to PIL for IT.
LuPi
Hello PIL!!! I was so excited, I like your voice, excellent concert!!! I need more and moree!!!! You are f...ing amazing.
Katarina
Public Image, live in Slovakia (posted by fan)
Fiera della Musica, Area Palaverde, Azzano Decimo, Italy, July 8th 2011
Italy Loves PiL
Last night's show in Azzano Decimo was absolutely fantastic. Really, really good gig and crowd. Thank you. Standing ovation. Bang on.
"At last, in spite of the adverse reaction of the Italian press over the last 20 years, Italy loves PiL. Case proven. Wonderful. Success and a joyous time had by all. Yours JR (and JR) (I didn't say which JR.) ".
Public Image Ltd, July 9th 2011
Great, Great show! Absolutely do not miss Johnny and his great musicians. They fired the place, I was not a great fan of PIL but..very happy with energy!
Giacomo Bortoluzzi
I WAS THERE. WORDS ARE USELESS
Giulia Gandolfi
We waited for over twenty years ... Tired after two thousand miles, back in Italy soon john
Giuseppe Melucci
Great night! "Religion" was awesome! It was a great show!!
Annalisa (...and it's my real name!)
YOU in this BootShapedCountry: THANX THANX AND THANX!!! i waited for you for sooo long, it was not enough listening to you and learning your lesson thru your records,, i was waiting for you FOR REAL, and you made it, and you came!!! there's a pic here: afternoon in the sun, my idiot dance around and around, smoking cigs and unable to wait! thaaaanxxxx! the show in Italy was the most HONEST AND PURE THING i've ever seen/heard, a fantastic version of This is not a love song, Religion and Chant: DEVASTING!!! i sang-a-long during all the time, and you filled my heart! and Sir Lu: yesss, such a fantastic musician,,, P.I.L. = FANTASTIC. thanx again, sorry, its the only thing i can say. thanx for your honesty, for your heart, for your force, for your sounds, for being always in-advance and in-time. all my unlimited love and respect to johnny and the boys. and please, back soon...
kaiserRR
Public Image / Home, live in Azzano Decimo (posted by fan)
Kazan Festival, Millennium Square, Kazan City, Russia, June 25th 2011
PiL steal the show in Kazan!
250,000 people watched Public Image Ltd at the 'Creation of the World' festival in Kazan, Russia on Saturday night; with festival insiders proclaiming they had stole the show! An absolutely brilliant gig that even the President of the Russian Federation was there to witness; amid very tight security.
The previous day John attended the press conference for the show. Promptly taking over proceedings with his own blend of intelligence and wit. And sharing some good natured banter with the Mayor of Kazan asking him to fix a leak above the table. The Mayor joked it was "British air-conditioning" – to which John pointed out "we don't need air-conditioning in Britain". John even gave a journalist one of his earring's for singing him a song. Safe to say the Russian journalists had never saw anything like John before. Or never will...
Brilliant gig, brilliant press conference, brilliant city, brilliant people.
Cпасибо Kazan от Public Image Ltd - "Пусть дороги приветствуют тебя"
Public Image Ltd, June 28th 2011
One of the greatest concert i have ever seen, really. Good sound, good show, nice atmosphere... Thank you, guys!
Daut
This is Not a Love Song, live in Kazan (posted by fan)
Gothenburg, Tradgarn, Sweden, June 22nd 2011
Thanks for a great show in Gothenburg last night! I was supremely hungover from a 1 day music festival the day before but you managed to lift me out of it. Best was Rise followed by Open Up. Magnificent! I was also 10 seconds away from getting the best photo of my life when John came out to meet some fans before the gig - unfortunately he went in before I got my camera ready. Damn - would have been this englishman's finest moment! Maybe next time. Hope you come back soon!
Marcus
What an amazing concert tonight! One of the best I've seen in a long time. A big fresh of air it was. I was smiling all through the concert. Hope to see you soon again! Best show I've seen for a long time. Amazing. I love the fact that he dares criticize religion, church, politicians etc and do so with a sense of humour intact.
Pernilla Brown
Disapointed Live in Gothenburg (Facebook Video)
PIL played Gothenburg, Sweden last night (june 22) and it was an absolute marvelous night. Great band, great setlist and John in a really good mood. There wasn't that many people in the crowd, but that didn´t keep the band from delievering a full two hour set.
The day after, today june 23, I flow back to Stockholm and what I suprise I got when the whole band entered the same flight! I talked to John for a while at Arlanda airport and he said they took the flight to Stockholm, and then should change flight. He was in a good mood and said he was satisfied with the show in Gothenburg. I asked if I could take a photo with John, Lu and me - but Lu thought that just John needed to be on the photo with me so instead Lu took the camera and became the photographer. The result you can see below.
Erik
Amazing show, amazing bass. I thought last years gig here was the best I've ever seen, but this really blew my mind!Chant and Religion was just out of this world, and Open Up was a lovely surprise. Keep up the good work, see you next time here in Sweden!
Rebecca
For so many reasons this has to be the ultimate PiL gig. Oslo was indeed spectacular, but Göteborg, as they say in the Swedish parlance, was just everything you could want; The venue (pronounced "tread-gorn" by the way!) was fantastic, the band were on fire, security made themselves scarce and we were left to get on with enjoying the show however we chose fit! I got talking to an amazing Australian journalist whom also introduced me to 2 blokes from fucking Blackburn of all places. These guys, like me have been doing the rounds as well, going to most of the gigs! And I must say, two more genuine hardcore PiL fans you would be hard-pushed to find anywhere! There's not enough of us on this fucking planet! Respect!
I also heard the band sound-checking inside. They played Rise, Disappointed, Open Up and part of Death Disco. The interesting thing about that was that there was someone else other than Lydon on vocals. It might have been Lu. REALLY strange hearing these songs with someone else's voice! REALLY fucking strange.
The gig itself is pretty difficult to describe as words can only go so far. There was a much bigger crowd than the previous night in Oslo and it seemed like an infinitely more appreciative crowd than in either Copenhagen or Oslo which I think Lydon & the band felt strongly. Lydon baited the audience by saying; "Come on Sweden, you're not going to be outdone by Denmark & Norway are you?" which produced a roar of disapproval.
During Warrior, Lydon even commented how it was Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland who came to his rescue in the 70's when he was banned everywhere else and he pledged undying allegiance to these nations for that, in true Lydon style.
There was a pretty drunk guy right at the front whom proceeded to strip off and convey his garments in the direction of the stage. Security seemed pretty concentrated on him as though he was going to cause some kind of bother, but I just think he was intent on enjoying himself. More power, mate! The crowd, although making themselves heard vocally were physically rather reserved and the only people I could see really getting into the PiL groove was the aforementioned motley bunch of the Brits, an Aussie and a Scot, all of whom had no trouble in allowing the bass to cleanse our souls!
At the end of Open Up, John Lydon awarded us for our appreciation by launching into another final verse of the song! It doesn't get much better than that! Lydon introduced the band and especially Scott Firth as the best bass player the band ever had. I think there's no real doubt anymore that this lineup (or version) of PiL is the most amazing by far. Anyone who has attended only a few of the gigs will know that the band are also making slight changes to the songs at almost every gig. There's no such thing as 1 standard version! Bass lines are altered, guitar parts are created. The music that PiL are creating on the stage is organic and alive and it's growing and evolving and changing and if you would rather be stuck in your 1978 time warp, dreaming of the past than have your very nerve endings purged by THAT bass in the present then I am not sad, because it means, in the words of Lydon; "Good to see my friends came here this evening and my enemies stayed at home!"
