915 No 915 Rockpalast Germany 1993 (Bochum).

This is a live VCD from a recording on the 31st Oct 1993. it is good quality and comes with basic artwork. It was recording in Bochum, Germany.

916 No 916 The Rainbow Theatre London, 26th December 1978.

This is a good quality live recording from the rainbow Theatre, London on boxing day 1978. It has good quality artwork.

917 No 917 Live at the Rainbow Theatre London on 26th December 1978.

This is a good quality live recording from the rainbow Theatre, London on boxing day 1978. It has good quality artwork. this is the same recording as No 916 but has different artwork.

918 No 918 Le Stadium, Paris, France 22nd December 1978.

This is a good quality live crowd recording from Le Stadium, Paris, France on the 22nd dec 1978. It has a front and back and disc artwork.

919 No 919 Public Image Limited, Brussels 20 Dec 1978.

   This is a good quality live crowd recording from the Theatre 140 in Brussels in Belgium on the 20th December 1978. it comes with basic front and back and disc artwork.

920 No 920 Theatre 140, Belgium 20th December 1978.

   This is a good quality live crowd recording from the Theatre 140 in Brussels in Belgium on the 20th December 1978. it comes with basic front and back and disc artwork. It is the same recording as No  919 but has different artwork.

921 No 921 Russell Club, Manchester, 18th June 1979.

   This is a good quality live crowd recording from the Russell Club in Manchester on the 18th June 1979. It comes with good front back and disc artwork. ( Thanks steve ).

922 No 922 Kings Hall, Belleviue, Manchester, 23rd Febuary 1978.

   This is a good quality live recording from the Kings Hall in Manchester England on the 23rd febuary 1979. The artwork is good quality and comes with front and back and disc artwork. (Thanks Steve).

923 No 923 Extra Issue.

   This is a good quality crowd recording from the Rainbow Theatre, Finsbury Park, London on the 26th December 1978. It comes with good quality front and back and disc artwork. This is the same recording as No 916 and No 917 but has different artwork.

924 No 924 Futurama Sci-Fi Festival 8th September 1979.

   This is a fairly good qualirt live crowd recording from the Futurama Sci-Fi Festival on the 8th September 1979. it comes with front and back artwork only.

925 No 925 Metal Tape.

   This is a CDR of the metal tape Cd, it was recorded at Agora, Atalanta, georgia, USA on the 24th April 1980. it is very good quality and comes with front and back and disc artwork (Thanks simon).

926 No 926 Palladium, N.Y.C. 19 April 1980.

   This is a good qulity live recording from the New York Palladium, USA on the 19 April 1980. It comes with front and back and insert artwork but no disc artwork.

963 No 963 Brusells, Belgium - 20.12.1978

Brussels, Belgium, Theatre 140 - 20.12.1978 (Thanks to Mick & Richard)

Complete audience master recording.

PiL played 2 sets at their first ever gig in Belgium, however only a recording of the second set has ever surfaced. It's essential listening for any PiL fan due to the historical aspects of the tape and the rawness of the band at this stage. As the band amble on to the stage Wobble has a dig at the audience, who apparently had to wait outside for a few hours due to everything running late, by saying: "Well, they say the best things are worth waiting for." Although I doubt that the crowd would describe the show that followed as the best things. A lot of tuning up and general sound checking follows before they tear into a ramshackle version of Theme.

The quality is a lot better than some of the PiL bootlegs that turned up within the coming years, which is a huge bonus for this CD.

Belsen was a Gas, which was probably only included because it was the most obscure Pistols song and a good way to pad out the skeletal PiL set at that point, is more shambolic than a true cover version. Strange that they should include a Pistols song yet neglect to play Annalisa. Or perhaps this is a sign that the tape has been edited...

Despite sounding a bit out of tune at times, Keith's guitar sounds amazing and Wobble's bass will make your speakers vibrate. It's only Walker's drumming in my opinion that let's things down, especially on Belsen. It sounds too disjointed and un-rhythmical. People may say it was integral to the original PiL sound, but I always thought Martin Atkins filled this role much more admirably.

After Religion a number of audience members begin shouting: "You take the money - we take the lies!" as Lydon throws abuse back at them. All in all it's a very unfriendly, bitter atmosphere, due mostly to PiL's and indeed Lydon's general hostile attitude towards the paying punters. As early as the third song Lydon is threatening to leave the stage due to a sprained voice, however his threat doesn't actually materialise until after Attack, leaving the band to trot through a few aimless instrumentals on their own.

There is a cut between Cowboy Song 1 & 2

964 No 964 Paris, Le Stadium - 22.12.1978.

Paris, France, Le Stadium - 22.12.1978  (Thanks to Mick & Neil)

Complete audience master recording.

965 No 965 Portland 1984 (incomplete).

Portland, OR, The Starry Nite Club - 16.10.1984 (Thanks to Mick & Brad)

Incomplete mixing desk recording.

The quality of this soundboard recording is a little muffled, although still better than most audience recordings. There is a 2 second blank spot during Bad Life and a bit of a quality drop on 1981, but it doesn't last long. Apart from that it's a pretty flawless bootleg with no cuts.

As with most soundboards there is hardly any audience noise, although the odd shout for Death Disco or God save the Queen can be heard.

Lydon is very chatty throughout the first few numbers and seems to be in good spirits although he has problems with a couple of "two bob arseholes!" who are constantly spitting.

The recording ends very abruptly after Annalisa, although there must be a complete copy out there somewhere.

968 No 968 Scarborough Futurist.

Scarborough, UK, Futurist Theatre - 18.5.1986  (Thanks to Mick)

Complete audience master recording. 

The bass seems to be really prominent on this recording which makes a nice change as it really showcases the abilities of Allan Dias. PiL again pull off a solid performance as does Lydon, despite sounding rough at times (flu!) which make it a great all round gig. A huge 16 song set and great quality make this one of the top bootlegs of the "album"  tour.

Rise, Low Life and Ease are performed as encores.

There is a dip in quality during Kashmir that only lasts a few seconds.

There is a cut between Banging the Door & Bags, probably where the tape was flipped.

There is a cut between Public image & Rise.

970 No 970 Aylesbury, Friars Club 1983.

Aylesbury, UK, Friars Club - 19.11.1983 (Thanks to Mick & Pete)

Complete audience master recording.

I got this recording from a mate who had been at the show and had somehow managed to lay his hands upon a copy.

The quality of the original bootleg cassette was not fantastic and had a fair bit of tape hiss, however I recently conducted a high quality digital transfer and have removed a great deal of the hiss, which makes a vast difference to the show.

Banging the Door sounds fantastic, as does Chant & This is Not a Love Song.There is a cut between Anarchy and This is Not a Love Song where the tape was turned.

973 No 973 Bristol 1986.

Bristol, Hippodrome - 25.5.1986   (Thanks to Mick)

"You mean there's life in Bristol after all?"

The cassette copy that I had of this gig listed it as being the Colston Hall as opposed to the Hippodrome. Bootleg posters from the time also list it as Colston Hall although official promotional adverts from the music papers advertise it as the Hippordrome, so that's good enough for me.

Lydon's first words as he enters the stage are "Do not spit!"

For some reason he also bursts into laughter on the first verse of Fishing, then apologises to the crowd for it.

He also has a fun time teasing the crowd about their city and their football team.

The recording ends very abruptly after Annalisa, although I am assuming that it is complete.

This is the first time on the album tour that PiL played The Order of Death, which is often mis-labeled on tracklists as Bad Life.

There is a brief cut during Fishing.

There is a brief cut during Flowers of Romance.

974 No 974 PiL Live in Chippenham 1987.

Chippenham, UK, Goldiggers Club - 27.9.1987   (Thanks to Mick)

That legendary Rock 'n' Roll Metropolis that is Chippenham plays host to a Public image Ltd in fantastic form and as a result we are left with this fantastic bootleg! Unfortunately it is incomplete, which was probably the work of some dirty bastard trader who kept the uncut version for himself. From speaking to someone who was at the gig I know for certain that the band encored with Holidays in the Sun and This is Not a Love Song.

Should a complete version be out there it would be one of the best from the Happy? tour. The band are in good shape and Lydon is full of put downs and sarcasm.

The recording ends with a storming version of Public image, on which Lydon hands the mic out to the crowd to deliver a few lines.

During The Body Lydon encourages the female attendees to flash some skin, then complains at the end of the song; "Fucks sake, all I've seen is two bald heads!"

The quality makes a dramatic improvement during Hard Times and thankfully stays that way for the remainder of the set.

There is a cut between Low Life and Home.

There is a cut between The Body and Round.

Note; This gig is often mis-spelled on lists as "Golddiggers" or "Gold Diggers" - the proper name of the club was Goldiggers!

975 No 975 Sydney 1985.

Sydney, Cronulla Sutherland Leagues Club - 3.1.1985  (Thanks to Mick & Brad)

Incomplete soundboard recording.

Unfortunately Bad Life cuts after about 2 minutes, which is why this recording is listed as incomplete. Other than that this is the best quality live recording that I have ever heard! And I include the sonically flat Live in Tokyo with its digital recording equipment in that!

