{"id":702,"date":"2012-11-02T20:00:57","date_gmt":"2012-11-02T20:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/216.71.127.204\/wordpress\/?p=702"},"modified":"2015-10-13T15:53:04","modified_gmt":"2015-10-13T15:53:04","slug":"public-image-ltd-scout-bar-clear-lake-tx","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/2012\/11\/02\/public-image-ltd-scout-bar-clear-lake-tx\/","title":{"rendered":"Public Image Ltd – Scout Bar – Clear Lake, TX"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n
Written by Marc McKinney <\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nov 02, 2012 at 10:00 PM<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Image\"No one knew, it was hush-hush \u2026 I guess \u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is PiL\u201d were the first words out of his mouth.\u00a0 Yes, Johnny Rotten Lydon was in Houston \u2026 to play!!\u00a0 Not even the Houston Press knew he was in town.\u00a0 I spoke with Thomas Wilson, owner of the Scout Bar; by the day of the show, he had only sold 300 tickets.\u00a0 This just doesn\u2019t sound right. Probably the last chance to ever see the former Sex Pistols front man again, especially at his age \u2026 isn\u2019t he like 90 or something?<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is PiL\u201d is how he started the show.\u00a0 Scout Bar can hold about 600 people \u2026 there were at least 601.\u00a0 The crowd was so thick (sardine can type) I actually had to shoot from the sound booth with a 70-200MM lens.<\/p>\n

As the version of PiL he put together in 2009 play the band\u2019s biggest, 1983 hit, \u201cThis Is Not A Love Song\u201d, it made us old folks happy, but what delighted me even more was the wide range of music PiL played throughout the show and the audience’s reaction to the songs. When I see a band with a history like PiL play, there are two worries: One, they’ll only play their old stuff or two, they’ll only play their new stuff; PiL struck a nice balance of both.<\/p>\n

Lydon\u2019s voice is a piercing, pure wail, then a guttural growl.\u00a0 At one point he appears almost to sing in tongues, or punk scat, even essaying a low croon. On \u201cDeeper Water\u201d, from the fine new album, \u201cThis is PiL\u201d (his first for 15 years), he sings \u201cI will not drown\u201d, a statement of indomitable intent.<\/p>\n

\"Image\"There was a definite growing of intensity throughout the show.\u00a0 A couple of times Lydon seemed to chide the crowd for being too quiet.\u00a0 Lydon’s voice sounded great\u2014again he has that wide range of almost shockingly shrill to the animal growl.\u00a0 I see a lot of young bands so it’s fun to see a band with musicians who clearly bring a depth of musical influences and interests. Bruce Smith is unwavering with the drums. Scott Firth brings in his Jazz influence on the bass. (Did you know he played with the Spice Girls)?\u00a0\u00a0 Lu Edmonds brings a flavor of world sound with guitar and a number of stringed instruments that frankly, I couldn’t name.<\/p>\n

By now people are spinning wildly around me, to what feels like strange dance music even before the Lydon and Leftfield techno hit, \u201cOpen Up\u201d.\u00a0 Throwing in \u201cMy name is John,\u201d the singer reminds us at the end, looking unusually humble and happy.<\/p>\n

Highlights include the Ska beat of “One Drop.”\u00a0 Who else can sing “We are the ageless \/ We are teenagers” at age 56 without sounding ridiculous?\u00a0 “Rise” was another crowd pleaser\u2014saved for the encore. For those of us who still wish Rotten would throw in a Sex Pistols song or two, I think “Religion II” comes closest to the mark, not necessarily in speed but its sentiment and again his persona just turns the message into a passion.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written by Marc McKinney Nov 02, 2012 at 10:00 PM No one knew, it was hush-hush \u2026 I guess \u2026 \u201cThis is PiL\u201d were the first words out of his mouth.\u00a0 Yes, Johnny Rotten Lydon was in Houston \u2026 to play!!\u00a0 Not even the Houston Press knew he was in town.\u00a0 I spoke with Thomas… <\/p>\n

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