If I could relive one PiL gig there would be no doubt that it would be Gothenburg! Just amazing!
Mick C
Oslo, Rockefeller, Norway, June, 21st 2011
Best PiL gig I've ever seen tonight in Olso. Fucking mindblowing!
Mick C
Hello I'm a Brit living in Oslo who had the pleasure of seeing PiL last night - I bought my ticket the day it was announced many months ago.
However, it was a disappointing turnout - the venue (Rockefeller) was only half full (i guess about 400/500), and I am mystified as to why - Oslo has a vibrant music scene and people generally seem to love going to gigs - it was even more mystifying considering the small but significant role Norway played in the Sex Pistols story! Anyway John and the band were in good humour and excellent form - John even referred to the crowd as "the lucky few" with a smile. The crowd were stiff at the beginning but as the gig went on they warmed up and by the end were cheering and stamping for more. I guess the set list isn`t changing much but highlights for me were an amazing Albatross, Flowers of Romance - which has turned into a dance epic - a beautiful USLS1 and a storming Warrior and Open Up. Oh, and that bass on Religion that shook the rafters... and the sound throughout the gig was superb. At the beginning of Death Disco John talked about losing parents and as my girlfriend and I have both lost ours, it gave it some added poignancy (and was a thumping version!)
Cheers to John and the band for a great night - those songs bring back many memories! I used to work for Sounds music paper many years ago (well, obviously...) and had the pleasure of interviewing John several times. It is great to see him performing at the top of his game with passion and wit.
Neil Perry
There weren't many people at the show at Rockefeller in Oslo but, as John Lydon said, we were the lucky, lucky few. They started with three of my favourite songs - This Is Not a Love Song, Public Image and Poptones - and I thought the band might have peaked early, but it just kept getting better. The version of Death Disco was absolutely devastating, and John gave it everything. He was wiping away tears as well as sweat at the end of it. Religion was as scathing as the day it was recorded - perhaps even more so given how little has changed. John told us this was the best lineup PiL has ever had, and nobody in the crowd could disagree. I thought I'd seen PiL at their best nine months ago at Bingley Music Live, but this show was far better, one of the best I've ever seen from anyone. John's performance can only be described as heroic. Thanks for a night of true greatness.
Sorry, I forgot to mention there are some photos from the Oslo show here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/heybeans/sets/72157627021510860/with/5860218900/
Simon McKenzie
I was lucky enough to be visiting Oslo the day of the Rockefeller gig. I wasn't sure what to expect - it's years since I listened to metal box and album - and I'd not seen PIL live before. I was blown away by the quality of the material, the band and the performance. To quote Mark Radcliffe quoting Lou Reed - "simply done right". Here's hoping we get some more UK gigs lined up.
Ian
Well, after the rather low-key performance in Copenhagen, the last thing I was expecting tonight in Oslo was to see the other side of the coin, ie the best PiL gig so far, bar none! Indoors the hall was VERY slow to fill and it soon became apparent that the turnout wasn't going to be as strong as expected. I must also say though that I spent several hours in the city before the gig and I saw countless posters for live music acts but not a single one for PiL! The only place I saw a PiL poster was on the door of Rockefellers itself (which is in a fucking back street anyway!)
So it seems that there was absolutely no promotion for the gig! Tragic!
Although, there was a 2-page-spread on PiL in the June issue of Oslo's Airport magazine, which was probably read by about twenty thousand OUTBOUND Oslovians! There's fucking logic for you! Lydon even joked about it when he arrived on stage; "Good evening to the lucky few of you!" Despite this though, the band performed as though there were 10,000 of us and gave it their all. Much respect!!!
Now, my only real complaint about the gig in Oslo is about the Rockefeller security personell. Well, not so much about them as about the ridiculous rules they are forced to uphold. They were VERY strict about not allowing ANY photos to be taken and those who did manage to sneak a camera in were nabbed as soon as they lifted the fucking thing to take a photo. What is that all about? Rambo even got pissed off with the security making a scene over a mobile phone camera every 2 minutes that he told them to fuck off and leave people alone! Much appreciated Mr Stevens!
People paid £50 for a ticket in Oslo only to be stopped from taking a fucking picture! Get real! Bollocks aside, Lydon had a pop at the ultra laid back crowd, telling us; "My god - you are seriously laid back!" adding; "I don't mind you staring at me because I'm the most beautiful creature ever" which must be said got a worringly good reaction from the men in the audience.
Anyway, those "lucky few" were indeed lucky to have been at such a monumental gig. It was the exact same setlist as the night before, the only real surprise being at the very end, after the band had left the stage, Lydon stayed behind to deliver the "Allah" chant from Four Enclosed Walls! Fuck knows why, although he has done similar things in the past such as delivering a few acapella lines from Theme on some of the obscure Aussie bootlegs from '84.
Mick C
This Is Not A Love Song, live in Oslo (posted by fan)
Copenhagen, Vega, Denmark, June 20th 2011
Hello my name is Johnny Rotten. 2 days ago at the hotel in Copenhagen I had the rare extreme delight of meeting the president of Iceland, who promptly asked me to sing a song for her. I did. I chose an old Gaelic traditional favourite. At which point her, and her entire ambassadorial core, stood up applauded me and sang to me in Icelandic! A good time was had by all. It was the most wonderful evening. A great way to spend an evening in Denmark with Icelandic folk. Thank you.
The gig the following night was an amazing event, as indeed every gig on this tour so far has been. The crowd were absolutely dedicated to enjoying themselves and understanding that PiL is not just music it transcends music. Young to old people, all ages, all types, all creeds, all colours catered for. Thank you.
John Lydon, Public Image Ltd, June 21st 2011
It was the wickedest concert since the Rainbow in '79 Ha ha ha! ! .... Actually this was even better ... Cool small intimate venue , Right in your face up the front one meter from the stage, tight performance, excellent sound n loud - my ears are stiill ringing .... and got to shake the hand of the the legend that is Johnny after the gig .... ''this could be heaven'' ..... It Was !!
Clifford James Phillips
Dear Johnny...and offcourse rest of P.I.L. After 30 years you gave me AGAIN a big vitamine injektion. Thank you fore a great evening in Lille Vega in Denmark. Love from " one of them old punkgirls"
Dorte
An intense, straightforward and wildly energetic performance. Bloody sweet!! Ohhh... and that bass... monumental!! Cheers!
Ian J. Peacock
Hello PiL, I travelled halfway across the country, spent money on a hotel room etc. etc... It would not have been hard for the band to not be worth it but they absolutely were... I hope we will get some new material soon, also - that bass player might add something cool to the mix!
I took some snapshots with my "wonderful" pink Samsung ES15. they can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kristiannordestgaard/sets/72157627024139652/
Kristian Nordestgaard
As a teenager in Walthhamstow it seemed i lived only for Arsenal and P.I.L ..... Highbury every other saturday and First Edition and Metal Box and Second Edition the rest of the time !!.... Used to drive my poor radio 2 listening mum absolutely mad .... Highbury is long gone :-( .... but I can still follow the Arse every week on the box down the pub in downtown Copenhagen where i have lived the last couple of decades ... and the disappointments of last season were soothed somewhat with the news that P.I.L were coming to Vega :-) ...