Lydon gets seriously frustrated during Low Life because apparently the monitors "...are nothing but fucking bass!" and "Absolute fucking rubbish!" He even apologises to the crowd for the "faulty equipment."

This is followed by strong versions of Memories (during which Lydon has to change mics) and interestingly, Banging the Door (the first time I'd heard this song performed by this lineup!) which must be said urinates all over the '83 lineups version!

The band are also introduced with a touch of humour; "Silly boy Mark, silly boy Jebin..." etc...

Without doubt the most interesting moment during the gig is the unique intro to Anarchy, which basically sounds like a country & western version of the song (similar to the Pistols country version of Vacant!) I don't know if they did this at many other gigs, but it is hilarious!

976 No 976 Sydney 1989.

Sydney, Australia, Selina's Nite Spot - 12.8.1989  (Thanks to Mick & Brad) 

A very nice little find! This bootleg was sent to me by the chap who recorded it himself and it's a very fine addition to my collection.

PiL play remarkably strong and there is no spitting at all.

Lydon is in good spirits and is happy to indulge in a bit of banter with the crowd.

Trivia: Apparently PiL were introduced onto the stage by a local radio DJ whom Lydon had removed by security later in the set for walking onto the stage during the performance. The same DJ apparently never played a PiL record on his show again!

978 No 978 Futurama 79.

Leeds, UK, Queens Hall "Futurama '79" - 8.9.1979.  (Thanks Mick & Pete) 

This gig was released as a bootleg LP called Sci-Fi, which is where my copy originates from. I'm unsure whether the master recording has ever become available, although it isn't really important as the quality of the bootleg LP is quite acceptable.

It's a slightly distant recording and if truth be known quite a shambolic one too. All the percussive chaos of the Manchester show from three months previously is just as evident, leading one to question whether PiL actually done any rehearsing in the meantime (save for recording Metal Box!)

This was Dudanski's last appearance behind the drums and would be PiL's last gig until January 1980, when the genius of Martin Atkins would grace the band with his presence.

Most songs just fall apart at the end to a scattered applause which shows just how mutual the despise was between the band and the crowd. Apparently Lydon stood with his back to the punters for the majority of the show. (Keith also gets hit on the napper with a can before Public image!)

Lydon indeed claims that this gig is simply another rehearsal; an excuse that doesn't really wash this time since they'd had almost three months since the last gig to pull things together a bit. If anything this is even more of a shambles than the Manchester gig!

Death Disco is false started.

There is a fade out / in between Low Life and Public image.

There is a cut between Death Disco and Another.

There is a final fade out after No birds do sing...

980 No 980 Hanley, Victoria Hall.

Hanley, Stoke on Trent, Victoria Hall - 7.5.1986  (Thanks Mick)

Despite the quality of this bootleg not being the greatest, it is nevertheless a fantastic document of a very important gig in PiL history. Important because it was the first PiL gig since 1983 to feature a solid, steady lineup. The members of the new PiL would serve with the band for numerous years and contribute to several studio albums. PiL had returned as a band as opposed to Lydon with back up.

This recording begins with a few minutes of house music playing and general audience chatter until the band arrive, tune up a bit then begin with Kashmir. They must have rehearsed diligently as it's impossible to tell from the first moments of Kashmir that it's their first live outing together. Lydon also had adopted a new stage manner. Gone is the high pitched squealing of previous years to be replaced with the gruff, growling and snarling delivery that impressed us all so much on 'Album'. It is a very welcome change!

FFF is stopped after less than a minute due to Lydon being hit on the head with a bottle. He is naturally very angry and orders the perpitrator to be removed, telling the crowd that he isn't going to be anyones dartboard!

A major fuck up worth noting due to its' hilarity is at the end of FFF, Lu must have hit the wrong key and instead of the 'backwards bit' we get a few samples of "Poptones... Poptones...!"

The recording unfortunately ends after Banging the Door. I cannot imagine that the bootlegger ran out of tape after only 39 minutes, so I am confident that a full version will be out there somewhere. Whether it will ever turn up is another matter. If it does, let's hope it features better quality than this recording.

There are no tape cuts.

Note: In August 2010 I made a high quality digital transfer of this gig from my old cassette copy, which I obtained back in the 90's. I removed much of the tape hiss (which was quite bad!) and reduced the bass whilst also pushing the guitars and vocals higher up into the mix. The results have been fantastic and it now almost sounds like from a different source completely.

981 No 981 Poplar Creek Music Theatre 1989.

Chicago, IL, Poplar Creek Music Theatre - 30.6.1989  (Thanks Mick) 

This gig was part of the Monsters of Alterative Rock tour that PiL did with The Sugarcubes and New Order.

It's a good enough bootleg quality wise and the band are really into it and pull off a great performance! Lydon is being his usual I cannot hear you, it's only Johnny! self and the band seem to be on fire, new member Ted Chau settling in perfectly well

"Well, you've got 1 hour of us, so you can sit there like lemons or enjoy!" demands Lydon before a thundering version of Home. As you can see from below, the setlist focuses on more recent material, but there's the odd classic such as This is Not a Love Song and Public image to keep the ageing fans from feeling left right out of it.

There's a cut between Fishing and Rise, where the tape was flipped.

There is a cut between Public image & World Destruction.

982 No 982 Chicago, Victoria Theatre 1988.

Chicago, IL, Victoria Theatre  - 11.3.1988

Slightly distant and fuzzy audience recording. The crowd reactions are pretty reserved and you know instantly that PiL are not playing to their own audience, which is unfortunate because they really put on a good performance. (They were supporting INXS!)

The main problem with my original cassette copy of this bootleg was tape hiss, although I recently made a high end digital transfer and removed a lot of the offending hiss.

This gig took place almost half way through their support slot on INXS's Kick tour, although to my knowledge it's only the second bootleg to surface from the tour, which is a real pity as the band really put their all into the heavily abbreviated setlist. They must have given INXS a good run for their money.

There must be a lower generation tape out there somewhere, which would do much more justice to the fine performance.

This gig is often mis-labelled as Victoria Pavillion and even UIC Pavillion, which itself is a mis-spelling of Vic Pavillion, which is the local name for the theatre! (Thanks Wikipedia!)

There's a cut between Open & Revolving and Holidays in the Sun.

983 No 983 NYC Brooklyn Zoo 1983.

New York City, Brooklyn Zoo - 29.1.1983  (Thanks Mick) 

A fascinating document of the final months of Keith Levene. There's not many bootlegs from '83 that still feature Keith, so this is a welcome addition to any collection.

Judging by the noise the crowd make it must have been a well attended gig and PiL pull off an absolute cracker.

The performance time is actually a lot shorter than the running time suggests, as there's at least a minute of crowd noise and 'tuning up' between numbers as it seems that PiL were in no hurry to vacate the stage.

They also play a fantastic version of the elusive Home is Where the Heart is, which has to be a show highlight.

Between Mad Max and Public image there's almost 5 minutes of audience nosie due to the fact that the bootlegger doesn't switch his recorder off, though I can't imagine there's many people who will sit and listen to it. PiL end the set with No birds... which Lydon introduces as "This could be heaven." Unfortunately the song is incomplete so the whole recording comes to a very abrupt end. Pity...

There is a cut between Death Disco and Chant.

There is a cut between Mad Max and Public image.

985 No 985 Newcastle City Hall 1986.

Newcastle, UK, City Hall - 10.5.1986  (Thanks Mick)

The quality is really good, if perhaps a bit boomy and it's a good performance.

After Pretty Vacant Lydon explains to the crowd that the reason he had someone removed from the stage was because last time it happened someone stuck a pen knife in his back. Porkies John? I think that one would have made the Melody Maker.

The recording itself can be a bit boomy in places like I've already mentioned and there is a LOT of audience noise between songs, but it's a really good listen. It must be said that it's a pretty standard and uneventful gig, therefore unless you're a completist you probably don't need it.

On my old cassette copy Tie me... is incomplete and ends when side A ends. Side B then resumes with Round.

There is a cut between Public image and Rise.

There is a cut between Low Life and Ease.

986 No 986 Philadelphia 1980.

Philadelphia, PA, The Tower Theatre - 26.4.2010  (Thanks Mick)

NOTE: Although the tracklist states that Death Disco was performed it has actually been inserted and comes from a completely different gig. (NYC Palladium 20.4.1980) This is may not be the case with all copies in circulation.

I assume that this recording is incomplete as I cannot imagine PiL would only play an 8 song set, so it shall remain listed as incomplete until a fuller version turns up.

This recording sounds slightly distant, although Lydon's vocals can be heard clearly above all of the instruments.

It's a very entertaining show, typical of a bootleg from this tour and really shows how fantastic this lineup were. The difference between the shows with Walker on drums compared to these shows with Atkins is unbelievable! A different class...

Lydon makes quite a few between song comments, but most of them are inaudible. He does ask the audience though not to throw coins at their heads as it's causing them severe pain!

This could be the first live version of Attack to reference Tennyson; "Come into the garden Maud..."

