Public Image Limited!

[ThruBeingCool]

Nothing to add Mr.Spooner

Review on the way!

[ThruBeingCool]

I obtained a copy of the 4 CD box set live recording of the Manchester gig the other night whilst at the Academy. And what a superb souvenir it is I have to say! The first 3 CDs cover the entire gig with nothing edited out and the sound quality is nigh on perfect. At £20 a throw I think these box sets are really quite good value if the Manchester one is anything to go by.

Anyway, a quick & slightly belated review from Saturday night......

Travelled up to Mancland with my oldest & best mate Nev (who I've mentioned on here in previous posts) and checked into our 5 Star Hotel !- The Manchester MacDonald- got this for a snip@ £77 for a twin. Fucking luxurious hotel and after comparing the weather outside with the comforts of our room I could have happily stayed in on Saturday night I tell ya! Mind you, I did end up getting charged £18 for TWO drinks in there later on so it probably was a good decision to make a move after all.

So, following a very rainy and cold trek up to the university area we eventually found ourselves in Jabezz Cleggs for lengthy pre-gig drinks and also met up with some more Nottingham lads who were up there for Pil. Now, no Manchester Academy gig imho is complete without a visit to Jabez Cleggs (for all it's faults), likewise this pub ain't the same without Fatbusjim & Phil Tuneless staggering around the place. And it wasn't long before the line up was complete when my 2 favourite Spudboys turned up whilst I was having a ciggie outside with the other young punks in town. I knew this was gonna be a good night! Inside the pub FBJ told me all about his recent trip to Australia whilst showing off his new mohican hairstyle- the flash bastard!


Anyway, fast forward to the gig and we arrived just in time for ‘The Rabbit Song’ which signalled the arrival of Johnny & his latest version of Public Image Ltd. Venue wasn’t sold out but any gaps were soon tobe filled by Rotten’s ego! Now, I must confess that I’m not the biggest PiL fan by any stretch of the imagination . I find a lot of their music really hard work to listen to and quite simply dull on occasions. However, they do have plenty of gems in their back catalogue to keep the likes of me interested and hopefully a show lasting over 2 hours would contain summat for everyone. Which indeed it did! In fact the beauty of this show was that you could go to & fro from the bar/bogs/smoking area hassle free whilst the band played the boring stuff!

The set list consisted of songs from not only PiL albums but Lydon’s other solo excursions. Highlights for me were ‘Religion’, ‘Annelisa’, ‘Public Image’, ‘Disappointed’, ‘This Is Not A Love Song’, ‘Flowers Of Romance’ plus rousing renditions of ‘Rise’ & ‘Open Up’ in the encores. Would have liked to have seen the likes of ’Cruel’, ’Don’t Ask Me’, ’Home’ and especially ‘Seattle’ at the expense of some of the other stuff in there meself but you can’t please all of the folk all of the time as they say. Otherwise this was a stunning perforfance basically down to the fact that we were all in the company of the genius/legend that is Johnny Rotten. The best front man that ever lived imho. I was right down the front for the encores just trying to take it all in - being in the presence of this bloke alone is just an awesome experience as far as I’m concerned and I confess to having a tear in my eye as the gig ended and I once again bumped into a topless Fatbusjim in the departing crowd. Food & drink must have been good in Oz then Dave?

Summing up, wouldn’t have missed this gig for the world. Not the greatest but deffo a highlight of my year gig wise despite my initial reservations and moans about the ticket price. All money well spent at the end of the day.

“Good, serious, fucking music for good, serious, proper fucking people!”to quote Rotten. I can’t add anymore really.

[Fatbusjim]

Good stuff Baz, knew I could rely on you to bring it all back

[theraven1979]

They played "Disappointed"? Shit - If they do any more gigs I'll probably check them out.

Jim

[ThruBeingCool]

Good stuff Baz, knew I could rely on you to bring it all back

Well, I've had the benefit of the CD as well for total recall

[ThruBeingCool]

This was the setlist from Birmingham & Leeds. Don't think there were any changes at Manchester but I'm no expert here as I didn't know all the stuff.

