Fresh-faced off of Pier’s Morgan’s Life Stories, John Lydon and the rest of the post-punk band, Public Image Ltd, owned the stage of the LCR in Norwich last week.
With no support acts to open the night, the crowd were left to collect drinks and gather in the centre of the LCR ready for the headliners. Lydon and Public Image emerged after the break-up of the Sex Pistols, and it was clear to see that many at the gig had followed Lydon’s career since then. The crowd were full of those expressing their younger years, when they had supported the Sex Pistols; arriving in their punk-style tartan leggings and brightly coloured hair on show. Lydon introduced himself to the crowd in his typical style, “Good evening all, what are you doing here then?” and proceeded to discuss and drink tea, reinforcing the British icon he has become. At this moment in time, the focus was purely on Lydon himself, with the spotlights shining down on him from above, whilst the rest of the band were dimmed in the background. Lydon stood front centre stage in a tartan jacket, spiked hair and round glasses, positioned behind a music stand with what looked to be song lyrics on. He presented himself as a true showman, which is no less than what everybody expected from him.
With the smell of beer lingering in the room, those who had arrived last minute were pushing through to the centre of the venue to get a clear view of the band. By now the music was in full flow. Their experimental sound, led by Lydon’s distinctive rant, filled the room; as the heavy bass went straight through you. However, the crowd seemed to be very unresponsive, to which Lydon stated, “You’re very quiet, but I take that as appreciation”. This, however, brought about loud cheers and screams, which was what was needed to lift the crowd for the rest of the show.
There wasn’t a great deal of interaction between the band and crowd between songs, as the main focus was on the music. However, Lydon’s cheeky humour and one-liners kept the crowd entertained throughout the evening.
The band closed with an encore, and Lydon finally introduced the rest of the band to the crowd. As the audience made their way out of the venue, several were vocalising their admiration for the band, stating that you could see that Lydon had matured and that he put his heart and soul into his performance, which is all you could ask for a band to do.
Overall, the evening was a great night out, and for the old school punk-rockers, this show provided the perfect entertainment.
Words – Mollie Maddox
Photography – Kayleigh Warren
