After the Sex Pistols, acrimonious split in 1978 John Lydon went to Jamaica to discover new Reggae artists for Virgin before returning home to form Public Image Limited and this is their (and his) chaotic story. The PIL company (not a Band) has had many, many members, over forty at the last count. They’ve released ten albums, toured the world countless times and always, always done it all on their own terms. Sometimes this has proved financially and logistically disastrous but never boring. The recording artist rule book has never been opened by PIL and why would it. This is not a normal band or your standard Rock ‘N’ Roll movie, no this, this is PIL. The archive footage can at times be uncomfortably brilliant viewing as a surly Lydon dismisses interviewers with a sneering contempt. One thing that becomes abundantly clear is how Lydon’s childhood and especially having meningitis has shaped (and continues to shape) his adult life. He is loyal, stubborn and soft as a kitten. The early PIL players and associates are all interviewed. The one constant through the undulating PIL timeline is chaos in all its forms, musically, personally and professionally. Jah Wobble is interviewed in depth and of all the former PIL alumni it’s his frank testimony that causes the most eyebrows to be raised. The story of how he undertook a solo project using PIL’s studio time, recorded over the PIL masters before quitting and then as a final coup de grace he stole a shoe box full of PIL’s cash from John’s infamous Gunter Grove flat. To prove the plagiaristic point both Wobble solo and the subsequent PIL album are played side by side, and yes they sound exactly the same. The Metal Box album is sprayed with artistic love from Adam Horovitz, Flea, Moby and Thurston Moore. Flea was actually offered the job of playing bass in PIL but decided last minute to stick with the RHCP. The Lydon story continues with him moving to America to escape the Metropolitan Police, the press and being spat on. PIL played behind a cinema curtain in New York thus causing a riot as the public struggled to share Lydon’s musical vision. The commercial resurgence of PIL through the hit single ‘Rise’ is married with Lydon’s ever-changing hair and fashions and how the MTV/ Top Of The Pops generation fell back in love with PIL. Forward to 2018 and PIL are still touring, recording and most importantly, breathing. The Sex Pistols blew the anything’s possible doors open and while the smoke was still settling PIL walked in, sat down and stayed.
At forty-seven I’ve never known a time without Lydon, The Pistols and occasionally PIL in my musical life. The opening bass line to the band’s debut single now sends nostalgic feelings of love, family and remembrance flooding over me. The first words “You never listened to a word I said” are spat out as a statement of vitriolic intent aimed towards, amongst others, his former manager Malcolm Mclaren and the Media. He can still be contradictory, annoying, funny, emotional, candid and well rotten. He is a great Briton and this superb film has given me a washed over fresh respect for everything he has achieved in both his public and (very) private life. I don’t even dare to think what I would be listening to in 2018 if it wasn’t for Johnny Rotten (and of course Cook, Jones and Matlock). The world would be a much poorer place without the music, influence and all-round attitude of the one and only John Lydon. “Goodbye.”
PIL headline the Rebellion Festival Blackpool on August 5th and John Lydon will also be in conversation with Barry Caine at the same festival earlier in the day. Remaining weekend and day tickets are now on sale from http://www.rebellionfestivals.