The Rabbit Song (intro)
Public Image
Careering
This Is Not a Love Song
Poptones
Albatross
Tie Me To The Length Of That
The Suit
Death Disco
Four Enclosed Walls
Flowers of Romance
Psychopath
Disappointed
Warrior
USLS 1
Banging The Door
Chant
Bags
Memories
Annalisa
Religion


Sun
Rise
Open Up

[dreamtime101]

That's a brilliant set list

[ThruBeingCool]

That's a brilliant set list

Can't fault the review either

[C r a s s !]

I've never seen PiL before, regretting not doing the Xmas gig at the Rainbow all those years ago but I made up for it last night in Camden! The gig was truly awesome.

I'm a massive PiL fan, Wobble Rotten and Levine were like no one else and came out with my most favourute LPs in my collection: First Edition and Metal Box I hold in the highest esteem always.

So Dom, me and J enjoyed some ciders at the Electric Ballroom (smoking area - what a turn up!) which is a superb venue with matching sound. But they were on at 8.40, so we found out, and I was still in Chalk Farm so we missed the start of Public Image, as it was ending as we went inside. The gig was the best gig I've been at: Lu on guitar was great, and the drums were brilliant. The bass ripped through your body; from the floor up and from your head down and meeting in your guts. Lydon said he was not feeling tip top but he gave his all tonight.

The songs were brilliant, all come alive again, (not so good ones from the later back catalogue were needy fag breaks) but the sheer incessant groove and bass drone was something I forgot about, and loved. Poptones took me to another place, maybe it was my old bedroom back in 1979? Both Annalisa and Religion II boomed and rattled my bones to enforce the necessary skank dancing in the middle of the room trying hard not to move but it was useless attemptng to resist! But while they played their bollocks off for a tad over 2 hours, the night ended all too quickly and we ended up having nightcaps in the Marathon Kebab. We foned Paul - the other PiL!!! - but it was a bit late for him to join in. And those who know the place (after the Roundhouse gig?) will be aware of the presence of a certain guest guitarist and singer called Daniel hitched (aka the Rock n Roll Tzar) who hitched on his guitar ("what make is it? It's a shit one of course!" he told me) to strum out his Elvis stuff as we dived into far too much food and supped tins of lager with the late crowd. The night was an absolute buzz from start (and before in work early that day - when I got my co workers in on the act with MORE BASS!!! during the day) to finish on a relaxing lull and sleepytime.

Here's to more PiL gigs (I pray!)

More bass!!!!

PS. It has to be said: Winner of the Best Live Performance of 2009 goes to Pulblic Image Ltd. I will never forget it - and I know Dom won't either.

[Bobinblack]

This was the setlist from Birmingham & Leeds. Don't think there were any changes at Manchester but I'm no expert here as I didn't know all the stuff.

The Rabbit Song (intro)
Public Image
Careering
This Is Not a Love Song
Poptones
Albatross
Tie Me To The Length Of That
The Suit
Death Disco
Four Enclosed Walls
Flowers of Romance
Psychopath
Disappointed
Warrior
USLS 1
Banging The Door
Chant
Bags
Memories
Annalisa
Religion


Sun
Rise
Open Up

Just ordered the 4 CD set as a memento of the Leeds gig. £23 inc vat and delivery, treating myself and it will be worth it just for Lydon's banter at the gig.

[Dom P]

Crass summed it all up! It seems from other reviews that the Smoking Areas were part of the PiL experience, rather that the Electric ballroom.... where possible it's a must. it's like being at home, when you nip to the kitchen for another cider or Pinot then come back to the front room and spin another disc!

I haven't heard any of their music for 20 years or so, I don't own any of it... but it didn't matter, the sound was superb, I think I shall have to invest in some of their discs. MORE BASS!!!

Awesome.

[evonx]

Anyone interested in RAR file of Brum gig? Let me know!