PiL and Meryl Streek: A Night of Unforgettable Music and Passion at The Kentish Town Forum

3 October 2023 rocknews

There was a definite buzz in the air tonight as crowds made their way from Tuffnel Park Tube station to the Kentish Town Forum for what was to prove to be a memorable evening.

Supporting headliners PiL (Public Image Ltd.) tonight was Dublin native and self-proclaimed ‘avant-garde punk’ Meryl Streek.

Arriving on the stage dressed head to toe in black and spinning a flashlight, they prowled around before announcing their arrival as the industrial backing track kicked in.

The growing audience were treated to half an hour of angry political (almost) spoken word as they went after everyone from politicians to security guards. The passion was palpable and the crowd were won over by the time ‘Death to the Landlord” was played mid-set.

Streek really interacted with the crowd, and came down into the photography pit on more than one occasion.

For ‘Paddy’ though, they were in the the middle of the stalls, an audience circle around them as this dedication to ‘Uncle Paddy’ with its refrain of “you’ll always be missed, always be loved” rang out.

Back on stage, they thanked PiL for having them support and they were gone after one final tune.

We think we will hear more from Meryl Streek (Louder described album ‘796’ as “the most incendiary and important punk rock album of the year”in 2022.)

Meryl Streek tours the UK and Ireland in November and through to the New Year: https://www.songkick.com/artists/10235773-meryl-streek/calendar

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The Forum was nicely packed out with fans old and new by the time John Lydon and the rest of PiL hit the stage a little later than billed – and boy was it worth it. This line-up of PiL has been stable since Lydon reformed the band in 2009 – although drummer Bruce Smith and guitarist / multi-instrumentalist Lu Edmonds had been part of the line up prior to the 17 year hiatus – and it shows. Bassist Scott Firth came to PiL with a strong pedigree and he is the perfect foil for Edmunds while being able to lock in the groove with Smith. The band is tight and well-rehearsed and it was a joy to witness, even if Edmonds and Firth were bathed in semi-darkness 😉

Opener ‘Penge’, from the current album ‘End of the World’ got us going, right after Lydon had told the crowd in no uncertain terms to put their phones away and live in the moment. It’s a strong number with the refrain ‘welcome to Penge’ cutting over the rumbling bass line. Lydon was in fine voice – his unconventional vocals having mellowed to a rich baritone. It suits the material and we think he sounds better than ever.

We were then treated to the first of four songs from the seminal ‘Metal Box’. Albatross felt fresh and and in no way out of place sandwiched between two brand new numbers, with ‘Being Stupid Again’ coming straight after.

‘This is Not a Love Song’ really got the crowd going – and the beer flying – with a pint landing at Lydons feet. There was a time when this could have stopped the show, but he carried on like it never happened and let the ever-present “Rambo” Stevens deal with clearing it away.

From here on in PiL were like a well-oiled machine and we were treated to a run through their impressive back catalogue. ‘Poptones’ gave way to a beautiful arrangement of ‘Death Disco’, the song Lydon wrote for his mother after her death. The emotion in his voice was palpable (“Watch her slowly die, Saw it in her eyes, Seeing in your eyes, I’m seeing through my eyes”), and the strains of Swan Lake coming from Edmunds’ guitar were incredibly atmospheric.

“Thank you for being here, C**tish town!” teased Lydon before adding, with a cheeky grin “that’s one for the locals”.

‘The Room I am in” saw Edmonds flex his musical ability on saz and Scott Firth switch between the double bass and keyboards.

‘The Body’ and ‘Warrior’ dipped into the 80s before ‘Shoom’ from 2015’s ‘What the World Needs Now’, and dedicated to Lydon’s father brought the main set to a rousing – and sweary – close, complete with crowd surfer!

The encore could not have been more perfect. Kicking off with debut single ‘Public Image’, we also got to see the musical ability of this band as they played ‘Open Up’ – the single Lydon recorded with electronic group Leftfield. After that there was really only one thing left to do as the opening beats of the classic ‘Rise’ were met with huge applause. The song – about Nelson Mandela and Apartheid in South Africa – is as strong and vibrant today as it ever was.

“This is PiL” announced Lydon. He then introduced the band – and Rambo – before thanking the crowd and emotionally asking them to acknowledge his “lovely darling Nora”.

Public Image Limited are proving to be as vital and refreshing now as they were when they were formed in the messy aftermath of the Sex Pistols, and it’s easy to see why so many bands – from Massive Attack to the Manics – have cited them as an influence.

We hope this is not the ‘End of World’ for PiL. Long may they continue, and may the road rise up to meet them………….

Public Image Ltd tour Europe during October, and John Lydon starts his spoken word tour in Brighton on 1st May 2024.
Details here: https://www.pilofficial.com/tour/#/