Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Public Image Ltd. -- 9:30 Club - Oct 8 2012

Public Image Ltd. - Nothing beats spending a couple hours with an old friend. Although I have not had the opportunity and would have been too terrified to even say one word to John Lydon in the past, he has always been there as I've grown up. And with us both in our 50s now, I see we wear baggier shirts for comfort as well as a certain strategy. The important thing of course is that he's still getting up on stage and being himself while possessing his unique voice. His band is also excellent and they've been together a couple of years, which likely makes them the longest continuous running version of PiL. The rhythm section is as solid as ever and Lu Edmonds brings his array of Turkish instruments and guitar plugged through a massive amount of pedals and boxes creating a more psychedelic vibe with a bit less in the jagged edge department. It all clicks tonight as they mix in songs from their new album with some of their timeless classics. If anything, I wish they would rotate a few more songs in as this seems awfully similar to the last time around. But the ferocity in the medley "Bags/Chant" is worth the price of admission alone. Primal power with incredible musicianship, a lovely combination when it works. The crowd was a bit subdued but they were digging the set and were focused on the music which always works for me. I hope John Lydon can go another 50 years, although I am not sure I want to be around quite that long to see how it all turns out.

Set List: This is Not a Love Song - Deeper Water - Albatross - One Drop - Flowers of Romance - Disappointed - Warrior - U.S.L.S. 1 - Reggie Song - Death Disco - Bags/Chant - Religion. Enc: Out of the Woods - Rise - Open Up - singalong ditty

Quote of the Night: John Lydon-- "I reckon there's another 50 years in this old cunt, if only as an act of spite."

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