There is a very brief cut during Chant.

988 No 988 Paris 83.

Paris, France, Olympia - 28.11.1983.  (Thanks Mick & Richard)

Although the 1983 lineup receive heavy criticism (although very justly!) many of the bootlegs from the time are great to listen to. Paris is no exception... A very good gig. Same setlist as the next evening in Lyon. Sounds as though the acoustics in the Olympia could have been a bit better though.

There is a fadeout after Anarchy and a fade in before This is Not a Love Song.

There is a cut between This is Not a Love Song and Attack.

989 No 989 Berlin Tempodrom 1986.

Berlin, Germany, Tempodrom - 31.5.1986.  (Thanks Mick) 

It's an ususual although fantastic thing that every single gig of PiL's German tour of 1986 is available on bootleg. The Berlin show, although not being the best quality is easily the best performance from this leg of the tour. 

Despite being an obvious soundboard recording the quality is a little muffled, no doubt due to being copied over the years, but still a lot better than the Frankfurt recording. The sound is slightly distant and slightly muffled, but it's still an impecable performance nevertheless. Should this bootleg exist in much improved quality it would probably be one of the finest from the tour... The bass is extremely low in the mix while the drums are very prominent.

As is typical with soundboards there is very little audience noise, although of course the bands instruments are extremely clear.

Lydon doesn't seem to suffer as many problems with spitting as was usual. Indeed he only complains about it once during the whole show.

The band encore with sublime versions of Rise, Annalisa & World Destruction.

There is a cut between Bags and Round where the tape was turned.

There is a cut between Public image & Rise.

There is a cut between Annalisa and World Destruction.

990 No 990 PiL @ The Hills Centre '89.

Castle Hill, Australia, The Hills Centre - 11.8.1989.  (Thanks Mick & Brad)

Very few soundboard recordings exist from this tour (if fact very few bootlegs exist from this tour!) so new arrivals are more than welcome!

Thankfully this recording features a little more audience noise than is usual with mixing desk recordings, so I assume that audience microphones were also in operation. This is a good thing because it gives the recording a more lively and energetic feel. There is nothing worse than a recording with virtually no noticeable crowd noise.

The band certainly seem up for it and Lydon gives it his all, as well as being full of put-downs to a section of the crowd who are throwing missiles in the direction of the stage; "That just missed me, you fucking redundant tool!"

After Home Lydon beseeches the security to deal with the trouble and even threatens to leave the stage should it continue.

Thankfully there appears to be no more trouble after that, so either his warning was heeded or secutirty dealt with the issue.

Between Disappointed and Same old Story there are a few unedited minutes of crowd noise while the band leave the stage.

The last 3 songs are performed as encores.

991 No 991 San Francisco 1984.

San Francisco, CA, Fort Mason Centre, Pier 2 - 19.10.1984.  (Thanks Mick & Del) 

A slightly distant recording, very much like the San Diego bootleg from 17.11.84, although thankfully this one plays at the correct speed.

As much as I dislike this lineup and period in PiL history I must admit that their version of Poptones is truly fantastic and is easily the highlight of the show. Just a pity they didn't play it more often.

Bad Life sounds great, although comes nowhere near to equalling the amazing single version. Apart from that I find it to be a pretty patchy setlist that combines horrible version of good Commercial Zone era tracks like Where are you? and Solitaire with older classics like Chant, Annalisa and Flowers of Romance. Flowers sounds ok, but the rest just don't cut it for me. Awful versions of great songs...

I know a lot of fans out there really like this lineup and I also know that it's untrendy to admit to liking the "Cabaret Band" more than any other PiL lineup, (and believe me I've taken my slaggings for it like a trooper) but I cannot pretend to. I mostly like the album (This is What you Want...) but I just think the live band were a bit shite.

Interestingly there is no performance of Anarchy tonight. Or else it's just missing from the recording.

The beginning of Annalisa is missing.

There is a cut between Tie me and Annalisa.

992 No 992 San Francisco, South of Central 1980.

San Francisco, CA, South of Market Cultural Centre - 10.5.1980. (Thanks Mick & Glyn) 

The tape is a little muddy unfortunately, but it's a fantastic gig from the Wobble era.

After Careering Lydon makes a comment about Billy Graham, but I can't quite make it out.

The band are in great form and produce one cracking version after another. Annalisa and Low Life are particularly remarkable.

Although tracklists state that Fodderstompf was the opening number, it is actually just a drum and bass jam with the bassline of Fodderstompf not even being played!

Wobble's bass pounds relentlessly on this bootleg so don't be surprised if your speakers vibrate uncontrollably. On cheaper systems it may prove problematic however.

Public image sounds a bit shambolic and as though Keith is about to stop playing at any moment. Poptones, Home... and Memories are performed as encores, despite the fact that the band don't actually leave the stage. As Lydon puts it; "We're just gonna wait here for the encore, save us walking up and down the fucking stairs."

There is a cut between Death Disco and Public image.

994 No 994 Dallas 1986.

Dallas, TX, Arcadia Theatre - 12.7.1986. (Thanks Mick & a BIG thanks to Christopher!

The gentleman whom sent me this recording recorded it himself and kindly sent me the original cassette (!) for only the price of postage!

The first song, Kashmir, is missing from the recording due to the fact that my contact did not realise that the band on the stage were Public image! He thought they were a support act. An easy mistake to make though, considering that Lydon did not make his appearance until the end of the Led Zeppelin cover.

Chris, the guy who sent the recording had this to say; "... frankly it wasn't that great a show and I don't remmeber (sic) a lot about it. They came back to Dallas a few years later but after the first show I didnt bother going to the second."

He also gave a little information about the venue; The Arcadia Theatre was a small movie theatre on Greenville Avenue in Downtown Dallas that also regularly hosted live music acts. It later became a drinking club and recently burned down and was demolished.

The original master cassette was in great condition, owing the fact that it has only been played a few times (if even) and never copied! I recently made a high-end digital transfer of the tape to CD and created artwork, which I humbly present here...

There is a cut between 4 Enclosed Walls & Tie me . . .

There is a cut between Public image & Rise.

995 No 995 Brisbane, Rock Arena 1984.

Brisbane, Australia, Rock Arena at Mansfield Tavern - 29.12.1984. 

Despite the quality of this bootleg being a bit lower than average I still find it an entertaining one to listen to. Low Life is a particularly strong version.

Lydon warns the crowd during Memories that he is suffering from a sore throat, although he performs well throughout.

There are light-hearted exchanges between Lydon and the audience throughout the show, with Lydon pointing out that the exits are at the back of the hall and telling anyone who isn't enjoying the show to fuck off home!

Two points of interest worth mentioning is that Banging the Door surprisingly evokes a bit of a crowd sing-along and that between Attack and Anarchy Lydon delivers a few acapella lines from Theme - a song he hadn't performed live for 2 years and hasn't performed live since!

Trivia; Apparently this show was pretty poorly advertised and therefore pretty poorly attended.

Banging the Door, Chant, Attack, Anarchy & Love Song are performed as encores.

996 No 996 Atlanta, Agora Ballroom 1982.

Atlanta, GA, Agora Ballroom - 11.12.1982.  (Thanks Mick & Richard) 

This excellent quality recording is a must have for any PiL fan. After the Toronto and Chicago gigs this is easily the best quality bootleg from '82 and features a lengthy and interesting setlist too.

The band open with an excellent version of Theme which musically is probably the best moment of the night.

On my old cassette copy No birds... is split between side A and B.

Many trader lists state this gig as having taken place at the 668 Club, but most list it as the Agora Ballroom.

There is a cut between Public image and Attack.

997 No 997 Preston Guild Hall, 1986.

Preston, UK, Guild Hall - 15.5.1986.  (Thanks Mick) 

Probably the worst quality PiL live recording I have ever heard.

The show starts with the crowd chanting; "Johnny is a wanker!" etc until the band start with Kashmir. Lydon has trouble with spitting from the moment he walks on stage and throughout the gig. The show gets stopped during Bags because of the spitting.

The quality makes a dramatic improvement at the begining of Round, as though the bootlegger took his tape-recorder out of his pocket. He must also have used a 60 minute tape to record this show, as no encores seem to have been recorded. The performance (or at least what can be heard of it) seems to be quite standard. A very tense, bad tempered gig - equally as much as the Brixton show, if not more so!

It would probably only be a completist who would bother tracking this one down. It's pretty much a rarity anyway though.

Despite the quality, as a PiL connoissèur I find this one fascinating to listen to, because it is such a hot-tempered affair.

There is a cut after Banging the Door, most likely where the tape was flipped.

999 No 999 Paris, Le Zenith '86.

Paris, France, Le Zenith - 5.6.1986. (Thanks Mick & Tony) 

Unfortunately there's 1 song missing from this recording, making it incomplete. After World Destruction we briefly hear the intro to Ease, however the recording then ends abruptly. I imagine this is the work of a trader who kept the complete version for himself and circulated the mutilated copy. Hopefully the full thing turns up some day!

