Public Image LTD’s Sold Out Show at Webster Hall

Article and Photographs by Addison Lawrence

New York City was the 16th stop on Public Image LTD’s “This is not the Last Tour” tour, and if the name didn’t already give it away, the group is still at their very best and putting on one hell of a show. Playing a sold out show at Webster Hall, Public Image LTD (or PiL) was ready to show New York how to have a good time.

Founded in 1978, Public Image LTD has survived decades of change, and its experimental post-punk sound has proven itself to be timeless. Although the group’s frontman Johnny Lydon has previously toured solo as PiL, this time around the whole group is together on stage, including Lydon on vocals, Lu Edmonds on guitar, Scott Firth on bass and keys, and Mark Roberts on drums.

If the name Johnny Lydon sounds eerily familiar to you, it may be because he was the frontman of the Sex Pistols prior to his conception of PiL. From initiating the punk movement in the UK with Sex Pistols to challenging the “punk orthodoxy” and originating post-punk, Lydon has been quite busy - and he's sure not stopping anytime soon.

Opening up the stage was California-based punk rock band Plague Vendor, who surpassed all expectations of your typical opener. From leather jackets to cowboy boots, the band embodied the punk rock look, and their performance only solidified their appearance. If PiL was serving as the main dish, Plague Vendor was like getting to have dessert before dinner. From the beginning to the end of their half hour set, Plague Vendor kept the audience on their toes, and at times it felt like the room could explode from their energy.

At times during the set it felt as if singer Brandon Blaine and guitarist Henri Cash were in a competition for who could be the most unhinged band member on stage, with Blaine jumping from the amps and repeatedly falling on stage while Cash shredded on guitar and made what I can only describe as Kubrick-esque facial expressions. Towards the end of their set, Blaine even hopped into the crowd to jump and sing with the audience. In the end though, it was the crowd who won, as they had just experienced one of the most impressive live bands and found their new favorite band. Now with the audience perfectly geared up, it was time for PiL to hit the stage.

Walking out on stage holding his lyric book with the title “Fairy Tales,” it was evident that this would be the show of a lifetime. As PiL opened with “Home” off their 1986 album “Album” it was hard not to feel just that - home. With the audience singing along to Lydon's lyrics of “Home sweet home, home, home,” it felt as if the audience now shared one: music.

Johnny Lydon brought the kind of energy on stage that escapes into the crowd, making the entire room surge with enthusiasm and intensity for the music being played. The room was bursting at the seams, not just because the show was sold out, but because of the sheer passion in the room. At times Lydon sang so passionately that it felt as if he was about to jump into the audience, and given his reputation, I wouldn’t have been surprised if he did.

As the set came to an end, Public Image LTD closed with a cover of David Bowie’s “John, I’m Only Dancing” - and dance the crowd did. It seemed only fitting that the band end the show singing a song made by just as big a legend as them, and the crowd sure enjoyed it as well.

With PiL’s last New York City appearance being about seven years ago, it’s easy to say that the pust-punk legends’ return was highly anticipated, and they sure did not disappoint. If you didn’t get the chance to see them on this run, make sure you keep your eyes peeled for their inevitable return to the city!