KOKO Asia News
The Return Of Rotten
Date: 09 September 2009
By Johnny Mayo
John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten, has confirmed the revival of post punk outfit Public Image Ltd, the band he formed in 1978 after the first break up of the iconic Sex Pistols. Rising from the ashes of the pivotal punk rock group that defined a generation, Public Image Ltd branched out to a more experimental sound and their early work is often regarded as some of the most challenging and innovative music of the post-punk era.
Although PiL have been inactive since 1992, Rotten, as the bands only constant member, considered the outfit on hiatus rather than a finished project always leaving the door open for an announcement like one that was made last week.
In celebration of the 30th anniversary of what many see as the bands defining album ‘Metal Box’, Rotten announced a series of winter gigs scheduled for later this year. As Lydon has been the only consistent member of the band since its formation he will be joined onstage by Damned guitarist Lu Edmonds, former Slits drummer Bruce Smith and bassist Scott Firth.
‘Metal Box’ was originally released as three untitled 45 rpm 12-inch records packaged in a metal film canister and featured what was to become the band's trademark style of hypnotic dub reggae bass lines, glassy, arpeggiated guitar, and bleak, paranoid, stream of consciousness vocals.
The album is also just as well known for the trouble Lydon and co got into while promoting their new release in the US back in 1978.
Their appearance at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles basically turned into a slanging match between Lydon and the audience. Later on that tour PiL were asked to perform at The Ritz in New York, but for some reason playing from behind a projection screen rather than directly onstage. They had to recruit a drummer from the bar to perform with them, who turned out to be a 60 year old jazz musician who had never even heard of PiL before.
During the gig PiL records were played simultaneously through the PA. In very expectable circumstances Lydon proceeded to taunt the audience and a bust up quickly ensued in which the band got pelted bottles and angry punters pulled on a tarp spread under the band and toppling equipment.
Will their series of reformation gigs still have the same shenanigans that followed him around in the late 70’s? I wouldn’t put it past him.
