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PUBLIC IMAGE LTD

LIVE FROM ORANGE COUNTY

The Observatory: Santa Ana

September 13th, 2026 Review by Bruce R. Kilgour

It has been almost eight years since Public Image Ltd. has toured the United States, and the Santa Ana Observatory – where a capacity crowd gathered on September 8th – was also the site of their last Orange County visit in 2018.

The band (more commonly referred to as PIL) has seen many lineup changes since its 1978 inception but has always been led by founder and sole constant member, John Lydon.

THIS IS NOT THE LAST TOUR

Much has changed for Lydon – also known by his Sex Pistols stage name Johnny Rotten – since we last saw him. In 2023, both his wife of 44 years and his best friend (and manager) of 50 years passed away. A well-received LP, “End of World,” was released between those two personal losses, but songs from that LP are surprisingly absent from this tour’s set list.

This ambitious 44-city North American tour extends into March 2027, with short Australia and Japan runs in January and February respectively.

Southern California punk band Plague Vendor is supporting PIL on all the US dates, and their aggressive and exciting 30-minute set was well received by the Observatory crowd. Lead singer Brandon Blaine has been compared to Iggy Pop, and this was evident as he prowled the entire stage with intense energy.

The recent addition of guitarist Henri Cash, who is also in Starcrawler, has amped up Plague Vendor’s attack, and half of their 12-song set was comprised of newer material written and released over the last 12 months.

The band’s two biggest songs, “Black Sap Scriptures” and “New Comedown,” were performed back-to-back early in the set, which ignited their many fans in the pit.

PIL is presenting a 12-song, 100-minute set on this tour featuring tracks from six of their 11 studio albums, spanning 1978-2015.

Opening with “Home” from the 1986 release “Album,” Lydon – sporting orange for the occasion – was in fine voice. Next was “Know Now,” one of two songs in the set from the 2015 LP “What the World Needs Now…”

A song not performed by PIL in North America since 1989 followed, “World Destruction.” This was originally released in 1985 by Time Zone featuring Lydon and early rapper Afrika Bambaataa as a one-off 12” single. It was not initially commercially successful, but due to extensive airplay on KROQ and its later use in The Sopranos, it has become a cult favorite.

The well-known 1984 track “This Is Not a Love Song” was next, but the arrangement was drastically different due to the slide playing by guitarist Lu Edmonds on his modified electric saz, a traditional Turkish stringed instrument that he also uses in his other band The Mekons.

“Poptones” from 1979’s “Metal Box” was next, and the eight-minute track had additional lyrics referencing Lydon’s late wife, resulting in him becoming visibly emotional. Before “Death Disco,” another song from the same LP, Lydon stated, “I know… everybody dies… except me!”

“Warrior” from 1989 was next, providing an opportunity for drummer Mark Roberts (who joined PIL last year) and longtime bassist Scott Firth to provide a menacing post-punk / disco beat. Lydon launched into a brief rant about the heat, saying that “it’s hot like Florida, but this is the proper Orange County!” The band then played the profane song “Shoom” which he dedicated to his late father. “Shoom” begins with the lyrics “Fuck you, fuck off,” which Lydon insisted on the audience participating in.

Lydon complained that over the summer he has “had two flus and pneumonia and you, however, are dead to me!” He further baited the crowd by sarcastically asking, “Have you given up?” The main set ended with “Open Up,” the 1993 hit by British electronic group Leftfield on which Lydon was the vocalist. PIL has performed this song on most every tour since 2010. Firth switched to a small keyboard for the track.

Lydon then said that he needed “a three-minute Marlboro cigarette break,” and for us to “make as much noise as you want.” PIL returned exactly on time and went straight into “Public Image” from their 1978 debut LP, “First Issue.” Lydon showed off his dance moves and seemed amused as a small mosh pit developed in front of him.

Next was the band’s most well-known song, “Rise” from “Album,” which has been performed on every PIL tour since 1986. “Rise” developed into a manic jam with Edmonds soloing at the front of stage. “Do you like the guitar?” Lydon asked. Despite the increasing volume, Lydon said, “I don’t think the guitar was loud enough!” Edmonds cranked it up further and then Lydon repeated this gimmick with Roberts and Firth. The volume was clearly affecting the crowd – I saw several folks covering their ears for a moment. Lydon gleefully proclaimed, “This is Public Image Limited!” and the band left the stage briefly.

The house music came up, but PIL returned for what Lydon introduced as “a little ditty called ‘Chant.’” After this final song, Lydon introduced PIL by turning to the band and saying, “Hello, Lu… Hello, Scotty… Hello, Mark!” To the crowd, he said, “You can call me whatever the fuck you want… but I’ll throw it right back at you! Thank you, Orange; it’s been a pleasure.”

This current Public Image Ltd. lineup is a powerful musical presence, and it’s great to see John Lydon entering his 50th year as a frontman with such wit and grace.

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