But apprehension rose it's ugly head in the hours up to the gig .... "whatever past could never last, all in your mind" as John once wailed on Memmories ... Jesus Christ how could P.I.L today compare with the P.I.L of those days ?? !! Religion ? Theme !! Pop Tones n ALL that legendry stuff that i had witnessed with my own eyes as a spotty 18 year old at the Rainbow Theatre on boxing day '78 .... Johnny my hero, the whole attitude, the coolest Jah Wobble bass and Keiths screaming guitar were my life for gods sake way back then ... Wasn't it on the cards that i was gonna be disappointed with P.I.L anno 2011 ... Was the crowd gonna understand atall ?? .... Could feel my heart takin an extra pump as a walked in to the venue !!
Wicked . Small n intimate setting. The scene was set for P.I.L to deliver and didn't they just ... From first to last, pure P.I.L .... The magic of that original sound that is P.I.L was just spot on .... Tight and Loud :-) ..... The Bass played by Scott Firth was reflective of the mighty original ... Lu Edmonds like a smiley magical forest dwelling imp on guitar .... Mr Smith banging it out on the drums .... And last but not least Johnny screaming through and between emtying his snotty nose and spitting out the cognac .... I had a tear in me eye when he gave it the full on for Death Disco/Swan Lake .... Agonising and PERFECT !! .....
There might not have been the youth of today at this gig as there was in '78 but this performance was impeccable and the music from First Edition and Metal box holds up extremely well ... It is absolutely CLASSIC ...... STILL miles ahead of most of the toilet that is produced today .... Even the normally subdued danish public rose to the occasion and were suitably impressed . :-) more More MORE .... loud Loud LOUDER .... I couldn't get enough and will be headed to Guilford to catch another glimse ..... Thankyou P.I.L
Cliffo
Hello people at PILofficial! Here are some pictures from the gig in Vega in Copenhagen. The gig was fantastic, the best bass purification... thank you pil for purifying our souls!! :)
Thomas
Although the ticket stated that the doors would open at 8:00pm, they were in fact opened at about 7:10pm. The lucky handful were treated to the bands sound-check - minus Lydon of course! They played most of Home, then went over the first verse a few times. Come show-time (about 8:30pm) Lydon's first words to the crowd were; "Nice and intimate!" and the band kicked off with This is Not a Love Song. I was very much surprised to see the setlist mostly reverted back to the 2010 version, although Public image was the 3rd or 4th song out of the bag tonight.
No Ease, Acid Drops or Order of Death though, which I found very disappointing, although I think I can see the logic of this decision; The Scandinavians haven't experienced the new PiL yet (apart from 1 small festival appearance last year!) and I think the setlists recent re-shuffle and additions were merely to sate the British audience who have had plenty of PiL over the last 2 years and probably would have voted with their feet had they been offered the same setlist for practically the third year running.
Most of Lydon's comments to the crowd were greeted by a stony silence, probably a language barrier thing. The crowd also hardly moved at all throughout the set. One twat did chuck beer over Lydon towards the end of the gig and I expected some vitriol in response, but he never uttered a word and just got on with the song. Regarding the crowd, I must say that I only noticed one or two Pistols t-shirt amid the morass of PiL t-shirts!
A very stark contrast compared to Britain! Although the band played very well, I must admit that I did not personally enjoy the show as much as the last handful (Preston, Dublin & Tallinn to be precise!) Perhaps the relatively small crowd were just too laid back to give much atmosphere to the gig
Mick C
Religion live in Copenhagen (posted by fan)
Rabarock, Tallinn, Estonia, June 18th 2011
Thank you for coming to Estonia. The show was great - loved it.
Uku Salmiste
Thank you so much, PiL! The ferry + car ride from Helsinki was worth every kilometer! Having followed John's (&co's) careers from the very beginning the concert in Estonia left our foursome truly impressed. Thank you guys, how about putting out a new record? Here's an iPhone video we have as a souvenir.
Pauli, Hopponen, Jussi, Mikko
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This Is Not A Love Song live in Estonia (posted by fan)
Isle of Wight Festival, Newport, UK, June 12th 2011
A truly astonishing performance...John the consumate pro handled crap sound beautifully, ..."heads will roll" lol. I was chatting to some young girls stood by me at the back before the performance who knew very little of PIL and they were completely blown away at the end. Ps first time have seen a face fan used to play a guitar ...cheers John et al, my Festival favourite performance.
John Luckett
Firstly a big thank you for a brilliant set, John obviously upset from the sound at the start but rest assured it sounded great in the crowd,... We were in the front row for 3 hours to get our spot for PIL and worth every minute .
Please pass this onto Uncle John and the boys as it was my highlight of the weekend to see them and a big tick in one of the boxes of my lifetime achievements .... All the best and keep up the purist work
Mark Hill
Was an awesome gig,once they got the sound sorted out, made up for being soaked to the skin!! cheers guys!!! respect!!
Mark Goldtoof Lutman
Dublin, Tripod, Ireland, June 10th 2011
Well well, it seems dublin is rather fond of you. not surprising though, given that it was PIL at it's best, by which i mean THE best. absolutely brilliant show. ya'll come back now.
Russ
Killer show in Dublin...."Religion" was astounding. John was on top form, and the band are great. I'd passed Lu on the street earlier, but he was in his own world:)
Barry Warner
The dublin gig was fuckin great, lydon was in fine sneering form, lu edmonds is some fuckin guitar player, song of the night for me was ''disappointed'', the sound outa that bass is still throbbing in me sore fuckin head. Well worth it.
Bitzy Fitz
Best gig ive been at in a long time,Bring it on again,great crowd ! May The Road Rise With You All.
Noel Mahon
"Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?" After Friday night, yes. Cheated out of not having PiL play Dublin before! Brilliant show and brilliant setlist - Good to see the band playing together so well. So many highlights for me, great to hear Warrior, an amazing version of Religion, and open up. Any lows? Only that they didn't play for another 2 hours to make up for years of waiting! Just don't wait so bloody long till your next trip over!
Ronan Kelly
I was at an excellent show in tripod, dublin on friday. i went with a friend and we're not too familiar with PIL..just the first album which we played on loop for years. There was a great song where we all started hugging???a song about friends? we were very drunk. we were very happy. the band was very happy. Thanks for a great night. we feel shit here.The gig gave us a good time.
Jason Smyth
Some more shots I took of the Dublin gig here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/55867717@N00/sets/72157626937836490/
Fergus Kelly
Religion, live in Dublin (posted by fan)
Preston, 53 Degrees, UK, June 7th 2011
Outstanding night all round, from John berating some tosser for chucking beer at him to the truly outstanding finale of ‘Open Up’. the Bass throbbed so much I nearly puked...
Mark R
Preston last night was fantastic, the band were on top form. Crowd was mainly dead but that's Preston for you. Depressedson as John Lydon suggested at the start he wasnt wrong. To be fair they picked up towards the end. Ace night though.
Gary Hough
Johnny Boy
Just got to say this gig was one of the best. I have been going to gigs for 25 years and have seen a lot of bands (including PIL in the 80s). The musicians were excellent. The band sounded totally up for it. The songs like something new and groundbreaking. Thanks, will never forget it.