The quality of this bootleg is not as sharp as most of the others from the tour and seems a bit distant to begin with, but does improve considerably throughout the show. There's a bit of hiss, no doubt from the original cassette which was not removed during the transfer to CDR.

It's the standard set, with no major differences and no major incidents.

Interestingly, my version features World Destruction twice. The first had been inserted just after Bags with the second being the final encore. From my copy I created a new version with the erroneous track removed, as reflected by the setlist below.

There is a cut between Flowers of Romance and Bags.

There is a cut between Public image and Rise.

There is a cut between Annalisa & World Destruction.

1001 No 1001 Oslo 1987.

Oslo, Norway, Rockefeller Music Hall - 10.8.1987. (Thanks Mick & Kristian)

A very good quality bootleg of one of PiL's first shows of 1987.

The chap from whom I obtained this bootleg (a Norwegian) had no details other than what was written on the box of the tape.

After the final song Lydon says; "That's all we're allowed, now goodnight!" which makes me wonder whether this show was either a support slot or an indoor festival appearance. I am inclined to lean towards some kind of indoor festival show because the setlist seems too long to have been a support slot and PiL's previous 5 gigs that week had also been festival appearances, so this must have been another.

It's a very clear recording and a welcome addition, considering how few bootlegs are available from 1987.

During Rules & Regulations Lydon comments "Stone me, you're almost as laid back as the Dutch!" which gets a huge cheer from the crowd.

There is a cut between Round and FFF.

There is a cut between Holidays in the Sun and This is Not a Love Song.

1002 No 1002 London, Kilburn 1987.

London, UK, Kilburn National Hall - 3.11.1987. (Thanks Mick) 

Like the gig in Chippenham a few months earlier, this recording is incomplete. It ends after Public image, although it is almost certain that Holidays in the Sun and This is Not a Love Song were performed. Possibly Religion also.

Rise is introduced an "An oldie but goldie!", despite that fact that it was only 2 years old by this point.

FFF is false started, which is the only real mistake of the night. It's a fine, strong performance and a real credit to the music.

My major gripe with this bootleg is that there is a particularly irritating female attendee whom, during the performance feels the need to have a chat, so we have to listen to her irritatingly high voice yap on for a while.

All in all the quality is great, although a bit boomy in places. The bass is extremely prominent which is great, but it also the reason for said boominess.

The beginning of Rules & Regulations is missing. Also, during Rules & Regulations there is a drop in quality which doesn't imrpove again until the end of Fat Chance Hotel. When it does improve though it's better than before. The quality then makes a second improvement during World Destruction, bringing it into the category of excellent!

The first verse of Fat Chance Hotel is instrumental, as Lydon doesn't come in at the right time...

There is a cut between Home and Rules & Regulations.

There is a cut between Rules & Regulations and Bags.

1003 No 1003 Lyon 1983.

Lyon, France, Palais D'Hiver.  (Thanks Mick & Tony). 

This bootleg has been available for years, however the original tape played much too fast, which in my opinion makes any bootleg unlistenable.

Recently I decided to change this and with a bit of editing I corrected the speed, which makes the world of difference. At the correct speed it's actually quite a good gig. Lydon's vocals sound a little more distant than the bands instruments which takes a little getting used to, but apart from that it's a very clear, low generation recording.

Religion is split between 2 tracks with the organ intro being treated as a separate song.

During the closing bars of Attack, Arthur Stead knocks out the intro to La Marseillaise on the keyboards.

The speeded up recording clocked in at a mere 39 minutes, but the corrected version has been stretched to a whopping 43, which may not seem a lot on paper, but believe me there's a BIG difference to what you hear, as it no longer sounds like his John Thomas is trapped in a mangle.

1004 No 1004 Hollywood Palladium '83.

Los Angeles, CA, Hollywood Palladium - 10.6.1983. (Thanks Mick & Karsten) 

Before the first note of Public image has been played you can already feel the difference between this and the previous shows with a proper lineup. This truly was the begining of a new era in many unfortunate ways.

It's not all bad though. Maybe because it was their first gig the band sound incredibly raw and gritty. Just a pity that it didn't last a little longer.

Zvoncheck's keyboards can become extremely irritating on this bootleg, which is probably it's most major drawback. Thank god he got the boot after the Japanese shows!

It's interesting to note the inclusion of Albatross in the set at this point and upon hearing it you'll understand why it didn't remain in the setlist for very long. Lou Bernardi's style just can't cut it compared to Wobble's. That and the fact that Lydon sings most of it in the wrong key.

Bernardi also makes 4 Enclosed Walls unlistenable by adding unnecessary bass parts, a great example of why this song also didn't survive long in the set list.

Historically though this bootleg is a must have.

There is a cut between 4 Enclosed Walls and Flowers of Romance.

There is a cut between Banging the Door and Death Disco.

There is a cut between Death Disco and Anarchy.

There is a cut between Anarchy and Bad Life.

1005 No 1005 Seattle, Showbox Theatre - 1982.

Seattle, WA, The Showbox Theatre - 12.11.1982.  (Thanks Mick) 

"So this is Seattle!"

A fantastic quality bootleg and an excellent performance.

PiL open with probably the best live version of Theme they ever played, followed by an equally fantastic Where are you? There's a lot of audience chatter between songs, but you can still hear all of Lydon's comments perfectly clearly due to the general good quality of the recording.

There's a very brief quality drop out on Annalisa, but it only lasts a few seconds.

Definitely an essential recording, as are most from the fantastic '82 lineup.

"We were paid to do one hour and that's what we've done - goodbye!" says Lydon after Low Life, but they return to the stage for two encores.

There's a cut between Mad Max and Death Disco, probably where the tape was turned.

Some traders lists state Shoebox instead of Showbox, probably due to the incompatability of the qwerty system with chubby fingers!

There is a 2 second cut during Religion, but nothing is actually missing.

There is a cut between Low Life and Under the House.

1006 No 1006 Costa Mesa '86.

Costa Mesa, CA, Pacific Amphitheatre - 7.7.1986.  (Thanks Mick) 

The main problem during this gig is not spitting, but firework throwing! Lydon complains about it early on in the set, but eventually walks of stage during Poptones. There is a cut and the recording then resumes with Banging the Door. Pretty Vacant has been edited out of the recording completely and I suspect Bags has also been edited out, as I can see no reason why they wouldn't play it.

1007 No 1007 Belgium 1986.

De Panne, Belgium, Seaside Festival '86 - 2.8.1986.  (Thanks Mick) 

This original CDR version of this gig that I received had a terrible amount of tape hiss, which I have since removed. The new 'clean' version is a much easier listen.

The didgeridoo intro and Kashmir are pretty muffled, but the quality improves ten fold during FFF, once the bootlegger has adjusted his settings.

During the first few numbers this recording slips in and out of stereo a few times, but it's nothing too serious.

All in all it's a fine performance and a fine bootleg. The crowd seem pretty relaxed although whether this is because Belgians are generally relaxed or whether they didn't quite get PiL is debatable.

Probably a bootleg for the completist as it's a pretty average 1986 show.

1008 No 1008 London Rainbow '78.

London, UK, Rainbow Theatre - 26.12.1978.  (Thanks Mick & Scott). 

My copy of this gig comes direct from the vinyl bootleg Extra Issue which is of fantastic quality. This gig has been released several times on vinyl, the Extra Issue one being of the finest quality and the only one you really need to seek out. Unfortunately the first minute or so of Theme is missing. The bootlegger probably just forgot to hit the record button when the band appeared. It should also be noted that many of the versions of this gig that are floating around the internet as downloads are of much inferior quality. Probably due to being poor transfers. These should be avoided.

It's a fantastic gig, much better, in my opinion than the Brussels and Paris tapes and really showcases the rawness and energy of the very first PiL line up.

Fortunately Wobble's bass doesn't drown everything out in a tsunami of low end distortion as can be the case with some early bootlegs, and all musicians, especially Lydon can be heard very clearly.

The band on the whole seem a lot more confident that at the previous gigs and the songs sound fuller and stronger, Low Life and Annalisa in particular.

Like I said about the Brussels tape, the only thing that I feel falls short with this recording is Walker's drumming. I really do not rate him so much as a drummer. Thankfully this would be his last appearance with PiL...

Between songs there's a good bit of crowd chatter and you can even listen along to conversations that are going on, if you're wearing a decent pair of headphones.

There is a cut between Religion and Attack.

1009 No 1009 New York Palladium 1980.

New York City, The Palladium - 20.4.1980.  (Thanks Mick & Del). 

PiL's first ever gig at this prestigious New York venue.

The recording that I am reviewing here is one which is culled from two different incomplete sources to give a complete version of the gig. There are other versions of this gig around, which I will be providing details and artwork for at a future time.

Surprisingly shouts for God Save the Queen, et all are outnumbered by shouts for Poptones, Memories and Swan Lake.

This is probably my favourite bootleg from this tour. The interaction between Lydon and the audience reaches new heights, culminating in several sing along versions where audience members take over the role of rock star. Indeed Lydon even assembles a choir (his own words!) on stage for a second version of Poptones.

