Lupo’s Providence, RI
May 2010
PIL Live Show Review by Shawn Marazine
Live Photos by Lena Lamoray
Fronted by the legendary punk giant Johnny Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) is back with and on the road with his PSYCHEDELIC DISCO ROCK band Public Image Limited. When I first heard that PIL was going on tour again, it brought me back 18 years ago when I first saw PIL in Rhode Island at The Rocky Point amusement park. There are many fond memories of Johnny being his nasty self and rolling a condom over is cordless microphone and sporting a haircut that can only be described as the head of nail.
So when I found out I had a chance again to see PIL live, I was excited to relive the Johnny Lydon experience again. The night entered with “This is not a Love song” and the crowd in Providence instantly came alive with excitement. Fronting the band with his robotic disco rave moves and occasionally drinking and spitting into a large trash receptacle that was placed on stage. The show was full of the Lydon sarcasm, that we’ve grown to expect from Mr Lydon. This makes me miss his television show!
Accompanying him on stage was Lu Edmonds who handled all of the guitar duties and occasionally played keyboards. Lu’s style is rich with effects and his playing acted as a soundscape to PIL’s sound. Scott Firth handled the low end, playing electric upright basses during the set. Scott laid down infectious grooves and also took on keyboard duties during the show. Bruce Smith who has a past history with PIL, recording on Happy in 1986, played the drums like a machine and kept the groove driving with a disco swing.
Get your PIL fix live, they will be touring Europe in July and pick up some albums while you are at it!
Rock Zottegem Festival, Belgium, July 10th 2010
(tickets on sale now) (headlining main stage)
Les Ardentes Festival, Liège, Belgium, July 11th 2010
(tickets on sale now) (headlining main stage)
FIB Heineken Festival, Benicàssim, Spain, July 17th 2010
(tickets on sale now) (headlining 2nd stage)
Putte Parken, Karlskoga, Sweden, July 30th 2010
(tickets on sale now) (headlining main stage)
Sziget Festival, Budapest, Hungary, August 12th 2010
(tickets on sale now)
Dortmund, FZW, Germany, August 15th 2010
(pre-sale starts Tuesday, May 18th at 9am - General sale Friday 21st)
Berlin, Huxley's Neue Welt, Germany, August 16th 2010
(pre-sale starts Tuesday, May 18th at 9am - General sale Friday 21st)
Hamburg, Grosse Freiheit 36, Germany, August 18th 2010
(pre-sale starts Tuesday, May 18th at 9am - General sale Friday 21st)
Cologne, E-Werk, Germany, August 19th 2010
(pre-sale starts Tuesday, May 18th at 9am - General sale Friday 21st)
Munich, TonHalle, Germany, August 21st 2010
(pre-sale starts Tuesday, May 18th at 9am - General sale Friday 21st)
Offenbach, Capitol, Germany, August 22nd 2010
(pre-sale starts Tuesday, May 18th at 9am - General sale Friday 21st)
Electric Picnic Festival, Stradbally, Ireland, September 3rd 2010
(tickets on sale now) (headlining 2nd stage)
