Review by Wanda De Verelle-Hill
Photos by Photographer: Charlyn Cameron
Age may have tamed the 2000 or so PiL fans that filled the Hi-Fi bar in Brisbane last night, but it hasn’t tamed John Lydon, PiL’s founder and front man. As soon as John hit the stage and opened his mouth, it was clear that immense energy flows loud and strong from this man. With slightly eerie vocal tones and his head tilted back, John summonsed his voice and cast it out over the crowd getting us ready for the ride ahead. Almost like a call to prayer, with the opening song This Is PiL. He quickly and gracefully dealt with Thatcher’s passing during this song by singing “I wish no one any evil… goodbye Maggie” which inspired cheering from the crowd.My big question was: Would they play any songs from PiL’s ground breaking 1979 production, Metal Box? And would it sound as good without Jah Wobble? This was answered quickly with the second song of the night… a long and brilliant rendition of Albatross. Scott Firth, PiL’s bass player since 2009 was totally up to the task. He provided ever fattening bass grooves and synth sounds throughout the night giving all the songs a deep fullness that even the stage security could not resist dancing to.
John’s animated stage presence was captivating, especially during the highly charged and emotional songs – Swan Lake and Warrior. His uniquely beautiful and powerful voice is matched in quality by all the members of this current version of PiL. Lu Edmonds adds a psychedelic folk punk element to the music by alternating between rasping electric guitars riffs, electric slide mandolin and banjo picking. Bruce Smith must be the only drummer I’ve seen in a while that didn’t do a drum solo. He just kept the quirky rhythms and anti-rhythms pumping and constant, allowing for the trance like quality of the music to emerge.
PiL shared their whole musical history during the gig with every era of the band well represented and dispersed between awesome new songs such as Deeper Water and One Drop, from their most recent album – This is PiL – released in 2011. John was wondering why the crowd in Brisbane was so tame, unlike his previous visit some 20 years before. It would seem that during PiL’s absence from Australia they have not captured a new audience in people under 40. A lot has changed in Australia in 20 years and the vibrant punk/anarchist scene from the 80’s and 90’s has mellowed considerably.
Towards the end of the night the audience did liven up and sing along to well known songs such as This Is Not A Love Song and Rise. A mini mosh even broke out with patrons sporting mohawks leading the way. Perhaps we haven’t totally lost our edge.
The audience clearly enjoyed the gig as demonstrated by the wild cheering and thumping that occurred pre and post encore. I have hearing damage not from the music but from the woman who yelled at full pitch behind me as proof. PiL were having as much fun as the audience. John funded the reformation of PiL in 2009 from a series of commercials he did for British Butter and ended the night by saying: “we do this because we love it”.
I loved every minute of this gig and hope that anyone who is undecided about checking out PiL’s Australian tour will cast their doubt aside. Do not miss out on the opportunity to see this musically ground breaking band with a rich political and cultural history. You can catch PiL in Sydney tonight at the Enmore Theatre and in Melbourne at the Palace on April 11.
http://www.pilofficial.com/info.html
** Read our Live Review: Public Image Ltd. (PiL) @ The Palace Theatre, Melbourne – April 11th 2013 **
April 2013 Australian Tour Dates
Tuesday 9 April – Hi Fi, Brisbane 18+
Tickets from Oztix on 1300 762 545 / www.oztix.com.au
With We Set Sail
Wednesday 10 April – Enmore Theatre, Sydney LIC AA
Tickets from Ticketek on 132 849 / www.ticketek.com.au
With Death Mattel
Thursday 11 April – Palace Theatre, Melbourne 18+
Tickets from Ticketek on 132 849 / www.ticketek.com.au
With Harmony
For more info:
www.pilofficial.com
www.bluemurder.com.au
www.destroyalllines.com