Pre gig
Thanks to $$ we got lost on the way to the gig, and had to get 4 sets of instructions and a
drenching in a torrential downpour, before we actually found the venue. We had no choice
but to spend the rest of the evening standing about soaked creating puddles.
(Wot no pubs? - PDC) Friday nights PIL gig was their Irish debut which has only taken 33
years to come around. It proved to be a night of extremes to say the very least!
We met up with some other ex 'Belfast' punks (& a rockabilly) who'd also made the 112 mile
journey down for this supposedly special occasion. The Magill bros 'Paul & Tony' who are both
really good guys, were there along with their mate 'Larry'. They were a good craic later during
the lost journey to find 'Dublin' city centre. 'Stevie Hardigan' who I hadn't seen in quite a while,
was also there and those 'Stop Stop Start Again' boys were doing some serious drinking, ahead
of their own celebrations at the 'Black Box' the very next night.
For whatever reason I had never seen 'John' live in the flesh so to speak before tonight. Either as a Pistol or
a PIL, and now 21.00 pm on 10.6.11 there he was standing right in front of me, and looking pleased to be
here at last. The 'Tripod' was now packed, a muddy bass mix start ruined the opening tune 'Public Image' for
me. But the sound was soon in sync and had improved dramatically while the band quickly got into their
groove. John was in good form, bantering the crowd while spitting and blowing his nose onto the stage in
equal measures. A baldie’s mosh pit developed and lasted about three songs, before fading out due to over
optimistic O.A.P. burn out lol. As the set progressed some songs (especially 'Albatross') were dragging on &
on & on & on, being well stretched out beyond the pale. It became an endurance test (a tactic that was
repeated to zero effect a few times during this evening). I so wanted to kill that fucking bird (metaphorically
speaking) by the tortures (sorry, songs) overdue end. This extended monotonous drone was boring the balls
off me.
Stage right Lu Edmonds looked like a cross between Catweazle and Fagin, while strangling some weird and
sometimes wonderful sounds (occasionally using a violin bow), from what looked like a cross between a big
mandolin and a banjo!! Bruce Smith and Scott Firth are a rock solid rhythm section, and were leading the live
PIL charge in its many diverse directions.
Let's be honest here, Mr Lydon maybe one of the most iconic front men of all time, but he is not a
conventional singer if you catch my drift. At times his caterwauling was ear split-tingly painful! He also took
great delight in venting his spleen with a venomous rant against the Catholic church and a humorous dig at
the Irish anti smoking laws, he loves his ciggies. ‘Death Disco’, ‘Disappointed’, (a very angry thunderous bass
driven and scathing) ‘Religion' & the encore 'Open Up' were the highlights of a challenging night for me.
There was no 'Annalisa' or 'Careering' though, which was disappointing.
Post Gig
We met 'Paul Magill' again as we were leaving, and he said “it was the worst gig he'd ever been to”. While I
don't think it was as bad as that, I do agree with him that it was sometimes very hard
on the ears. But there was enough decent tunes performed to keep me reasonably
happy. However I certainly wouldn't pay 44.50 euro a skull to see PIL live again, that's
for sure! Hopefully Johnny Rotten will be resurrected and the Sex Pistols will reform
again soon. It must be time to top up the pension plan with some of that filthy lucre
again. The adventure continued when we tried a different route back to 'busaras,' and
we got lost again. But we were having a laugh with the 'Magills' and 'Larry', so it wasn't
so bad, plus it only took 2 sets of instructions to put us on the correct path this time.
We got got to the station with a couple of minutes to midnight to spare, and the coach
home didn't turn up. So we had to hang around until 01.00 am waiting on the next bus
home. An ‘out of it’ hooded Chav druggie approached me and slurred a request for me
to help him roll a spliff. And I told him to "fuck off" away with his drugs from $$ and
me. I thought we were going to get into a punch up, when he hooked up with a six of
his pals outside a bar across the street. But in the end thankfully nothing happened.
We finally got home at 04.30 am and on reflection along with the benefit of hindsight,
I asked myself did I think it was worth all the effort and hassle? No it was not!!!
But '$pikey $teve' thought PIL were great and was well impressed. Am I getting too old
for this lark? Noway and another gig awaits tonight. I can't help it if I like my r'n'r in
short sharp blasts & not arty wank workouts....... "Good bye bye bye!”
Joe Donnelly - Belfast 11/6/11.