Ste Liddle
Hello pil. What a Fantastic Gig it was at Preston 53 Degrees, the place was Rocking !!! We've just done 3 out of 5 uk pil gig's, and they were all Great, only wish we could have done all 5 gigs. Well Lad's hope you all enjoy the rest of the Tour, we're gonna miss you all, hope to see you all soon.
Love Claude & Janette xx
t's been 25 years since PiL last played in Preston and that gig was an extremely volatile affair. Perhaps the prize knobhead who threw a pint in Lydon's face last night was one of the attendees back at the Guildhall in 1986... Prior to the show there were quite a few punters waiting around outside. Eavesdropping on the doormens conversation, I was able to learn that by that morning there were only 10 tickets left for sale at the box office. So the show was a complete sell-out. Well done PiL. Perhaps people are finally begining to take a bit of notice of the fact that no one who actually goes to see the band are left with anything negative to say.
At about 8:40pm the stage door opened and the familiar figures of the band could be seen lurking around. Then they hit the stage, Lydon dressed in a 3/4 length white coat. "Hello Preston... Or is it Depreston?" and it was straight into Public image. The crowd were very laid back but it didn't stop the band from delivering one of the finest performances from the tour so far. After Middlesbrough I would say it's my second favourite gig so far! Truly excellent!
I don't know whether they played it in Sheffield the night before but I almost had a heart attack when the band launched into Acid Drops! That was the last song I was expecting to hear. In a way I think it works better than Ease at that point in the set.
Anyway, as I mentioned at the start someone lobbed a full pint of beer right in Lydon's face, which you can imagine he did not appreciate in the slightest, calling the guy a complete cunt and telling him that he is not welcome in a room full of friends. A little later though Lydon asked the guy if he was sorry, to which the guy apparently nodded and so Lydon forgave him.
The crowd was pretty well behaved for the most part. There was almost a fight next to where I was standing but I think the two blokes then thought better of it and just let it go. Very wise. Rambo seemed to spot something going on in the crowd though and along with a few of the security they tried to sort it out, but from where I was I couldn't see what was going on. Lydon seemed to enjoy teasing the crowd for being silent, having a tongue in cheek go at Preston for being dull and depressing. (Which it is by the way!)
I was really surprised to see Memories being included as the first encore. I like the approach on this tour so far, where the songs are chopped and chaged a lot. It's a lot more exciting that knowing that a standard setlist will take place. It keeps things fresh and I hope this will continue throughout the tour. The way they just slipped in Acid Drops, 6 dates into the tour is genius! Hopefully there really will be more of the same.
Predictably the final few songs got the crowd moving a bit more and then the gig was over. Like I already said, it was a fantastic gig and is easily up there with the best so far! Thank you once again PiL!
Mick C
well what can i say?! what a blinding set from john and the boys @ the 53 degrees in preston, the temp was actually 100 degrees!!!! the guys rocked everyone all night, even though the crowd seemed subdued, i think they were just mesmerised! as was i!!!! the bass just keeps getting stronger... keep rockin PiL. 10 out of 10 from me!
Steve McQueen
Intense, powerful and mesmerising. Huge slabs of songs, delivered like no other band could. This venue was simply too small to contain the massiveness that is PiL. Raw emotions in a musical format. Go see them, you will not regret a single second of it.
SeasideGeorge
Great show, Johnny was in good voice and good humour "Hello Preston, or is it depressedon?" Crowd was a bit quiet until near the end,some brain dead balloon head decided to throw beer at Johnny who absolutely ripped him a new arsehole. The band were excellent as well. All round top time was had, interesting to see the crowd, some old uns like myself but there were quite a few young uns as well, bodes well for the future! Top night!
Andrew Crowther
Just like to say I was at the gig in Preston last night and it was incredible, magical, amazing, and any other superlatives you want to insert. At one point Mr Lydon commented that we were a strange crowd, content to stand and stare but that was ok. Well, that's because we were transfixed! I couldn't take my eyes off the band and just wanted to soak it all in, but I couldn't resist getting nearer the stage and dancing along later in the evening. Amazing band, amazing music, and a ridiculous amount of charisma! Thankyou Pil, for a night I will never forget x
Sarah
I've been lucky enough to see PIL 10 times stretching back to 1986 this was up there with the first time it was a good venue and the Preston crowd were largly there to dance and have fun and they did, PIL from the opening Public Image to Open Up were fantastic it is hard to believe there is just 4 of them the sound they get, Lou is brilliant you could be forgiven thinking there was several guitarists on stage with for Flowers of Romance, Scott theretened to blow the crowd away with the bass reverberations on Religion "we need more bass", Bruce effortlessly keeps it together with some amazing drumming and John looked like he was having fun great voice bags of energy (must be the butter) Songs from each of the groups albums were aired bar PIL's Happy?. The big question is what amazing songs will this four piece produce when they get into the studio. PIL you are still a pain in the arse to the music business (PILes) but we love you for it keep it up.
Phil G
Awesome shows Sheffield and Preston on this leg. Massive sound both nights, Sheffield best, dirty venue & crowd, Pil always value! Oh to see the legend that is John Lydon again. @ 13. Perhaps setlist is missing Careering and Annalisa but hell this is PIL, u get what u get and u will be grateful for it. AND THAT WE TRULY ARE JOHN. PIL is important ! See u guys again soon, MAY THE ROAD RISE WITH YOU!!
Shane Bond
You'd be Hard-Pressed to find a more solid current Band than this... A Privilege to hear relevant purposeful Music. John Lydon's presence loomed large right to the back of the venue and the group would blow most others away in the Zone at front... it's as if the 'noughties' had never been! Delighted! Couldn't stop smiling, or drinking... Afterwards I hung around with some stage door-ites to sober-up for the drive home - but didn't approach the band for some reason, even though I had a copy of 'No Irish...' with me (Desert island book Tried + Tested !) , so I'm taking this chance to thank the people involved, and especially John Lydon for what you've done.
Lad GaGa
Being a Geordie livin in Southport i agree with the sentiments about depreston (Preston). Depreston needs PIL tho like the rest of the UK. I wasnt really an avid gig goer until PIL recently started to tour the UK. The lyrics are more relevant than ever, even the ones from the first LP in 78, " Public Image" Aye Johnny knows we still have a "rotten" system here for the working class, and thats why i'm here to support PIL, but having said that, PIL are maybe the best musical band in the world at the moment.
Jayson Lowery
The four piece band stride out to healthy cheers from the 1200 punters who are a mixed bunch of students, ageing punks and the plain curious. J.L. was in a good mood from the off, teasing the people of Preston, "Welcome one and all to DePreston...well, it may well be by the time we've finished...a-ha-hah-hah-ha!", before launching into 'Public Image'. His voice is surprisingly strong and as ever he takes care with his unique enunciation and delivery: he must have sung his songs hundreds of times but he will not ring the performance in. Self-medication was evident as he swigged brandy and several bottles of water over the following two non-stop hours. Old school work ethic.
I knew most of the tunes that followed and was delighted to hear 'Acid Drops' from the last PiL album: I was one of the few that did know it, hah-hah! Certainly the most affecting number was 'Death Disco', which was originally written when J.L's mother was terminally ill with cancer. Last night he said that seeing his step-daughter Ariane die last year cut him-up badly, but then everyone in the audience had had stuff like that happen to them, so let's get cut-up together. No snide comments or piss-taking. At all.
