Subba
REVIEW gig Manchester Academy 19-9-15

Public Image Ltd - Double Trouble in Manchester

Published by Lawrence Taylor

I spent the early evening watching a local soccer team perform a long way below par, rightly suffering their first defeat of the season. As I wandered across town reflecting on this, I surmised that their attitude was similar to Rotten’s Sex Pistols, the significant difference being that, back then, a lack-lustre performance with attitude and total disregard for the audience was acceptable and part of the two-fingered salute to society and the music business in general.John Lydon is cut from a different cloth than his alter-ego. No matter how many times I have seen PIL since their seminal vinyl release, wrapped in a newspaper sleeve, and their inaugural tour in 1979, they never disappoint and always deliver a set of the very highest quality. The performance tonight, at the Manchester Academy, was true to form.Yes, he may be older (and wiser?), he may hide something of a muffin-top beneath his long jacket, he may need a folder full of lyrics in case his memory is a little fuddled and may even need glasses to read it, but Lydon is a man who has always been comfortable on stage, the centre of attention and the leader of a band of the highest quality. He still snarls, spits and rambles, sucks on a bottle of brandy and empties his nostrils onto the stage between songs (a perennial cold maybe?), but he washes the brandy down with water these days!The band, now consisting of Lu Edmunds on guitar and other things, is supported admirably by Scott Firth who delivers Wobble like bass-lines to thump the chest of the audience. ‘Want more bass’ asked Lydon? You bet we did... and we got it. Behind all of this is Bruce Smith, on drums, keeping the other two mavericks in time, whilst Lydon delivers at the sharp end.This was an inspired set list containing the old and the new. ‘Double Trouble’, ‘Know Now’ and ‘Disappointed’, set the tone, ‘Warrior’ is a future dance-floor classic and with welcome oldies such as ‘Love song’, ‘Poptones’, ‘Religion’, ‘Public Image’ and the magnificent ‘Rise’ to close the show, we all headed for the bar. This was quality and quantity in abundance. Don’t take my word for it. Buy the album, or better still, get off your arse and see the tour!Words - M.EastwoodImage - Loz

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