To celebrate their 40th Anniversary, John Lydon’s Public Image Ltd (PiL) are pleased to announce The Public Image is Rotten: UK/Europe + Japan Tour, kicking off in Bristol on 30th May (see below for all dates). Further PiL activity includes the release of a career–spanning box set and a documentary of the same name, the latter of which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York and then had its European premiere at London’s Raindance Festival in 2017. Directed by Tabbert Fiiller, it will be released later this year in select cinemas.
The band’s last tour was in 2016 and it was regarded by many as the best performances the band have ever played. The forthcoming 32-date headline UK/Europe leg of the tour also takes in festival performances in United Kingdom, Holland and Poland, including a headline set at Camden Rocks Festival in London on Saturday 2nd June. The tour also includes an as yet to be announced very special London date. Japanese dates to be confirmed soon along with some further UK/European dates.
In 2015 the band released their 10th studio album ‘What The World Needs Now…’ which followed the huge critical success of 2012’s ‘This is PiL’, the band’s first album in 17 years. ‘What The World Needs Now’ peaked at number 29 in the official UK album charts and picked up fantastic acclaim from both press and public. (The album also peaked at number 3 in the official UK indie charts and number 4 in the official UK vinyl charts). ‘What The World Needs Now…’ was self-funded by PiL and released on their own label ‘PiL Official’ via Cargo UK Distribution.
Widely regarded as one of the most innovative and influential bands of all time, PiL’s music and vision earned them 5 UK Top 20 singles and 5 UK Top 20 albums. With a shifting line-up and unique sound, John Lydon guided the band from their debut album ‘First Issue’ in 1978 through to 1992’s ‘That What Is Not’. After a 17 year hiatus, Lydon reactivated PiL in 2009 by taking them back on the road worldwide.
John Lydon, Lu Edmonds, Scott Firth and Bruce Smith continue as PiL. They are the longest stable line-up in the band’s history.
Tour Dates
UK
Wed 30th May Bristol, England O2 Academy
Fri 1st June Bournemouth, England O2 Academy
Sat 2nd June London, England Camden Rocks Festival
Mon 4th June Coventry, England The Copper Rooms
Wed 6th June Norwich, England The Waterfront
Tue 12th June Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England O2 Academy
Wed 13th June Glasgow, Scotland O2 ABC
Fri 15th June Sheffield, England O2 Academy
Sat 16th June Manchester, England O2 Ritz
Mon 18th June Hull, England ASYLUM, Hull University
Thu 21st June Cardiff, Wales The Tramshed
Sat 23rd June Exeter, England Lemon Grove
Sun 24th June Wrexham, England William Aston Hall
Tue 26th June Reading, England Sub 89
Wed 27th June Frome, Somerset, England Cheese & Grain
Fri 29th June Nottingham, England Rock City
Sat 30th June Southampton, England Engine Rooms
Sun 5th Aug Blackpool, England Rebellion Festival
Sun 19th Aug Hardwick, England Hardwick Live Festival
Sat 25th Aug Bangor, Northern Ireland Bangor Marina
Tue 28th Aug Inverness, Scotland The Ironworks
Wed 29th Aug Aberdeen, Scotland The Assembly
Fri 31st Aug Dundee, Scotland The Church
Europe
Fri 8th June Brussels, Belgium Ancienne Belgique
Sat 9th June Holland, Netherlands Retropop Festival
Sat 10th June Den Haag, Netherlands Paard van Trojoe
Fri 13th July Prague, Czech Republic Lucerna
Sun 15th July Jarocin, Poland Jarocin Festival
Sun 26th Aug Dublin, Republic of Ireland The Tivoli
(Japan dates tbc)