11 June 2022 (gig)
12 June 2022
In the space of three Queen’s jubilees, John Lydon has transitioned from being a national disgrace to becoming a national treasure.
Once the scourge of the tabloids who told the world to stuff the jubilee back first time round in the incendiary days of the new wave back in 1977, now he is cuddly John from the jungle and butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth.
But in contrast with her majesty who is now busy deleting ever more energy draining events from her diary the Finsbury Park troubadour resolutely refuses to go forward quietly into that dark night and embarks on another tour with his fellow minstrels that make up the Public Image Limited.
And why should he when he continues to bask in the love of grateful music-loving nation, as this sold-out gig at Belfast’s Limelight bore testimony.
It was promoted by the OpenHouse, which was successful in persuading PiL to play in their previous visit to the province when they headlined in nearby Bangor in the summer of 2018. Thankfully, after a Covid-induced hiatus the independent non-profit music and arts organization is back with a full and varied programme of events taking place over the summer.
Appropriately, playing in a country that has been riven by sectarian divide, Religion from the eponymously named first album kicks off the set - a timely reminder to all the dangers inherent in doctrines when Northern Ireland once again sits precariously on a crumbling protocol wall.
This irreligious rant segues neatly into a rousing Memories and sees Lydon shed his cream jacket to reveal a garish yellow tartan shirt that clashes outrageously with his tartan trousers. If you thought double denim was a hard look to rock, don’t attempt this.
The venue’s notable feature of a low ceiling and elongated space coupled with a superb sound system transformed some songs that struggled for an identity on the original recordings stand out on the night. A prime example of this was the Corporate from the largely disappointing What the World Needs Now album.
The now settled line-up of Lu Edmonds on guitar (and plenty more), Scott Firth on bass and Bruce Smith on drums meld magnificently to make some of the most mesmerizing music manufactured anywhere.
This is most evident when the tempo dips midway through the set where tracks The One, Out of the Woods, Chant and The Body featured given these truly accomplished musicians the chance to shine.
The only sour note in an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable evening was when a punter was spotted filming the event and Lydon suddenly became the gurning Gooner Rotten and threatened the offender with expulsion. Seemingly the fallout from his recent court failure to prevent the new Sex Pistols drama Pistol from being aired still rankles.
The brilliant Leftfield cover Open Up was followed by a rousing rendition of Rise to bring the evening if not to a riotous closure, most definitely a middle-aged mash-up.
