40 years is a long, long
time. When it covers something as special as PiL it is a period of time
worth celebrating with both care and flair. A time for both fans and
the band to come together with a mutual respect. This is what happened
in Manchester at the Ritz. The punters were here in numbers, both young
and old. One bloke near me was telling anyone who’d listen that “John
changed my life! He’s here tonight, John’s here!” OK, the guy had had
a few sherbets, but his point was spot on.
Choosing 90 minutes worth of music for the occasion is not as easy as
it
may sound. We expect the classics but we also expect something a little
bit more off kilter and innovative from PiL. So it proved.
John arrived
on stage with a bowl of fruit which he distributed to the crowd. He
reckoned we needed our vitamin C. This was the first of many instances
during the evening where his judgement couldn’t be faulted.
Warrior is such a fine song to open any set, a free wheeling epic that
energised the expectant crowd. PiL had us in their grip from this
moment. Following on directly was Memories, and this was one of
those inspirational off beat moments. On paper they are not an obvious
pairing but live they sounded perfect together. The Body was next up
and a mere 3 songs in, we’d already been zipped back and forth through
the 1st decade of PiL.
It’s so important that the most recent, and most stable, decade was
represented. Modern day PiL have not just embraced the history, but
have forged plenty of history of their own. The One, PiL’s ode to early
70s glam, is fast establishing itself alongside the most engaging
tracks they’ve ever
recorded, lyrically and musically. It’s a testimony to the skills of
the complete band, even down to the live BVs. Next up was Corporate
which John delivered as a confident frontal assault. The clarity of
John’s vocal tonight was particularly moving when he launched into The
Room I Am In. This spoken word piece brought into focus what sets John
apart from everybody else. You have to stop what you’re doing and
listen. When it evolved into Death Disco it gave heightened meaning to
both songs. Outstanding.
Early 90s single Cruel was tucked into the set at this point. It’s
a period in PiL history which needs a revisit every so often - they
recorded some magnificent songs. Cruel sounded edgy and contemporary
live - another surprise highpoint. I’m Not Satisfied, one of John’s
most angry recent songs, was lapped up by the eager audience who proved
beyond doubt that anger is an energy as excitement continued to build
in the venue.
Flowers of Romance kicked it into overdrive. A section of the crowd
went ballistic - lost in a frenzied blissful pandemonium.
This Is Not A Love Song continued the emotional band/audience link.
This was a moving moment for me personally as it brought memories
flooding back of seeing PiL for the very first time in 1983, in
Manchester. This song was the big moment for me 35 years ago, and it
was again tonight.
Rise followed and blew the roof off! “Anger is an energy” is a phase
now 100% associated with John. Are there 4 better words to sum him
up? The Ritz shook to the refrain. The main set was over but there was
a party in full swing. What would PiL do now?
They returned - both fans and band seemed grateful. Public Image
continued where Rise left off. It was deadly and direct. I just about
survived. What followed, however, eclipsed it. A pulsating Open Up
which
morphed into Shoom, the final track on the most recent LP. Even the
encore had spanned the past 40 years. “What the world needs now….”
implored John.
PiL have unquestionably done their bit over the past decades and they
haven’t given up throwing down both guidance and the gauntlet.
Furthermore, PiL and Manchester have always had a special bond. It was
further
strengthened tonight. Manchester raised a collective glass to 40 years.
The Public Image may be Rotten, but there was nothing decomposing in
Manchester. Just the ripening of a national treasure. Come
back soon.
Review by Phil Singleton
Wrexham 24th June 2018 >
God Save
The Sex Pistols ©2018 Phil Singleton / www.sex-pistols.net
All rights reserved. Not to be
reproduced without permission.
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