Public Image LTD--described as “a musical force taking a jackhammer to pop music’s boundaries” (Phil Gallo, Billboard, 5/19/12)--have announced a much-anticipated North American headlining tour.

It launches October 3 in Orlando and concludes November 3with an appearance at the Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin (see full itinerary below). The tour is in support of  'This Is PiL', their acclaimed first album of new music in 20 years that was released this past May via their own PiL Official label, with distribution through Redeye in the U.S. and Cargo in the U.K. Tickets for the PiL shows will go on sale August 3 and 4: see www.pilofficial.com for ticket links.

The potent and eclectic PiL line-up--John Lydon (vocals), Lu Edmonds (guitar), Scott Firth (bass) and Bruce Smith (drums)—will make stops at such venues as New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom (October 13), Montreal’s Club Soda(October 16), San Francisco’s Regency Ballroom (October 25) and Los Angeles’ Club NOKIA (October 28), among others.

The tour marks PiL’s first return to North America since their 2010 trek which kicked off atCoachella and culminated in New York City at The Music Hall of Williamsburg. In his live show review for the New York Times, Jon Pareles noted:

“Mr. Lydon sings the songs with all their taunts, injuries, fury and sarcasm in a voice that’s as cutting as ever. And this lineup of PiL--with two members who joined the band in 1986, the guitarist Lu Edmonds and the drummer Bruce Smith, along with Scott Firth on bass and keyboards--finds its own way to make the songs bristle and churn. The band didn’t copy old albums; it redrew songs within the original outlines. …Mr. Edmonds set the major chords chiming; the beat surged forward; and Mr. Lydon was a figure of irascible integrity. Rock’s antihero had become, against all expectations, a rock hero.” (5/20/2010)

This past April, PiL played two special shows at London’s Heaven on April 1 and 2showcasing new tracks “Lollipop Opera,” “One Drop,” “Deeper Water,” and “Out of the Woods” (a song written about the Battle of Chancellorsville) among the group’s classics. In a live review, The Times (U.K.) noted: “This was an evening of uncompromising art music, worthy of the total concentration of the audience.” JOHN LYDON recalls this performance at Heaven this spring, an epic Coachella moment and returning to the U. S. for the fall North American headlining tour in this webisode: John Lydon Lollipop Blog- Part 3 (watch below).

Public Image LTD, Headlining U.S. Tour:
Wed 10/3 Orlando, FL Firestone Live
Fri 10/5 Miami, FL Grand Central
Sat 10/6 Ybor City, FL Cuban Club
Mon 10/8 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Tue 10/9 Brooklyn, NY The Music Hall of Williamsburg
Thu 10/11 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
Fri 10/12 Clifton Park, NY Upstate Concert Hall
Sat 10/13 New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom
Mon 10/15 Boston, MA Royale Boston
Tue 10/16 Montreal, QC Club Soda
Thu 10/18 Toronto, ON The Opera House
Fri 10/19 Detroit, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre
Sun 10/21 Chicago, IL House of Blues
Mon 10/22 Minneapolis, MN Mill City Nights
Thu 10/25 San Francisco, CA Regency Ballroom
Sun 10/28 Los Angeles, CA Club NOKIA
Thu 11/1 Dallas, TX Granada Theater

FUN FUN FUN FEST:
Sat 11/3 Austin, TX Fun Fun Fun Fest

John Lydon Lollipop Blog Part 3

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