The set is closed with only 50% of the lineup present with a Bad Baby instrumental (for more details see Jah Wobble's Memoirs of a Geezer!)

There is a transition between Annalisa and Attack.

There is a transition between Attack and Low Life.

There is a cut between Poptones singalong and Bad Baby instrumental.

1010 No 1010 Turku Finland 1987.

Turku, Finland, Ruisrock '87 - 1.8.1987.  (Thanks Mick). 

Note: The location of this gig is often mis-spelled as Turka! 

This is another recording that had a terrible amount of tape hiss, no doubt from the transfer tape that was not removed by the bloke who did the transfer. I have since removed all of the hiss, which makes a huge difference to this gig and offers a much more pleasant listening experience.

For some reason the gig also came split across two CDR's, despite only clocking in at an hour. I have since mastered the de-hissed version (with a tiny amount of bass reduction also!) onto a single CDR.

The gig itself, Finland's biggest rock festival, is fantastic! Obviously recorded with a good microphone, all of the instruments and Lydon can be heard clearly as can the audience! The band perform well, although Open & Revolving sounds like a complete shambles, Lydon even tells the band; "It's fucking rubbish, let's do another!" and the song is quickly dispatched with. (A must hear!)

The chaos continues as the electricity cuts during Hard Times, leaving Lydon asking who's turned the power off, although no one in charge seems to even notice what's happened! After a few minutes of confusion Lydon has to ask; "Does anyone speak English here? We've lost our power!" The crowd at least seem to find the situation amusing! Roughly 5 minutes later normal operations are resumed and Hard Times is resumed from the top! (As they say in show business!)

After World Destruction McGeoch lets rip at the crowd telling them; "The next bastard who throws anything at me, I'm going to personally fucking kill you! You're so fucking brave!"

Excellent versions of Round, FFF, and Public image have to be show high lights!

There is a cut between FFF and Annalisa.

1012 No 1012 Wantagh, Meadowlands '89.

Wantagh, NY, The Meadowlands - 19.7.1989.  (Thanks Mick). 

This recording has unfortunately been cut to pieces, which is a great shame because it sounds like a fantastic gig and the quality is not so bad too!

I sometimes wonder if this gig could have been broadcast on the radio in the New York area. This would explain the short setlist, the fact that all songs on the recording are singles and also during every song there is a strange sound behind the music that sounds like it could almost be an audio watermark. It sounds like an audience recording though, so perhaps it was recorded in full and then broadcast in edited form on a pirate or public station! Would be nice to know. It would also be nice to hear the gig in full!

There is a cut between Warrior and This is Not a Love Song.

There is a cut between This is Not a Love Song and Seattle.

There is a cut between Seattle and Rise.

There is a cut between Rise and Disappointed.

1013 No 1013 Chicago 1980.

Chicago, IL, Riviera Theatre - 1.5.1980.  (Thanks Mick & David). 

This is a bootleg that despite having a few major drawbacks is definitely worth adding to your collection. It's probably one of the clearest recordings from the 1980 tour available, however as mentioned there are drawbacks, the major one being that the bootleg is incomplete. Only 9 songs from the gig are featured which is a heartbreaker. The 2nd drawback is that there is a noticeable modulating effect on the tape, but this clears up considerably as the show progresses.

PiL pull off a fantastic gig with Annalisa, Low Life and Public image being show highlights in my opinion.

It's rare to hear Wobble speak to the audience on a PiL bootleg, so it's nice to hear him advise the crowd on how best to convey their fiscal donations to the stage. Aside from this there isn't a lot of band/crowd interaction unfortunately.

On my copy there is a very brief cut at the start of Public image, but this may not be the case with all copies.

There is a tape cut between Attack and Low Life.

1016 No 1016 Olympic Auditorium 1980.

Los Angeles, CA, Grand Olympic Auditorium - 4.5.1980.  (Thanks Mick & Karsten)

This gig originally turned up on bootleg LP, which is where all copies that I have ever heard originate from. I have yet to hear one that comes direct from the master cassette. It will probably never turn up and in truth it's really no big deal as I cannot imagine that the quality could really be improved upon very much.

This is one of those PiL bootlegs that everyone has, so I will not delve into too much detail about the actual performance. Needless to say it's a fantastic bootleg in terms of both quality and performance. Very clear and very clean recording. The only blemish to speak of is on the final two songs, Memories (which is only a very brief instrumental) and Home is where the heart is, when the tape suffers some extreme distortion until the end. This is unfortunate, but just one of those things.

Note: Almost all versions of this gig that are floating around online are incomplete!

There are no cuts in the tape.

1017 No 1017 Glasgow 1986 version 1.

PiL's 2nd ever gig in Glasgow is available in two different forms. The first is a complete, unedited audience recording of fantastic quality and the second is an FM, Radio Clyde broadcast from November 1986 featuring 12 songs from the gig. Naturally the radio broadcast features superior quality than the audience recording, however the fact that the audience recording features the entire performance is it's redeeming feature.

There's problems with spitting throughout the gig, with Lydon telling the crowd that he's surprised at Glasgow for behaving in such a way.

The radio broadcast is a bit flat and lifeless as there is very little audience noise audible, which is quite in contrast to the audience recording.

1018 No 1018 Glasgow 1986 version 2.

Glasgow, Scotland, Barrowlands Ballroom - 14.5.1986.  (Thanks Mick)

PiL's 2nd ever gig in Glasgow is available in two different forms. The first is a complete, unedited audience recording of fantastic quality and the second is an FM, Radio Clyde broadcast from November 1986 featuring 12 songs from the gig. Naturally the radio broadcast features superior quality than the audience recording, however the fact that the audience recording features the entire performance is it's redeeming feature.

The audience recording begins with house music playing and the crowd chanting: "Johnny! Johnny!" until the band arrive and launch into an excellent rendition of Kashmir.

There's problems with spitting throughout the gig, with Lydon telling the crowd that he's surprised at Glasgow for behaving in such a way. Lydon also gets hit with a bottle after Rise which infuriates him greatly.

In my opinion this is one of the top bootlegs of the tour, not only because of quality but because the band pull off a blinding performance and there's a dash of humour for good measure; "Hello, band?"

There is a cut between Home and Public image.

There is a cut between Public image & Rise.

1019 No 1019 Cleveland 1980.

Cleveland, OH, Agora Ballroom - 30.4.1980.  (Thanks Mick) 

The quality on this one is really dodgy, so don't expect too much if you are looking for this particular bootleg. It sounds like the band are playing underwater! Levene's guitar is almost completely inaudible, Lydon's vocal is somewhat clear, but mostly it's all (fuzzy, booming) bass and thumping drums.

Probably a recording that you will listen to once (if you have the patience) and then never again.

Unlistenable!

1020 No 1020 London 22.11.1983.

London, UK, Hammersmith Palais - 22.11.1983.  (Thanks Mick & Richard)

This bootleg opens with the crowd chanting "Johhny is a wanker, Johnny is a wanker - Na na na na!" to which Lydon replies "Beg your fucking pardon?" then it's straight into Public image.

"You slightly make the northerners look tame!" announces Lydon before a thrashing version of Low Life, only dissipated by the horrible sharp bass guitar sound.

I am actually unsure about whether this is an audience recording or a soundboard. The crowd seem a bit too quiet to be an audience recording, so it probably comes straight from the mixing desk. Then again Lydon does comment: "My god, you bastards are quiet!" so who knows?

What I have never understood is why Lydon always quotes Lord Tennyson's "Come into the garden Maud" at the beginning of Attack. Does anyone know the connection?

There is a cut between Solitaire and Flowers of Romance.

1021 No 1021 Adelaide 1984.

Adelaide, Australia, Thebarton Theatre - 22.12.1984.  (Thanks Mick & Brad)

Another soundboard from the 1984 Aussie tour, although this one is pretty crappy and muffled compared to some of the others. Still an entertaining one to listen to though.

"Have you all written your letters to Father Christmas? Well don't forget to ask for This is what you want ... This is what you get!"

There is a cut between Attack and This is Not a Love Song.

1022 No 1022 Boston Orpheum 1980.

Boston, MA, The Orpheum Theatre - 18.4.1980.  (Thanks Mick & Nicola)

This show is significant because it is PiL's first ever American show. PiL would not play outside of North America and Canada for the next 3 years, by which time they were a very different band.

The quality is about average for a 1980 bootleg. A bit muddy and distorted, not helped by the levels of Wobble's bass and it's a bit distant too. Nonetheless it is still a fantastic performance, the only let down being that it's been cut to shreds which strongly detracts from this tapes appeal. Very frustrating that such an important show was bootlegged by such an inadequate bootlegger.

The bootlegs from the American tour sound so raw and only make one wonder how great things could have been if PiL had gigged more within the two previous years. The number of performances up until the American tour was shocking for a band of PiL's status and quality.

The beginning of most songs are missing and there are unfortunately cuts between all songs. I don't think anything is actually missing though apart from the first few seconds of each song and that the bootlegger probably just wanted to save tape between songs.

There are cuts between ALL songs.Fingers crossed that one day a different sourced version will turn up!