A special mention goes to the guitarist, Lu Edmonds who coaxed some magical stuff out of what looked like a big mandolin! He was aided by Bruce Smith on the drums and Scott Firth on bass who were solid enough. It goes without saying that the back catalogue requires the use of backing tapes and effects, all of which blended in seamlessly. The crowd were not as full-on as they might have been which lead J.L. to comically ponder, "You're a funny bunch, aren't you? You like to stare a lot...which is fine as it shows there's something going on upstairs, hah-hah! Come on...don't be afraid...I'm your Uncle Johnny and I won't hurt you!". All good fun, but towards the end of the show some tool threw a pint of beer that did partially cover it's intended target mid-song which meant two sentence's worth of swearing at the culprit whilst the band played on. J.L. dealt with it well: after the song was over he said that we're all friends here so why disrespect your fellows, and if you want to throw stuff then you should get down to the Houses Of Parliament. After an apology from the eejit then we really were all friends again and into the home straight with 'Rise' and finally 'Open Up'.
Cheers and all best wishes to PiL,
Simon Nicholl
Flowers of Romance, live in Preston (posted by fan)
Sheffield, Corporation, UK, June 6th 2011
Cracking show. Few surprises in the set! Great! The crowd were electric, as were the band. They played their heart out and so did we! Thank you Public Image Limited. We are Warrior.
C Humley
An amazing gig! Lydon still has it! Opening with Public Image and the encore included Open Up - 2 of my most favourite tracks. One or two songs I didnt know but they were still good. Excellent night. thank you. x
Michelle Birds
I'm not going to piss around talking about the venue's facilities, or the price of beer, or the set list. This was simply two hours of stunning musicianship from a band totally on top of their game. In Bruce and Scott, PIL have one of the best rhythm sections you're ever likely to witness live. A relentless, driving powerhouse that surges the PIL bandwagon onwards and upwards. Those guys really put a shift in! Then there's the mesmeric Lu Edmonds who I swear to God could play an ironing board and make it sound sweet! And finally Mr J Lydon. For two hours that end up feeling like two minutes, he absolutely owns you. The man is a national treasure! God bless PIL, long may they continue.
Scalesy
David Worth
Thanks for a great evening! An 'intimate' venue where the mutual respect between band & crowd laid the foundation for a fantastic gig. The intensity, quality & enjoyment of the band in delivering such a tight & committed set is truly special. It is also impressive & reassuring that the guys are still working on arrangements, as a few songs still seem to be evolving live - true artists proud of their work but striving for more! Good to see Home & Acid Drops in the set, the atmosphere of USLS1 was great. The interaction of Warrior, raw emotion of Death Disco & finale communion of Open Up stood out as peaks of our roller coaster ride but hard to choose highlights as all the songs in the setlist had their place. Lu is mesmerising as he creates such sound from what seems anything he picks up, Scott & Bruce provide such a solid platform & John is on top of his game & has never sounded better and we are happy to share & add to that groove! Lol! Here's to the next time...
Robbie W
Love Song & Poptones, live in Sheffield (posted by fan)
Brussels, AB (Ancienne Belgique), Belgium, June 4th 2011
Saturday june 6th, Ancienne Belgique Brussels PIL's third visit to Belgium in one year time ! After Rock Zottegem and Les Ardentes, both excellent shows, Johnny and friends lost no anger, no energy or whatever... Au contraire, the band hit Brussels/Belgium harder than ever before. Thanks again PIL and see you soon ! By the way...why isn't this band a headliner on the Pukkelpop- or likewise festival ??
Frank Jamart
Thanks Johnny and the other members of PIL. I was a fan when I was younger and I didn’t know what to expect ,but I liked you show very much, i really was high from the Music. And just when you thougth it couldn’t become any better you go out with a bang with OPEN UP. When it was over I wanted to go again. Rewind the whole thing and see it again. So I say to you keep doing the good work an I hope I will see you again on stage. Greetings and thanks once more.
Dimitri
More pictures available via this link...
Yves Lecume
I had been looking forward immensely to the Brussels date, especially after the 2 great shows in Middlesbrough & Cardiff . I arrived in the city quite early and located the venue, so that I would know where to go later on. That was at about 3pm and the tour bus and equipment truck were already there. Some of the PiL road crew were standing around outside having a smoke as well. Closer to show time I arrived at the venue again where a small crowd had already gathered. Before too long the doors were opened and in we all went.
Inside the venue there were screens with the evenings events listed. I was surprised to see that there was support for the gig. Not one band, but two! Compared to no support at all in Britain this was a surprise. The screens also stated that PiL would be appearing onstage at 9pm, the usual time. The doors hadn't been opened long when the first support band came on. This was a group in their 40/50's I'd say. Basically a punk type of band (although they didn't subscribe to the image so perhaps just "rock" will suffice.) Of course they were a Belgian band so I didn't have a clue what the fuck with the singer was saying between songs. They weren't really my cup of tea to be honest but they got a really good reaction from the crowd, so I assume they are a popular local band.
As soon as they had finished their set the PiL road crew appeared and began assembling and tuning all of the PiL gear. A bit strange I though since we were supposed to get a 2nd support act first. They did a complete soundcheck. The time was now 8:25pm and you can imagine that surprise I got when I hear a massive roar and look up to see PiL walking onstage. So there was no second support and PiL arrived 35 minutes earlier than stated.
From the very first song I thought that the sound was pretty bad. Lydon kept shouting orders at the FOH guy who seemed all fingers and thumbs trying to deal with the requests. "It's too quiet!" advised Lydon, and then a minute later. "Now it's too loud!" - so little seemed to be going to plan. The performance from the band also seemed to be lacking something special tonight. I had expected a pretty reserved reaction from the crowd tonight. Perhaps it's just a stereotype but everyone knows that European audience can be pretty laid back. Well I wasn't proved wrong. Most people just stood and stared. There were a few punks who endeavoured to try and get some kind of mosh pit situation going but it was pretty futile. The crowd was pretty massive though. I think a lot of Europeans have been waiting for quite a while for more Euro gigs to be announced so they weren't going to miss this chance.
The sound did seem to improve a great deal towards the last 2 or 3 songs but then it was all over anyway. Lydon dedicated Warrior to Belgium tonight for having fought in so many wars. The Order of Death was also back in the setlist again tonight. I guess it is not being dropped quite just yet.
Mick C
You can find some pictures I took at AB yesterday night at the following link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluemorning/sets/72157626889186172
Jean-Paul De Baets
Pictures of the Belgium gig can be found here:
http://www.yourconcertshots.com/?p=309
Enjoy them!!
