Clearly Not The Last Tour For Public Image Ltd. At First Avenue

Chalk one up for bands I never thought I would photograph - the mighty Public Image LTD is back on tour. If you need a refresher after putting his stamp on punk culture with the Sex Pistols, John Lydon formed Public Image Ltd. and pushed way beyond punk with an ever changing lineup and sound.

I covered the opener Plague Vendor a couple of times in the past and am happy to report they have lost none of their live energy. Short, angry songs burst from the stage like machine gun fire,  frontman Brandon Blaine made liberal use of water bottles, stage speakers and whatever else he could get his hands on.

PIL took to the stage precisely on time (that would never have happened back in the Sex Pistols days) and John opened with a joke about being well rounded patting his quilted jacket. I was happy to see “World Destruction” included in the set - from a side project of Lydon’s called Time Zone with Afrika Bambaataa (who passed earlier this year).

I always appreciated the layers and complexity of Public Image Ltd’s song and their talent to surprise me even after listening to them several times. Last night the band took songs very deep and pushed them, forcing the crowd to pay attention. At 70+ Lydon may not look like a young punk (mohawk notwithstanding) but his voice still delivers. He just had gotten over a case of pneumonia (and brought his medicine on stage).

The crowd was definitely on the older side with a sprinkle of younger fans. Titled “This is not the last tour”, it was good to see this music legend live one more time.