1023 No 1023 Trenton, City Gardens 1982.

Trenton, NJ, City Gardens - 29.10.1982.  (Thanks Mick) 

Yet another fantastic bootleg from a vastly under-rated lineup.

The bass is really prominent on this one, whereas the vocals sound a touch muffled. The beginning of Attack is also missing.

At one point Lydon asks the crowd if they should "...do another gig here on Monday night!" but as far as I am aware the show never materialised. A must hear for any fans of this particular lineup.

There is a brief cut during Public image.

1024 No 1024 Hamburg '86 version 1.

Hamburg, Germany, Große Freiheit 36 - 3.6.1986.  (Thanks Mick & Tobias) 

This is definetely one of my favourite recordings from the '86 tour, due to the quality of the recording and the strength of the performance. As usual John is having problems with spitting which begins as early as FFF and reaches a peak during Pretty Vacant after which Lydon orders the crowd to pack it in.

Banging the Door sounds fantastic on this one, as does Home.

Its the standard set with Rise and Annalisa being performed as encores. There's plently of good banter and a few threats for good measure to make this an interesting gig.

During Rise Lydon gets hit with a handful of coins and beseeches the security to deal with the perpitrator. A real must have for any fans of the '86 line up!

The first few seconds of Kashmir are missing on this version of the gig.

There is a cut between Flowers and Bags where the tape was turned.

There's a fade between Public image & Rise.

There's a final fadeout after Annalisa.

1025 No 1025 Hamburg '86 version 2.

Hamburg, Germany, Große Freiheit 36 - 3.6.1986.  (Thanks Mick & ebay)

The source for this 2nd version of the Hamburg gig is a bootleg picture disc LP called "More Bermuda than Pizza" which is actually a mis-press of a Velvet Underground LP.

I bought the LP, expecting it to contain an edited performance of PiL live in Austria at the annual Donauinselfest from September '86. I was a little surprised therefore to find that the LP actually contains the first 9 songs from the Hamburg gig three months previously.

The first thing that you will notice upon listening to it that it is completely obvious that the band are playing inside a club and not at an open air festival. There's an echo that can only be produced by playing within four enclosed walls, and the crowd is obviously small. (Große Freiheit 36 only has a capacity of up to 1200!)

The second thing that you will notice (if you own the Hamburg bootleg!) is that the comments are identical on both, including John shouting at the gobbers and his reactions to being thrown flowers.

The third point is that on the complete Hamburg bootleg the band finish the set successfully and at no point does John McGeoch get twatted by a bottle, proving that neither versions are from the Austrian gig.

The only thing that I can say in favour of this bootleg is that not only is Kashmir complete, but we also get the intro before the song, whereas on the complete Hamburg bootleg the recording begins in the middle of Kashmir. This though is a very small compensation...

If it wasn't for the fact that the 2nd version is from an entirely different source (although poorer quality!) it would be a complete waste of time and effort.

The LP sells on ebay (occasionally) for between £20 - £50.

1026 No 1026 Frankfurt 1986.

Frankfurt, Germany, Bürgerhaus Nied - 1.6.1986.  (Thanks Mick)

The most unfortunate thing about this bootleg is the inferior sound quality, which is a tragedy when compared to the Hamburg show of a few days later. Performance wise the band seem to have a good night and play the regular set minus 4 Enclosed Walls, although they do pull off a partciularly strong version of the ever amazing Banging the Door which has to be a show high-light. The crowd seem pretty torpid until about the midway point when they seem to come to life a little.

It must be said though that the quality does improve considerably throughout the set.

This also seems to be one of the very few gigs from this tour where Lydon doesn't suffer the usual problems of cliched punks gobbing at him. There is absolutely no mention of spitting from Lydon at all!

The recording ends after Annalisa, although there is nothing to suggest that it is incomplete. Several bootlegs from the tour also end after Annalisa, so...

There is a cut after Public image, after which the first verse of Rise fades in, the beginning of the song being missing

This recording is pretty much a rarity. I've never seen it on any trading lists.

1027 No 1027 Bonn 1986.

Bonn, Germany, Biskuithalle - 30.5.1986.  (Thanks Mick)

This bootleg starts with a few minutes of didgeridoo intro before the band launch into Kashmir. This is a great quality recording and a really strong performance that is only blighted by the usual spitting problems. That could be partly the reason why the setlist is so short. Either that or a few songs have been edited out, which is more likely.

Aside from one or two of the British gigs (especially Preston!), this is the angriest I have ever heard Lydon become on stage. Quite understandable when being constantly spat in the face...

There is a cut after 4 Enclosed Walls and then a fade in before Bags. This inclines me to think that Flowers of Romance and/or Banging the Door (and maybe even Tie me to the length of that!) have been edited out. However, the cut occurs at the 30 minute mark which could just indicate that a 60 minute cassette was used, therefore the cut may actually just be a tape flip.

For some reason the recording momentarily speeds up during Home, although it fixes very quickly.

There is a cut between Public image and Rise.

1028 No 1028 Bordeaux 1986.

Bordeaux, France, Le Chat Bleu - 20.10.1986.  (Thanks Mick)

The most interesting thing about this show and the Spanish shows is that they clearly illustrate how much tighter the band had become since the British and European dates 5 months earlier.

The fantastic quality of this recording make it a joy to listen to and the band seem much more confident and relaxed than at the outset of the tour.

Show high-light has to be a blistering Low Life, which has to be heard, not least for Lydon's lyrical re-arrangements to include the line: "I hate the French"

After Flowers there is a cut in which Banging the Door or 4 enclosed walls (or both) have been edited out by the bootleger.

Round has also been edited out as we hear the drum intro but then there's a cut in the tape, and we resume with Home. This is unfortunate, but perhaps an unedited copy exists somewhere. Fishing has also been edited out of history.

A fantastic bootleg, well worth finding despite it having been cut to pieces.

There's a cut after Low Life and another before Poptones (Fishing has been edited out!)

Public image has been been moved to the end of the set for some ridiculous reason!

There's a cut between Pretty Vacant and Religion.

There's a cut between Flowers and Bags.

There's a cut between Bags and Home.

There's a cut between Home and Rise.

There's a cut between Holidays and Public image.

1029 No 1029 Barcelona 1986.

Barcelona, Spain, Studio 54 - 15.10.1986.  (Thanks Mick) 

I picked up this bootleg along with the Madrid gig from the 17th, at a tape stall while on holiday in Spain in summer 2000. 

A fine performance. PiL's first visit to Spain, indeed Lydon even comments upon this during Kashmir.

The audience seem a bit subdued, but PiL still deliver the goods. Strong versions of Low Life, Poptones, Home and an excellent Public image have to be high points of the set.

There's trouble throughout with spitting with Lydon doing his best to persuade them to stop; "I don't speak Spanish, but please do not spit!"

The quality of this one is perhaps a shade less than the Madrid tape, but both are pretty similar in terms of atmosphere and performance.

Interestingly Religion isn't in the set tonight.

At the very end of the gig Lydon says: "I warned you about spitting! No more...!" although this was the last number anyway.

There is a cut between Public image and The Order of Death.

There is a cut between Annalisa and World Destruction.

1030 No 1030 Aberdeen '86.

Aberdeen, Scotland, Capitol Theatre - 13.5.1986.  (Thansk Mick) 

A great bootleg, if a little muffled, very similar to the Newcastle show.

The band play very well, apart from completely butchering FFF.

John stops the show during Poptones due to some commotion in which 'People are getting hurt' but this is quickly resolved and the show continues.

The band walk off after Low Life due to spitting, but come back for two more numbers. The band walk off again during World Destruction due to some moron lobbing a can at Lydon, but return to finish the set.

There is a cut between Bags and Tie me, most probably where the tape was turned.

There is a cut after Public image and another after Low Life.

Note: In September 2010 I made a high quality digital transfer of this gig from my old cassette copy.

1031 No 1031 San Francisco 1986.

San Francisco, CA, Civic Auditorium - 2.7.1986.  (Thanks Mick)

This recording, despite being a soundboard is a wee bit muddy.

It's interesting to note how the setlist had expanded by this point to include songs like The Order of Death, (which also featured lyrics from Bad Life), and Holidays in the Sun from the Pistols repertoire.

Much to Lydon's own amusement he completely forgets the words to Home, which is probably the only real fuck up of the night, the rest of the performance being flawless.

To the casual fan this is probably not really an essential bootleg. It's a pretty uneventful, standard show, although musically and sonically it is fantastic.

After World Destruction we get a few minutes of didgeridoo, giving us the impression that Ease will be the final encore, this is however replaced by Frank Sinatra's I get a Kick out of You, which signals the end of the show.

There is a cut between Public image and The Order of Death.

There is a cut between Rise and Annalisa.

There is a cut between Holidays in the Sun and World Destruction.

Note: Many traders list this show as being from the Warfield Theatre.

1032 No 1032 Atlanta, Agora Ballroom 1980.

Atlanta, GA, Agora Ballroom - 24.4.1980.  (Thanks Mick & Richard)

I have 2 versions of this bootleg. The first clocks in at 51 minutes, while the second clocks in at 49 minutes.