Steven Wallraf
antje stockmann
This is Not a Love Song, live in Brussels (posted by fan)
Order of Death, live in Brussels (posted by fan)
Cardiff, Coal Exchange, Wales, UK, June 2nd 2011
Steven Burnett
Cardiff Scorcher of a day, must have been about 30. On the motorway on the way into Cardiff I actually overtook the PiL tour bus which was funny. Unfortunately the Coal Exchange was a bit of a bastard to locate and I was sent in the wrong direction 3 different times, but I eventually got there and got a pint. I must say also that the venue weren't even issuing tickets. They just stamped the Coal Exchange logo on the back in your hand with an ink stamp! That kind of thing really pisses me off to be honest. After waiting ages the house lights went down and the band appeared and launched into Public image. For some reason the hall was so fucking hot. I was only wearing a T-shirt and I felt like I was about to faint. Lydon even commented upon it during the gig. It was also the loudest gig I've ever been to! So fucking loud! During Religion the PA stacks even began to stink of burning, as if they were being pushed too far. Amazing!!! Anyway, the gig itself was fantastic as far as PiL go. They played as well as the previous night in Middlesbrough but I had the impression that the Cardiff crowd was pretty lame. They didn't really react so much, even to the more lively numbers that had the Coventry crowd pishing in their knickers! It was more or less the same setlist as the previous night, although they didn't play Order of Death for some reason. I really hope it wont be the case that it gets dropped so soon from the setlist. I know I have been critical of the crowd in Cardiff, but it must again be stressed how fucking hot it was inside. Perhaps that had a lot to do with the laid-back-ness After the gig I hung around outside until the crowd had dispersed. I hadn't bothered hanging around after any of the other gigs because the whole hanging around for an autograph thing isn't really my scene. After a gig I just want to get back to the hotel and hit the bar! But tonight I did hang around, along with a few others including an excellent bloke whom I was standing next to during the gig and who made some really top notch videos on his wife's camera phone. Lu was the first to leave and I got him to sign my Middlesbrough ticket. Then not long after Lydon appeared. He was very genial with the few fans who had been waiting and took the time to sign stuff and pose for photos. I'd also met up with Scott from Fodderstompf a bit earlier who kindly took a photo of me with Lydon and held my bag while I got stuff signed (cheers Scott!) I got a few album sleeves signed and 2 7" sleeves. When Lydon was signing my First issue album cover he said; "Oh shit, I've just given myself a moustache!" The night was capped off in style with lots of drinking and a few good laughs with Mr Murphy! BRING ON BRUSSELS!!!!!!!
Mick C
Mr Lydon you were unbelievable last night you're energy enthusiasm and emotion was awe inspiring! You would put to shame all these recent FAKESTARS!! cant fault you butt!!!
Tidy
PiL put on a fantastic show in Cardiff last night (2nd June). Thankfully, the venue had changed from the dreadful Millennium Music Hall to the fantastic Coal Exchange. The setlist was great opening with 'Public Image' and incorporating such classics as 'Poptones', 'Religion', 'Death Disco', 'Disappointed', 'Albatross', 'Rise', 'Home' etc. The crowd were well up for it and Lydon and Co. seemed to be enjoying themselves throughout the gig.
The mid to late 80s PiL tracks which can sound pretty dated when heard now were revamped and given new life, 'Bag', 'Warrior' and 'Disappointed' sounded better than ever. After two hours of PiL classics we are treated to a roof raising version of the Leftfield/Lydon dance anthem 'Open Up' which resulted in much manic dancing from the crowd and ensured that everyone went home with a smile on their face.
You had the odd couple of idiots shouting out for Pistols tracks, but the vast majority of the crowd were there to hear PiL's music rather than to see the spectacle of Johnny Rotten. Thankfully, Rotten was nowhere to be seen and John Lydon played a blinder! This was a great way to spend my 32nd birthday. Top night.
Liam
What. A. Gig. 'Public Image' followed by 'Home' and we're off. 'Rise' and 'Open Up' to finish. In between ..... everything you would want to hear by PIL in the best venue in Cardiff. The band sounded great, as did Mr Lydon's voice - and the bass was phenomenal. Nice one fellas.
Biffo
I've witnessed John Lydon live many times over the years, but his performance of "Death Disco", in the sweaty Coal Exchange, must easily rate as the best I've seen him do. "CHANT" once again brought out the 'ROTTEN' menace of old, visually so too. Excellent. "Religion" was another gem, that should be played live in Vatican square! Watch those walls tumble into oblivion, crushing under the weight of the Bass! All in all, John Lydon and his band, Public Image Limited at their best. Britain's got Talent? Britain Has Talent more like and people haven't been watching! John Lydon has been doing it all along, his way!
Kevin George
Great Show In Cardiff – The Subsonics On The Bass During Death Disco And Religion Were Massive You Could Feel The Floor Vibrate !
Hellboy
Andrew Parry
Warrior, live in Cardiff (posted by fan)
Middlesbrough Empire, UK, June 1st 2011
Hello Public Image Ltd. A Thousand Thanks for the Super Performance last night at Middlesbrough Empire, you all brought the House down !!!
A First Class Gig, from a First Class Band, well down Lad's !!! See you all in Sheffield & Preston next week.
Regard's From The Claude
Went to the Middlesbrough show last, PiL were 100% on fire! Having seen them play several times, I reckon last night was the best delivery I have ever seen from them ...... brilliant!
Robert McLauchlan
Oh my...you guys were in amazing form last night! I've not felt so much energy in one room for many years. I never managed to see you back in the day, much to my regret, but boy, did you make up for that. Performance was razor sharp, electrifying. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Julie Gibson
Firstly, let me mention that Middlesbrough Empire is not my favourite venue. Even when Danny Tenaglia played there, I refused to go. However, last night there wasn’t anywhere else in the world that I would rather have been. Pil were stupendous – Mr Lydon ruled the stage as soon as he walked on it. His band were everything that you could have wished for and more, much more than that. One hour 55 minutes of pure genius.
Albatross Blender
What a night!! An unforgettable performance from John Lydon who was as expected presence personified. This was as good as it gets…raw, angry, humorous and honest - it was edgy and 2 hours unfortunately were gone before you knew it.
The band were bang at it too….top performances from accomplished musicians clearly loving every moment of it….none better than Lu on lead who was at times simply mesmerising!! Thanks Guys you were magnificent.
I am still buzzing from the night…the Empire as venue worked, the crowd played their part in creating such a fantastic electric atmosphere, it was loud…. young and old(er) all informed it seemed and all keen to seize the moment….they did! Long time no see Tim M and Daz K…GOOD TO SEE YOU FELLAS.
A 2 hour set with only a 10 min fag break….John quipped about his age a couple of times….not on this showing Mister!!
Gary Gill
Middlesbrough Well, Middlesbrough is going to be hard to top. That was definitely the best gig of the three so far! I arrived in the town at about 6pm. Every single shop along the High St was shuttered and the streets were empty. Is that usual on a Wednesday at 6pm? Very odd town. No sooner had I arrived at the venue than the bearded figure of Lu Edmonds approaches me, (mistaking me for a local!) and telling me that he's starving and if I know of anywhere that's open around that area. Well of course I couldn't just direct the man on his way! First I bequeathed him of the fact that I was indeed a fan whom had traveled many a weary mile for the occasion. He was delighted to hear that I'd been at Coventry and had enjoyed the show. He also seemed pretty gobsmacked when he heard how many of the gigs I'm booked up for. We chatted for a while about the tour etc and he kindly posed for a photo with me before I informed him that I'd seen a Burger King open near the central station but that if he wanted some real food then I could be of little use to him. Then he went off on his way... A few minutes later I saw Bruce Smith heading off in the same direction. Once indoors I had a chat with a really nice bloke called Rory. Only 18, but he knew his PiL. Probably a damn sight more than any of the numerous Crass or Pistols t-shirts that were floating around. When the band appeared and launched into Love Song the place went mental. Not as mad as in Coventry though it must be said. Thankfully the stage wasn't as low as in Coventry so I had better chances for taking some really good photos and films. The sound also seemed a lot better than in Coventry. Maybe just an alround better venue... The band delivered Home, Death Disco, Love Song, Warrior and the crowd loved every second. Things got very lively during the encores of The Order of Death, Rise & Open Up. And of course just like in the good old days there was some knob in a Pistols t-shirt just behind me shouting for Pretty Vacant. Afterwards, as I was leaving the venue I heard at least a half dozen comments like; "That was fucking amazing!" and "I never expected them to be that good!" So again, a message to the doubters; GO TO A FUCKING GIG! Definitely the best gig so far!
