Night After Night

Writing, a blog, and a newsletter. By Steve Smith.

The public image belongs to me.

Having a hard time figuring out what I think about this: Keith Levene and Jah Wobble, formerly of seminal English postpunk group Public Image Ltd., out on the road with a singer who plays Johnny Rotten in a Sex Pistols tribute band. Funny that I would take less issue with a Yes on its second Jon Anderson imitator than with a PiL sans John Lydon… but then, maybe my issue is that Lydon has an active version of PiL that's making some worthwhile music.

All of which aside, it's amazing to hear Levine and Wobble—now working under the name Metal Box in Dub—playing their signature parts in "Public Image" and "Low Life" in 2012.

Steve Smith
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3 responses to “The public image belongs to me.”

  1. Joe Higham Avatar
    Joe Higham

    Nice comments and video of ‘Metal Box in Dub’. However, I wonder which is which, after all is it worse to be two originals touring under another name, or one original touring with a band of replacements?
    The saddest bit is that Nathan Maverick tries to imitate JR/John Lydon rather than create his own style. But then again John Lydon is a shadow of his former glory also, unable to move on from what he thinks is the provocative punk rocker that he was.

    Reply
  2. Chris Avatar
    Chris

    Can we please agree to stop the game of Emperors New Clothes where Lydon is concerned? He sounds awful and turned into the worst kind of phones and sellout that the former Johnny Rotten complained of back in 1976.
    Wobble and Levene on the other hand sound phenomenal.

    Reply
  3. J.Wilson Avatar
    J.Wilson

    This is PiL is what you claim is new music by Public Image.
    It’s not. It’s far-removed from what Public Image Ltd stood for
    Call it what it is. A CD from an over the hill ex punk rocker and his
    Tribute Band.

    Reply

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