On version 1 of this bootleg Chant is incomplete, but is complete on version 2.

On version 2 of this bootleg Attack is incomplete, but is complete on version 1.

On both versions there is a cut between Public image and Death Disco

There is not a lot of band/crowd interaction on this one for some reason. Lydon hardly speaks, apart from to tell the crowd not to worry and that they'll soon be leaving. It sounds like the kind of show where band and audience were just not that into it.

Keith's guitar becomes mercilessly out of tune during Public image (probably due to a broken string!) which takes a while to remedy.

A fantastic version of Death Disco.

Probably the least memorable bootleg from the tour.

1033 No 1033 New York City, 1987.

New York City, The Beacon Theatre - 18.11.1987.  (Thanks Mick & Tony)

A very poor performance at times which gives the impression that PiL were there physically but not really in spirit. Lydon at least makes an apology for his own performance throughout the show, explaining that he has the flu, but I wonder what the band's excuse was. Dias sounds like he's just picked up a bass for the first time that very morning and Smith's drumming is sub standard to say the least. John McGeoch holds things together, but only just. That's not to say that he's without blame himself, as at times his playing is merely poor background music.

Rise is a joke to begin with. Smith misses the beat several times and McGeoch hits bum notes more than once. Four Enclosed Walls sounds terrible, though I've never been keen on this lineups version anyway.  

FFF is the biggest shambles of the night. Lydon completely fucks up the lyrics on practically every verse and the band don't seem to know what's happening so keep going in circles. McGeoch tries to neautralise the humiliation by adding some fancy guitar licks which are the songs only redeeming feature. This seriously has to be heard to be believed.

Open & Revolving is another disaster as Lydon can't cope with the high notes and his voice cracks all over the place. McGeoch's playing is very poor on this one too. Again the band keep going in circles because Lydon doesn't come in on the verses half the time. He eventually has to ask for a brandy for his throat in the end and tells the audience that some participation would help.

The band slowly pull themselves together and pull off a storming World Destruction. Fantastic versions of Angry & The Body follow. Holidays in the Sun has been edited out as is clear when we hear the last few bars of the song before Not a Love Song, which is why this recording is listed as incomplete.

There is a cut between Home and Rules & Regulations.

There's a cut between Public image & This is Not a Love Song

1034 No 1034 Montreal, Le Spectrum - 1982.

Montreal, Canada, Le Spectrum - 17.10.1982.  (Thanks Mick)

According to Wikipedia, the venue known as Le Spectrum opened on the 17th October 1982, which would mean that PiL played on the opening night. The band are not mentioned however in the list of notable performers. It also states that at that time the venue was known as the Alouette Theatre and only later as Le Spectrum, meaning that this gig is actually mislabelled.

Anyway, it's a great gig although in my opinion not as entertaining as the previous night in Toronto.

There are sound problems, which Lydon is not happy about although it doesn't sound like anything too serious. The guitar seems to be extremely low in the mix, which is especially evident on Attack and Religion. It's barely audible, although things do pick up a little as the gig progresses.

Quality wise it's one of the best from this era.

There is a cut between Chant and Low Life.

1035 No 1035 St Louis, Kiel Auditorium 1988.

St Louis, MO, Kiel Auditorium - 13.3.1988.  (Thanks Mick)

This bootleg is missing the first two songs of the set, namely Public image and FFF. The first half of Seattle is also missing.

To be honest this sounds as though the audio has been taken from a dodgy quality video recording. No footage of this concert has (to my knowledge) ever shown up, so that may not be the case. Nevertheless it's an interesting recording.

Very boomy, with a bit of distortion, not unlike the footage from the Market Square Arena in Indiana that was shot upon the next evening.

This is certainly not an essential bootleg to anyone who isn't collecting as there are many others from the same time period which represent the music and the band much more faithfully.

1036 No 1036 Detroit 1980.

Detroit, MI, Motor City Roller Rink - 28.4.1980.  (Thanks Mick & Richard)

There are a few versions of this recording around. Most versions are missing Chant, but the copy I have is complete.. Many old copies also are missing the first minute or so of Careering, but a recrent upgrade of the gig is more complete and begins with audience noise before the band begin playing.

Quality wise it's very good. Lydons vocals are a little buried by Wobble's thundering bass, although many of the 1980 bootlegs are the same. I advise to listen with a quality pair of headphones...

Lydon isn't very communicative on this one, save for asking that the house lights be turned down and to goad the crowd, who themselves sound pretty reserved. Lydon also states that Conway Twitty is a hero of PiL's.

1037 No 1037 Roseland Ballroom 1982.

New York City, Roseland Ballroom - 28.9.1982.  (Thanks Mick & Jack)

Recorded using a Grundig Stenorette-2020 recorder with 30 minute steno-cassette. 

This tape is a very nice little find, despite being incomplete.

The chap whom sent me this recording, recorded it himself with a small hand held dictaphone type machine, which explains why the quality is not that great. Nevertheless it's an amazing find as no other recording of PiL's first ever 1982 gig has so far turned up, at least to my knowledge.

Most of Lydon's comments are pretty indiscernible, although after Public image he does ask the crowd; "Not bad for a few days rehearsal, huh?"

The band seem to play well enough, although the bass is inaudible and the drums (especially the cymbals) are a little too prominent in the mix. There's also a lot of crowd noise which helps a great deal in obscuring Lydon's comments.

The recording ends very abruptly during Mad Max, which is extremely unfortunate.

There are cuts during Death Disco & Religion.

1038 No 1038 Toronto, Canada 1982.

Toronto, Canada, Masonic Temple Concert Hall - 16.10.1982.  (Thanks Mick) 

This version of the Toronto gig is the only complete version of the show and opens with Lou Reed Part 1 in a rare live outing for the song. Despite the quality not being as sharp as the 2nd source tape it's still an essential listen for any fans of the Commercial Zone era due to its' completeness.

It's pretty much the standard setlist with a few interesting comments from Lydon and even fans, although on this recording it can be a bit difficult to make them out at times.

It's not only at the beginning of the gig that this recording is more complete than its' brother, but at the end too there is an extra 35 seconds of crowd noise & Lydon comments as opposed to the other version which ends extremely suddenly after Under the House.

Both versions essential for very different reasons.

1039 No 1039 Pasadena, CA - 7.11.1982.

Pasadena, CA, The Convention Centre - 7.11.1982.  (Thanks Mick & Pete)

This was the first of two nights at the Convention Centre in Pasadena. From the beginning of the intro of Blue Water you know this is going to be a good one. The quality is fantastic and the band sound incredible. Levene's guitar seers through the air like an axe!

Annalisa sounds fucking incredible! This is one gig I would give anything to have been at. I personally believe this was a peak time for Lydon and PiL. Just a pity they never toured the UK or Europe.

This show was released on a bootleg LP called Force. This version is from the original master cassette however.

My copy from the Force LP features no record jumps as such, but there are occassional crackles and pops (no snaps though!) from the vinyl but this is only really noticeable between songs when there's relative silence.

The bootleg LP version does unfortunately have fade outs between songs, the master cassette is relatively intact though, save for a few tape cuts.

Lydon makes a mistake on Bad Baby, accidentally singing the first line of Mad Max instead.

Worth noting is that this show doesn't seem quite as hostile as some of the others from the tour. In fact it's quite a happy affair at times and Lydon seems in a jolly mood throughout, despite having had all his beer nicked, which he constantly bemoans.

There is a cut between Public image and Low Life.

1040 No 1040 Pasadena, CA - 8.11.1982.

Pasadena, CA, The Convention Centre - 8.11.1982.  (Thanks Mick)

This was the second night at the Convention Centre. This gig is available on a bootleg LP titled Live in Pasadena California although it only features 9 songs of the 14 song set.

The audience master is a much better investment as it features the complete performance with only one tape cut.

It must be said though that the bootleg LP has ever so slighty better quality than the complete version.

There is a cut between Public image and Under the House.

1041 No 1041 NYC Great Gildersleeves.

New York City, Great Gildersleeves - 22.4.1980.  (Thanks Mick)

Apart from the New York Palladium gig two days previously, this has to be the top bootleg from the US tour. The intimacy of the venue has a great effect on the band/audience interaction. Lydon is not so hostile as at some of the other dates on the tour. The show must also have been recorded with a pretty decent recorder, or a decent microphone at least as there aren't the usual distortion problems created by Wobble's thundering Ovation.

Almost as entertaining as the music are the numerous audience member comments that can be over heard on the tape. Like when Lydon says: "Turn a fan on, it's so fucking hot up here." we hear the reply; "Aw, you'll live."

Or the gentleman who seems to be much impressed by Wobble's abilities; "He's a fucking great bass player! I wanna hear their new album! Wobble! Wobble! ... I'd like to know who the drummer is!"

After Memories Lydon and Levene sod off and leave Atkins and Wobble to knock out a version of Fodderstompf until they return to finish with a second version of Public image.

A major plus with this tape is that there is only 1 tape cut. Probably the only PiL bootleg I've heard where that's the case.

