For my final gig of 2025, gig 104, my birthday n’all, and it was a good one. PiL returned to Manchester and my companion and I decided to soak up the atmosphere in the bars around the Ritz, sat amongst the hardcore punks, and revellers. Beautiful dressed in tartan and safety pints, my friend nearly getting his eye poked out in the gents by a particulaly well gelled spike of hair, suitably warmed up with a pint of two, we headed to the venue.
PiL gigs always attract a large gathering, it was good to see a mix of ages, from the younger audience members, perhaps about to witness their first PiL show to the more seasoned gig-goers. After catching up with some friends in the entrance, I headed to the photo pit to try and capture that infamous Lydon snarl. Alan McGee is now managing the band and it was good to see him at the venue, no doubt with a few more members of Creation in tow.
The band arrived on stage to very loud cheers with Lydon finally appearing to the loudest cheers of all. He was smartly dressed in his trade mark over sized jacket and the set began with a whirlwind of excellence, minimal audience interaction until after song three ‘Know How’.
Lydon is a fabulous front man, his facial expressions alone worth the entry fee, snarling, grinning and gurning through the set, clearly delighted to have the audience hanging off his every word.
The band sounded fresh, the revamp of his year seems to have given them a new lease of life, touring for most of 2026. I felt that this gig was more powerful than when they played Parr Hall in Warrington back in the summer. The set was completed by two encores, and of course the audience levels of excitement reached fever pitch when ‘Rise’ kicked off. A top evening and fine way to complete a mammoth year of gigs.
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