Mick C
hello, went to the middlesbrough empire to see pil last night and what a unbelievable fantastic show PIL gave their fans, i missed them in their early years but i have seen them now and this will not be the last time, vocals by john were very good, lu is a genius, bruce is a super drummer and scott was awesome especially with the bass. come back soon boys to middlesbrough.........PLEASE !
dave the pigman
Just have to say that last night's gig was one of the best I've ever been to.
The sound was huge, the band were as tight as David Cameron's purse strings, the crowd were in good form and Mr. Lydon was on top form with a voice used as an instrument no man or machine could copy. He was inches away from the crowd and held them by the balls with a tender grip all night. The emotion he showed during Death Disco was there for all to see and I thought he would cry at one point. No shame at all in that. I was in total awe all night before almost being destroyed from inside out by the awesome power of Scott Firth's bass.
Looking fresh from a stint in 'Oliver!' Lu Edmonds created unbelievable sounds on guitar and other instruments, one which looked (after some internet searching) like a cumbus, played with a bow, and another which may have been an electric baglama for an eastern feel but sounding bigger than any Gibson. He even played the guitar using a small, hand-held fan smashing against the strings and creating what seemed like an e-bow effect as the motor came into conflict with the guitar pick-ups. Very clever and extremely effective.
No indie, dub, rock, punk or whatever you want to call them, band could match the way the music was sculpted and delivered in a pure, no frills way full of expression, passion and power.
Amazing!
Davy Craig
It’s been 32 years or so since I last saw PIL. My son (aged 15) wanted to see them, so I bought tickets. I was expecting nostalgia to see me through the gig, as it has done for other artists I’ve revisited from that era. I was apprehensive that Mr Lydon might goad the audience in the way he did 32 years ago. At almost 50, I wasn’t up for being goaded.
Well – I should have known better than to expect nothing more than a re-run from Mr Lydon! This gig was no echo of the past. I was completely transfixed for 2 hours, mesmerised by the rhythms, riffs and the great mix. The music was orchestral, and a fitting tableau for Lydon’s powerful, statesman-like delivery. It was a performance, not a gig.
And there was no goading! No need. As it says on the packet: “Good, serious, proper music for good, serious, proper people.”
Winnie Stack
Poptones, live in Middlesbrough (posted by fan)
Coventry, Kasbah, UK, May 31st 2011
A real treat for PiL fans, similar in set-list construction to the 2009 tour but not suffering as a result. The musicianship on display is astounding, from Lu Edmonds (or maybe 'Catweasle' given the beard!) on a variety of guitars and other stringed instruments, the impeccably steady pounding of the drums by Bruce Smith and the wonderful chest-thumping bass-playing of Scott Firth, all tightly knit and delivering a suitably rhythmic yet coruscating sound across the PiL back catalogue. John Lydon was his usual self, putting his all into his caterwauling, intermittently gurgling brandy to keep it all going. How he keeps up the intensity over 2hrs is beyond me, and is testament to his commitment to his music.
After what I thought was a fairly non-descript opening 'Public Image', the band settled to the task in hand with a quite brilliant 'Home', John's voice coming to the fore, I loved the powerful 'Nowwww's' in particular! Albatross has always been a favourite of mine and it didn't disappoint tonight, Scott's 'Wobble-esque' bass pounding along, inducing a hynoptic-like state amongst the nodding & appreciative audience. Other highlights for me were Bags, Chant, an extended Death Disco that could have gone on for 30 minutes and I wouldn't have tired of it, and a searing & scorching Religion to finish the main set with John's disgust evident in his vitriolic delivery. This Is Not A Love Song I can take or leave, it's never really grabbed me. Disappointed er.. 'disappointed' (sorry!) but Warrior came across well, as did Poptones which I thought grew in strength as the song progressed.
I could be wrong, I could be right (yeah, I know) but was there a new song or two thrown in? About half way through the set a song was played that I didn't recognise, but thought was terrific, and then the opener to the encore. I'm not a complete PiL officionado so I do apologise if they were a couple of latter album tracks, but if they are new, I can't wait until they are committed to vinyl (& not just mp3/CD!). Rise & Open Up completed the show, the latter inspiring the most physical crowd response of the night with a sweaty middle-aged and balding moshpit bouncing off each other at the front. I stood back & left them to it, despite me fitting my own description of the participants, and focused on watching a band clearly enjoying themselves. John endeared himself to the locals as he left the stage, expressing his thanks that the Nazis didn't destroy all of Coventry.
Overall, a really enjoyable gig. Not quite up there with Camden Electric Ballroom before Xmas in 2009 but definitely glad I went, despite the self-obsessed, drunken tattooed fuckwits also present. Long live PiL!
Dave Graham
John Lydon was in fine voice throughout. While the old classics went down as great crowd-pleasers, it was "CHANT" and "OPEN UP" that really exploded the venue into life. Stunning!
Kevin George
Again, you guys just get better and better each year. This time no words of wisdom from Mr Lydon for which he apologised. Please tell him he doesn't need to apologise, his songs delivered with so much sincerity in the past, today and, I'm sure in the future say it all. They all mean something, more people just need to listen. Great gig!
Neil Shaw
".......In some societies artists are dangerous to those in power because they don't fit into the system. The artist sets an example of how everybody can cope with life. An artist is completely outside the hierarchy. An artist is neither rich nor poor; he is at home with all classes of people. A real artist does not even have to paint......" Friedensreich Hundertwasser
In Coventry PiL showed once again that they are true artists.
Pablo
Hi john and the band, our first time to a pil gig, what a night , a brilliant performance , the sound was awesome , it won,t be our last time for definite , thanx for a great night.
The Cooke's
Would just like to congratulate the band on the performance last night. Really solid show with Johns vocals blasting those vibrant sharp tones in only the way he can with Scots hypnotic bass the whole evening was a unique experience with musical joy from start to finish. Even the stuff played over the PA while we waited for the band to come on(would love to know what some of it was). Please come back to the Midlands soon!!
Pete Evans
I traveled from London east ('home') to watch PiL and I was not 'disappointed'. What a gig. It's hard to put into words how tight and tidy PiL sounded in Coventry. Loved the new additions to the set and they fitted in with ease!! Just shows how many different 'poptones' PiL have in their back catalogue. I hope to catch one more show this summer (Guilfest?) and really, really hope the fellas do record some new material soon. We need PiL ..........
Thanks for the fantastic gig fellas.
Liam Johnson
They just get better all the time. Got my records autographed, and met other PIL fans and had one of my BEST days of the year. Some of the people at the venue i think had not heard PIL before so they were not used to hearing REAL music, you could see the wonder in their eyes, asking the question "why haven't we heard this music before?"
Jayson Lowery
Who Needs a Camera - Lydon at Coventry. Here's John close up - captured in 3 lines and a circle.
