John Lydon’s Public Image Ltd to play Parr Hall as part of UK tour

Sex Pistols legend John Lydon is bringing his experimental band Public Image Ltd (PiL) to Warrington.

A Parr Hall gig on 1 July is among a list of new dates announced for the post-punk originators who have been pushing boundaries for decades with their unique sound.

Formed in 1978 – straight after Lydon’s first three explosive years with the Sex Pistols – the band amassed five UK top 20 singles and five UK top 20 albums with their eclectic fusion of rock, dance, folk, pop and dub influences.

First active until 1992, Lydon reignited PiL in 2009 following a 17-year hiatus. Since then, the band have toured extensively, entertaining audiences all over the world and returning to the studio for the critically acclaimed albums, This is Pil in 2012 and 2015’s What The World Needs Now…

With hits including Rise, This Is Not A Love Song and Don’t Ask Me, the band were also recognised for shaping the post-punk genre and for their ‘Outstanding Contribution To Music’ at the Mojo Honours List.

The current line-up comprises of frontman John Lyndon, bassist Scott Firth and drummer Bruce Smith.

The band last performed in the UK in September 2023, and following the death of Lydon’s lifelong friend and manager John ‘Rambo’ Stevens, soon after the death of his wife Nora in Apil 2023, Lydon thought the band might not tour again.

He added: “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!”