John Lydon's Public Image Ltd head to the Scarborough Spa for one-off gig
John Lydon’s band Public Image Ltd (PiL) has announced a major tour of the UK and Ireland for summer and a trip to the Yorkshire Coast has been included.
The 28-date tour billed as This Is Not The Last Tour includes a visit to the Scarborough Spa on Friday August 8.
PiL’s tour dates come after Lydon thought the band might not tour again. His lifelong friend and manager, John Rambo Stevens passed away suddenly following the last PiL tour, in December 2023, soon after the death of Lydon’s wife, Nora, in April 2023.
Lydon thought that might be the end of his touring days. However, he was overwhelmed by the love and support of fans when he undertook a spoken word tour of the UK in spring this year.
Lydon said: “I thought that might be it. After losing Nora, and Rambo, I couldn’t see a way through. I’d already committed to the spoken word tour, this spring, and I never let anyone down – I always stick to my word – so I had to do those dates.
“The thing is, people were so overwhelmingly positive, and they asked me to tour PiL again. With so many people asking and with the band meaning so much to them, I couldn’t just stay on my sofa and not tour – tempting though that obviously is.”
After fronting the Sex Pistols, John Lydon formed post-punk originators Public Image Ltd (PiL). Widely regarded as one of the most innovative bands of all time, their music and vision earned them 5 UK Top 20 Singles and 5 UK Top 20 Albums.
With a shifting line-up and unique sound – fusing rock, dance, folk, pop and dub – Lydon guided the band from their debut album First Issue in 1978 through to 1992’s ‘That What Is Not’, before a 17-year hiatus.
Lydon reactivated PiL in 2009, touring extensively and releasing three critically acclaimed albums, This is PiL, What The World Needs Now and End of World.
Tickets for the Spa gig are on sale now from 01723 376774 and online at https://www.scarboroughspa.co.uk/
And via www.pilofficial.com