Thanks to $$ we got lost on the way to the gig, and had to get 4 sets of instructions and a
drenching in a torrential downpour, before we actually found the venue. We had no choice
but to spend the rest of the evening standing about soaked creating puddles.
(Wot no pubs? - PDC) Friday nights PIL gig was their Irish debut which has only taken 33
years to come around. It proved to be a night of extremes to say the very least!
We met up with some other ex 'Belfast' punks (& a rockabilly) who'd also made the 112 mile
journey down for this supposedly special occasion. The Magill bros 'Paul & Tony' who are both
really good guys, were there along with their mate 'Larry'. They were a good craic later during
the lost journey to find 'Dublin' city centre. 'Stevie Hardigan' who I hadn't seen in quite a while,
was also there and those 'Stop Stop Start Again' boys were doing some serious drinking, ahead
of their own celebrations at the 'Black Box' the very next night.
For whatever reason I had never seen 'John' live in the flesh so to speak before tonight. Either as a Pistol or
a PIL, and now 21.00 pm on 10.6.11 there he was standing right in front of me, and looking pleased to be
here at last. The 'Tripod' was now packed, a muddy bass mix start ruined the opening tune 'Public Image' for
me. But the sound was soon in sync and had improved dramatically while the band quickly got into their
groove. John was in good form, bantering the crowd while spitting and blowing his nose onto the stage in
equal measures. A baldie’s mosh pit developed and lasted about three songs, before fading out due to over
optimistic O.A.P. burn out lol. As the set progressed some songs (especially 'Albatross') were dragging on &
on & on & on, being well stretched out beyond the pale. It became an endurance test (a tactic that was
repeated to zero effect a few times during this evening). I so wanted to kill that fucking bird (metaphorically
speaking) by the tortures (sorry, songs) overdue end. This extended monotonous drone was boring the balls
off me.
Stage right Lu Edmonds looked like a cross between Catweazle and Fagin, while strangling some weird and
sometimes wonderful sounds (occasionally using a violin bow), from what looked like a cross between a big
mandolin and a banjo!! Bruce Smith and Scott Firth are a rock solid rhythm section, and were leading the live
PIL charge in its many diverse directions.
Let's be honest here, Mr Lydon maybe one of the most iconic front men of all time, but he is not a
conventional singer if you catch my drift. At times his caterwauling was ear split-tingly painful! He also took
great delight in venting his spleen with a venomous rant against the Catholic church and a humorous dig at
the Irish anti smoking laws, he loves his ciggies. ‘Death Disco’, ‘Disappointed’, (a very angry thunderous bass
driven and scathing) ‘Religion' & the encore 'Open Up' were the highlights of a challenging night for me.
There was no 'Annalisa' or 'Careering' though, which was disappointing.
Post Gig
We met 'Paul Magill' again as we were leaving, and he said “it was the worst gig he'd ever been to”. While I
don't think it was as bad as that, I do agree with him that it was sometimes very hard
on the ears. But there was enough decent tunes performed to keep me reasonably
happy. However I certainly wouldn't pay 44.50 euro a skull to see PIL live again, that's
for sure! Hopefully Johnny Rotten will be resurrected and the Sex Pistols will reform
again soon. It must be time to top up the pension plan with some of that filthy lucre
again. The adventure continued when we tried a different route back to 'busaras,' and
we got lost again. But we were having a laugh with the 'Magills' and 'Larry', so it wasn't
so bad, plus it only took 2 sets of instructions to put us on the correct path this time.
We got got to the station with a couple of minutes to midnight to spare, and the coach
home didn't turn up. So we had to hang around until 01.00 am waiting on the next bus
home. An ‘out of it’ hooded Chav druggie approached me and slurred a request for me
to help him roll a spliff. And I told him to "fuck off" away with his drugs from $$ and
me. I thought we were going to get into a punch up, when he hooked up with a six of
his pals outside a bar across the street. But in the end thankfully nothing happened.
We finally got home at 04.30 am and on reflection along with the benefit of hindsight,
I asked myself did I think it was worth all the effort and hassle? No it was not!!!
But '$pikey $teve' thought PIL were great and was well impressed. Am I getting too old
for this lark? Noway and another gig awaits tonight. I can't help it if I like my r'n'r in
short sharp blasts & not arty wank workouts....... "Good bye bye bye!”
Joe Donnelly - Belfast 11/6/11.
