“Ain’t a band, it’s a company.” Such was always the premise of John Lydon’s Public Image Ltd. which was what made the punk pioneer’s post-Pistols group all the more awesome, as they had the clever lyrics and uncompromising post-punk grittiness to back it up. Whether that’s still the case is unclear, but they’re being resurrected as a company at least. Following a tour of the UK last year (on which Lydon himself was the only original member of the PiL lineup), the same touring band will reconvene to play a string of US and European dates later on in 2010. It may seem like a lame move on Lydon’s part to take an old band out on the road without any original members, but then again, he’s always been a pretty contrary sort of bloke. You never quite know what’s going on in that scheming head of his. Hey, if you go to the show and close your eyes it might even be good! Just Careering? You decide. (more…)
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Public Image Ltd. To Record New Fare Pending Enough Dough
11.17.09We mentioned that PiL was touring on the revenue frontman John Lydon earned from doing some British butter adverts. Now Lydon is tantalizing fans further with the news that as long as they generate a little income on tour, PiL will hit the recording studio to produce new material. Lydon builds up the anticipation, saying that “Yes, if I raise the money from this, I most definitely will [record new PiL material]…”, and lays out the guerilla tactics he and the band have adopted on their previous recordings, noting that “every single time we recorded we only had one take, no money.” Taking us back to 1978, John Lydon recalls the days when “The Jam would pull out of Goldhawk Road [after recording in Townhouse Studios]… They’re writing their new hit wonderful album because they have lots of record company backing. We knew they’d left so we’d run in, quickly record it, and that’s Metal Box for you. That’s basically the John Lydon approach to music – wham, bam, thank you ma’am.” This was also Lydon’s approach to sex, as everyone remembers his classic “Love is 2 minutes and 52 seconds of squelching noises.” At least now he says ‘thank you’.