Paul Francis
Well into my 40's and followed The Pistols/PIL all my life, was at the infamous Pistols academy gig on the Saturday (DVD There Always Be An England) and I went to a few 2009 dates on the PIL tour. This however had the lot, the venue was awesome, intimate but intense, the set list was missing Careering and Seattle in my mind, after being out on the road John now seems more relaxed and comfortable in his own skin, after telling me he gets very nervous the whole day of the gig (I was one of the lucky winners of the webcam chat after the purchase of the Mr Rotten's Scrapbook). I would love to hear the concert back in full stereo, the new songs went down a storm and the biggest thing for me is he is still doing this, past present, new old, carry on John more of the same please sir!!.
Shaun Wilson
Coventry PiL's gig at Coventry's Kasbah Cub tonight was nothing short of triumphant. An extremely intimate venue and certainly the liveliest PiL gig I've been to so far. After a very long wait indoors the smoke machines started to belch into action and finally the lights went down. The band arrived to massive cheers and launched straight into Public image and Home. I was delighted to hear what sounded like the whole crowd singing along with Home. Who said that people only like the early stuff? It seemed almost the same setlist as Primavera, bar some additions. The first time I've ever seen a mosh pit filled with pogoing punks at a PiL gig. One thing that cannot go umentioned is that there was one complete teapot licker at the front with a ridiculously silly little mohawk who was well pissed (or rather just cannot handle his alcohol!) whom tried to start a punch up during Warrior with the guy standing beside me. The other guy, a decent bloke who was there with his wife was man enough to just walk away from the situation. I salute you sir! It's so sad that PiL gigs can attract such a third rate scum element such as that wannabe punk arsehole and his army of knuckle-dragging neolithic mates (all with their Exploited & GBH t-shirts on which says it all really!) You sir, are nothing but a wanker and PiL gigs are not intended for your ilk. Performance wise Lydon was very emotionally moved by the rendition of Death Disco and truly gave 100%. The slower numbers such as Psychopath, Sun and Four Enclosed Walls have been dropped from the set to make way for Home, Ease & The Order of Death. Religion ended the main set.. During the encore, Open Up, the arsehole punk from earlier or "short, fat wanker" to give him his proper title, tried to goad more people into a fight but pushing them and bellowing; "Do you know who I am?" - - So tough mate! Then the gig was over. It felt like a really short set again but it actually clocked in t 116 minutes. Anyway, Middlesbrough next!
Mick C
I have been waiting to see pil since the 80,s when i was fifteen.The coventry gig was amazing i rate it as one of the best gigs i have ever been too (and there are many)Having the benefit of a balcony area the band were brilliant technically tight and so many instruments the songs were brilliant everything was spot on.My misses saw you in the 80,s whilst pregnant with her first son 27 years later we took him to see pil for the second time what a truly moving experience and a life long wish fulfilled just want to see them loads more.
simon lewis
I've really been enjoying reading the reviews on the site so I thought I'd send a few snaps. Four from Birmingham '09 and a couple from the Coventry show this year. I'm at gigs all the time, and I've seen PiL a few times before they reformed, but without doubt there's an extra magical bit of chemistry in the current line-up, and John is on fire these days, a sheer joy to behold. I'd rate Birmingham '09 as one of the greatest gigs I've seen in 30 years. I'm so glad they're recording together at the moment. Give it some, lads! love & honesty
Richard Harvey
Albatross, live at Coventry (posted by fan)
Primavera Sound, Barcelona, Spain, May 26th 2011
Mr Lydon has given us his first report from the 2011 tour - which opened tonight at the Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona, Spain.
Brilliant gig. Brilliant crowd. The press may not get us - but human beings always will. Thank you Barcelona. RC Barcy Lola Null.
John Lydon, Public Image Ltd, May 26th 2011
The Primavera Sound festival has been a delightful experience as agreed by all. Just some of the top class acts I got the chance to see were Interpol, The Flaming Lips, Pulp, Animal Collective, Belle & Sebastian, Battles, Of Montreal, Mercury Rev, Sufjan Stevens and many more. But when people ask me for my favourite gig in the festival, there is only one name that come up to mind - Public Image Ltd. A PiL show is a totally different experience than any other band's performance. You don't judge it by the song. For the main part of the concert, Johnny and the gang are busy tearing down the walls of defence and concentration in your mind, using those repetitive drum beats, deepest bass, mind-bending guitar and those haunting vocals. So for most of the show you're not really sure if it's tremendous or just boring. Or both. But then, just before you give up, comes the crescendo - Rise. After all of these walls have been destructed, this song lifts me up 3-feet high above the ground, to a new level of high-feeling. And then comes Open Up - which gets me dancing with my eyes closed as if I was on E in a full moon party in Goa. But I wasn't on anything, didn't take any drugs, didn't drink anything but water. That's what a PiL's show all about, it gets you high using no drugs at all. THANK YOU
Hadar Gafni
After arriving at the festival in the early afternoon, I watched a few Spanish acts, whose names have rightfully been forgotten as well as Sunny & the Sunsets, who appeared before PiL. Probably the worst band I have ever seen in my life. The singer, try as he might to imitate howlin' Pelle from The Hives just came across as a bad drag act with more makeup on than a Bangkok hooker. The music also was like something from a very camp early 80's disco. Dreadful band! Truly dreadful! (Believe it or not but they also acted out little corny scenes on stage! Performance (f)art, I think it's called!)
There was a wait of about 50-60 minutes between the drag act and PiL. I just hung around down at the barrier and watched the tech guys doing their stuff. That stuff always fascinates me.
Not long after that, the familiar instruments (drums with PiL logo, upright bass, Lu's telecaster and his Turkish saz) as well as the familiar backdrop were all put into place. Lu also appeared to mic his amps up to the PA and to tune the saz. I gave him a shout and got a broad smile in return. When the gear was ready the ambient stage lights went down and stayed down. There was still half an hour to go till show time. The sun had almost set by this point and gradually the area began to fill with people, probably a healthy mixture of the curious, the informed and the doubters, whom would soon be silenced.
There were one or two PiL t-shirts amongst the growing crowd as well but not as many as I'd expected to see. Thankfully I didn't spot any Pistols t-shirts which is always a dangerous sign at a PiL gig. House music soon started piping through the PA and there was more activity from the tech chaps such as delivering setlist's, bottled water and whiskey and fags to the stage. The lights started to come into action again so I knew it wouldn't be long...
The crowd by now had swelled considerably and plumes of Rastafarian Woodbine smoke filled the air. Eventually the house music went silent and the best band in the world appeared to massive applause and launched straight into This is Not a Love Song. The crowd sang happily along, proving at least that a large majority of the crowd were "informed", so to speak.
I wont say too much about the setlist as I don't want to spoil it for fans attending next weeks UK gigs. No doubt some will be upset while others will be satisfied. But hasn't that always been the case with PiL? To quote Lydon; "You'll get what you're given, AND be grateful!" It must be said that the band had a fantastic crowd last night. I was right at the front and almost everyone around me got involved, sang along (even to the more "obscure" album tracks) and as usual PiL picked up on the good vibrations and rode the wave to a spectacular finale! It wouldn't surprise me if PiL made quite a few new fans last night.
Like all great gigs it seemed like a really short set, although they actually played for about 90 minutes, which is about typical for a festival slot. All in all it was an truly excellent gig to kick off the tour! See you in Coventry, chaps!
Mick C
This Is Not a Love Song, live at Primavera (posted by fan)
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