John Lydon and PiL does not leave this fan "Disappointed"
By Anthony Faccenda, 12th May 2010 | Follow this author
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Here is a Public Image Ltd. concert review. I was lucky enough to see the band play this past Sunday evening.
PiL in Providence
Despite a less than packed crowed, John Lydon and PiL performed as if they were playing in front of a packed stadium. The two hour set-list which included: "(This Is Not A) Love Song", "Death Disco", “Disappointed”, "Public Image" and "Rise" had the audience completely engaged from start to finish.
The current PiL lineup which includes John Lydon (vocals), Bruce Smith (drums), Lu Edmonds (guitar) and Scott Firth (bass) were at the top of their game the entire night. Smith showcased his virtuoso talents throughout the night and proved why his unique style enabled him to play with varying acts including: The Slits, The Pop Group, Terrence Trent D'Arby and Björk. Edmunds (The Damned) managed to match Lydon's intensity during the set playing both traditional electric guitar and bouzouki (greek instrument similar to a mandolin). Although Firth has played with both Steve Winwood and Elvis Costello, it was his time spent touring with the Spice Girls (yes, those Spice Girls) which came across in many of the more upbeat and dancier tracks.
Although the band sounded incredible, the real star of the night was Mr. Lydon. Renowned for being rude and obnoxious, Lydon (formerly known as Johnny Rotten), poured every ounce of energy into his performance. At one point Lydon stated that it did not matter whether he was playing in front of two people or two million; he always performs to the utmost of his ability.
So what made Lydon’s performance so good you might ask? Well for starters, Lydon’s vocals were top-notch. Lydon has never been known for a great voice, but rather a passionate one. Miles Davis was once quoted as saying Lydon "sang like a trumpet." In a recent interview with Goldmine Magazine Lydon stated, "I’m not trying to imitate any other genre or style of singing. I’m singing as I feel it."
Lydon was able to convey great emotion whether he was singing, yelling or simply talking to the audience. One particular emotional track was “Death Disco” which is about the death of Lydon’s mother. There were also lighthearted moments such as when the band performed "In the Sun" where Lydon persuaded or rather demanded the fans to clap and sing along to the catchy chorus.
Aside from delivering great vocals, Lydon’s on stage antics kept the night interesting. In between songs Lydon gurgled alcohol and spit it into a large garbage bin. During songs Lydon often spit and launched snot rockets on the stage. Although it may sound gross, this was vintage Lydon. Lydon’s banter was also extremely entertaining. One particularly entertaining scene involved Lydon calling out a security guard for stopping a rowdy fan. Oddly enough, Lydon recanted moments later when the fan tried to make a run for the stage. Lydon turned on the concert-goer in particularly funny moment which had the audience in stitches.
When Lydon came out for the encore he mentioned that it had been a particularly interesting night. After the three song encore, Lydon told the fans, “See you this time next year and bring a friend.” Lydon’s sentiments were an amusing and appropriate ending to a great night. Although once viewed as “rotten”, Mr. Lydon performance evoked both feelings of hope and immense appreciation for the audience.
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