Public Image Ltd

Public Image Ltd (PiL) are an English post-punk band formed in May 1978 by vocalist John Lydon (formerly Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols), guitarist Keith Levene, bassist Jah Wobble and drummer Jim Walker. Conceived by Lydon as a more experimental, “anti-rock” project following the break-up of the Sex Pistols, PiL quickly became one of the most innovative and influential groups to emerge from the post-punk era. Lydon has remained the band’s sole constant member throughout its many line-up changes.

PiL’s debut album First Issue (1978) introduced an abrasive, bass-driven sound drawing on dub, noise, progressive rock and disco. Its follow-up, Metal Box (1979), pushed even further into the avant-garde and is widely regarded as a landmark of post-punk. Early releases such as Public Image, Death Disco and the radical, stripped-back album The Flowers of Romance (1981) established the band’s reputation for confrontational music, challenging live performances and a fiercely independent artistic stance.

By the mid-1980s PiL had evolved into a more accessible yet still distinctive proposition, with Lydon at the helm. Albums such as This Is What You Want… This Is What You Get (1984), Album (1986), Happy? (1987), 9 (1989) and That What Is Not (1992) blended sharp, often political lyricism with elements of pop, dance and alternative rock, producing enduring tracks including This Is Not a Love Song, Rise and Disappointed. Following a hiatus in the 1990s, Lydon officially disbanded the group in 1993.

In 2009, Lydon reformed PiL, financing the return with his Country Life butter advert, and unveiled a new line-up featuring Bruce Smith, Lu Edmonds and Scott Firth. This incarnation of the band has toured extensively and released a series of critically noted recordings, including the studio albums This Is PiL (2012) and What the World Needs Now… (2015), as well as deluxe reissues of Metal Box and Album. In 2018 the band’s legacy was explored in the documentary The Public Image Is Rotten and the accompanying box set The Public Image Is Rotten – Songs from the Heart.

In 2023 PiL competed in Eurosong 2023 with the song “Hawaii”, described by the band as Lydon’s most personal piece of songwriting, written as a love letter to his wife Nora Forster. The track preceded the release of the album End of World (2023) and a further European tour. Over more than four decades, Public Image Ltd have remained a restless, shape-shifting force, continually testing the boundaries of rock music and leaving an enduring mark on generations of alternative and experimental artists.