“I’m not imitating myself. I will not be dragged back into complicated versions of what I did in times past”. – John Lydon
One would imagine that it’s a bit galling to John Lydon to be forever linked to a band that existed for a scant 2 and a half years, the Sex Pistols, while fronting a band that’s been in existence since 1978, Public Image Ltd (albiet with a lengthy break between 1992 and 2009). But such are the chains that have been cast for the former ‘Johnny Rotten’ in this life. The fact of the matter is that the Sex Pistols changed the world while PIL is merely a great post-punk/disco/krautrock band. As much as I value and appreciate that the Sex Pistols kicked down the doors that let loose punk rock upon the universe, I’d much rather listen to 90 minutes of PIL than watch the Pistols wobble and stagger through a set. But that’s me.
PIL (vocalist Lydon, stringed instrument wizard Lu Edmonds, bassist/keyboard player Scott Firth, and drummer Mark Roberts) brought their ‘This Is Not the Last Tour’ production to the packed Neptune Theatre in Seattle last night. The current tour is the first time the band has visited these shores in 8 years.
I’d be burying the lede and ignoring my first and primary impression of PIL’s performance if I didn’t state just how damn good they sounded. Lydon’s voice is as strong and mesmerizing as it ever was. He’s not what one would call a traditionally beautiful or mellifluous singer but his ululations, quasi operatic howls, and various Rotten/Lydonisms fit PIL’s music to a T. The Sex Pistols are currently on tour with Frank Turner taking over vocal responsibilities and I’m told he does an admirable job. That said, it’s impossible for me to imagine anyone other than Lydon singing PIL’s songs. It just wouldn’t work.
The three gents who comprise this version of PIL do a brilliant job of interpreting the band’s catalog. They are wise to not attempt to recreate a carbon copy of the recorded versions of the tunes but rather to capture the general spirit of the music while inserting their own personalities into their playing. I’m a huge fan of guitarist Lu Edmonds, having had the pleasure of catching him playing with the Mekons a number of times. With PIL he alternates between a standard solid body electric guitar and a traditional Balkan saz outfitted with electric pickups. He can sound not unlike original PIL guitarist Keith Levene when he wishes to do so but also brings a pronounced world music vibe to his playing. The current PIL rhythm section of Scott Firth and Mark Roberts supply a foundation shaking groove to the band’s live sound, emphasizing the band’s (and Lydon’s) fondness for dub and club beats. While PIL and Lydon flirt with dark themes and sometimes abrasive sonic textures they are, at heart, a dance band.
PIL came out of the blocks strong last night, tearing straight into the song ‘Public Image’ from 1978’s ‘First Edition’. It’s a song that I may have heard a thousand times over the last 45 years. Did that stop me from standing slack jawed with my camera by my side rather than snapping the photos that I’d come to take? No, it did not. Lydon has a chemistry and a charm that’s hard to describe and quantify without experiencing it in the flesh. I felt grateful to be in the room with PIL and their fans and it was a performance that will stick with me for some time to come.
Last night’s show kicked off with a powerhouse set from Southern California’s Plague Vendor. The engine powering this kinda metal/kinda punk 4 piece is guitarist Henri Cash. I first encountered Henri in Starcrawler, a band he plays in with singer Arrow de Wilde. I saw Starcrawler middle between Fitz of Depression and the MC50 at gig at the Showbox in 2018 during a show that I count among my all-time favorites. Plague Vendor is a little more metal and a little less glam than Starcrawler but they were just what the doctor ordered last night at the Neptune. The crowd was with them from the first note. I’m very much looking forward to seeing Plague Vendor the next time they come through town.