Said tape cut occurs between Fodderstompf and Public image 2.

1043 No 1043 College Park, 1982.

College Park, MD, Ritchie Coliseum - 31.10.1982.  (Thanks Mick)

This recording is slightly distant and a bit flat, but is nevertheless a good recording for the time.

The Blue Water intro is missing, but this is a minor aside. Nothing seems to be missing from the performance itself.

Annalisa seems to be a particularly short version of the song and ideed many of the songs have a bit of a rushed feeling to them. Maybe this is why they fit so many songs into barely 67 minutes. This though is not a criticism. It's actually a very interesting contrast to other shows, for example the Chicago gig from 23rd October where certains songs last up to 6 or 7 minutes. Other boots of the same length generally have only 11 or 12 songs.

There's also no lengthy gaps between songs as was this line ups wont. They go from one song straight into another!

The CDR which I have is actually 1 long track, which to be honest I prefer as it means you get the gig as it was recorded and don't have any annoying clicks or transitions between tracks, especially the dreaded 2 second gap which has to be the ultimate bane of the live bootleg.

This must be one of the very few occasions where this lineup performed Poptones. It must be said that it sounds fantastic and really should have been part of the regular set list. Jones' bass combined with Levene's guitar sounds unbelievable! The way the song segues into Chant is very reminiscent of the shows that would take place the following year with the cabaret band.

There are no tape cuts at all on this bootleg and no encores are performed. If the quality were significantly better this would be the ultimate bootleg from 1982.

1044 No 1044 Glasgow Apollo, 83.

Glasgow, Scotland, Apollo Theatre - 16.11.1983.  (Thanks Mick & Kevin)

Judging from the sound of it Glasgow was probably the largest attended gig on the tour, although this could just be the tape playing tricks.

The quality improves considerably during Low Life and thankfully remains that way throughout.

This is probably my favourite recording from the '83 tour as it seems a bit more rough and raw than the other bootlegs available. Whether this is due to the good acoustics of the Apollo, or the band themselves is uncertain, but it's a damn fine performance.

The tape is fantastic with regard to quality!

The original cassette version that I had of this gig was really quite poor quality and had an unbelievable amount of tape hiss. I recently received an upgrade of the gig, which is a million times better although it is missing the final encore, Attack! (The old, poorer quality version is complete however!)

This may have been the only time on this tour that Flowers of Romance was performed as an ecnore.

There is a cut between Chant and Anarchy.

There is a cut between Anarchy and This is Not a Love Song.

1045 No 1045 Manchester, 23.2.1979.

Manchester, King's Hall - 23.2.1979.  (Thanks Mick)

A very raw sounding gig and definitely one of the best from the very early years. Unfortunately there isn't a lot of crowd noise, but the band sound very clear and play a powerful set.

Thankfully this would be the last appearance of Belsen in the set. It is also false started, but apart from that it's almost a perfect performance. Keith's guitar sounds particularly brutal on this one and thankfully isn't drowned out by Wobble's bass.

I always thought, and part of me still thinks that this could be a recording from the mixing desk. There's very little crowd noise, and what little there is, is unusually distant for an audience recording. So my estimation is that it's a less than perfect soundboard.

To my ears there are no tape cuts.

1046 No 1046 Birmingham, 1983.

Birmingham, UK, Odeon Theatre - 13.11.1983.  (Thanks Mick)

This was the first of PiL's two winter visits to Birmingham. The second date was also bootlegged.

This gig is out there on both cassette and CDR. Thankfully the transition between tracks on the CDR is completely seamless, which is as surprising as it is welcome.

Definitely an audience recording and one of the better bootlegs from the '83 tour. The bass seems very prominent, while also being more deep than twangy.

Lydon is in hostile mode tonight; "Good night - you have been interesting but extremely dull! The exits are clearly marked!"

There is a cut between Anarchy and This is Not a Love Song.

1047 No 1047 Leicester 1986.

Leicester, UK, De Montfort Hall - 20.5.1986.  (Thanks Mick & Richard)

This bootleg opens with a minute or so of house music before the band launch into an excellent Kashmir.

This tape was obtained from an old PiL friend of mine who bought it during the summer of '86, within a few weeks of the gig, along with a few others from the tour, so it's a very low gen recording, a lot better than some copies that I've heard over the years.

It's obvious from the first verse of FFF that Lydon is genuinely as ill as he warns the crowd he is during Kashmir.

Despite being ill the crowd still shower him with gob, although Lydon is ready with the remarks, calling them "cheap scum!" and "fucking rank amateurs!"

It's a fantastic show to listen to. Probably the closest to a soundboard quality recording that you'll get from the UK tour.

There is a cut between Public image and Rise.

1048 No 1048 Atlanta 1988.

Atlanta, GA, The Omni Coliseum - 3.3.1988.  (Thanks Mick)

A great quality audience recording of one of the earlier gigs on the INXS Kick tour.

Again, like with many of the other bootlegs from the tour, PiL get a fantastic reception! Lydon has the crowd eating out of his hand from start to finish and is full of his "Let me hear you, it's only uncle Johnny!" banter. 

Before Seattle Lydon oddly comments that it's the first time he's ever played inside an egg carton!

There is a cut between The Body & Rules & Regulations.

1049 No 1049 Chicago, Riviera Theatre '87.

Chicago, IL, Riviera Theatre - 28.11.1987.  (Thanks Mick & David)

Yet another fantastic quality recording from Chicago's Riviera Theatre, direct from the master recording.

PiL play exactly the same setlist as the previous night in Royal Oak, and like the previous night in Royal Oak the band pull off one of the best shows of their career!

I cannot recommend this bootleg enough. The flu that Lydon appeared to have been suffering from is well and truly gone and he manages to hit (almost) all the notes perfectly. As well as this there is plenty of good crowd banter and humour to keep things interesting.

There is a version of this bootleg in circulation that is missing the final song, Religion.

There is a cut between Public image and The Order of Death.

1050 No 1050 London - 5.12.1983.

London, UK, Hammersmith Palais - 5.12.1983.  (Thanks Mick & Richard)

Another great quality bootleg from the Hammersmith Palais.

It's the standard set with the interesting inclusion of Bad Life which replaces Poptones. It's a good enough version, even though it's been given the cocktail lounge treatment.

The first two gigs from the Palais were certainly more memorable performances, although there is more noticeable crowd noise on this one.

This bootleg sounds extremely similar to the one recorded at the Palais in November, the only real way to tell them apart being the variations in the setlist and the between song comments from Lydon.

There is a fadeout/in after Anarchy.

1051 No 1051 Brisbane, Australia '89.

Brisbane, Australia, Easts Leagues Rugby Club - 18.8.1989.  (Thanks Mick & Brad)

This is probably in my top 5 list of favourite PiL bootlegs. The band pull off one of the best shows they ever played and the crowd are really up for it too.

This is an audience recording, and although the quality could be a bit sharper it is still a fantastic bootleg.

Lydon seems to be in a great mood, which reflects strongly on the crowd; "Now I want everyone to clap along... except you, you're ugly!"

The show ends with an amazing version of World Destruction. Lydon's closing words are; "Well, same time next year!" - although this would be the last time PiL ever played in Australia... so far!

There is a cut between Open & Revolving and Round. I am also inclined to think that Fishing has been edited out, because the cut is exactly where the song should have been played and the band play it on every other Aussie bootleg from 1989.

1052 No 1052 Canberra 1984.

Canberra, Australia, ANU Performing Arts Centre - 16.12.1984. (Thanks Mick & Brad)

A good quality audience master from PiL's "Have a Rotten Christmas" tour.

It's a good performance and PiL even play a rare version of Poptones, which is the best moment of the gig!

 There is a cut between Poptones and This is Not a Love Song.

There is a brief quality dip during Anarchy.

1053 No 1053 Tokyo, Japan 2.7.1983.

Tokyo, Japan, Nakano Sun Plaza Hotel - 2.7.1983.  (Thanks Mick & Stephen)

This was the last of 5 dates that PiL played at the Nakano Sun Plaza Hotel in late June and early July '83. Several tracks from this performance were combined with tracks from the previous evening to comprise the Live in Tokyo album. The previous evening's performance was also released as a Live in Tokyo video.

The Live in Tokyo album, may boast much better quality, however in my opinion this audience recording despite not being quite as sharp is a much better option. The spit and polish which made the live album so unbearably cheesy is of course absent on the audience recording which leaves us with a much more gritty, rough sounding bootleg, which to be honest is it's only redeeming feature. On the CDR that I have, This is Not a Love Song is split between 2 tracks.

Features Albatross, which didn't survive much longer in the set.

There is a cut between Albatross & Death Disco.

There is a cut between Death Disco & Banging the Door.

1054 No 1054 NYC 1988.

New York City, Radio City Music Hall - 19.3.1988.  (Thanks Mick & Tony)

Listening to this gig, it's hard to believe that PiL were only the support band. The crowds reaction to the songs, not only cheering but singing along, and to Lydon in particular lead me to believe that there were a good percentage of the audience who were there to see PiL.

INXS must have been shitting danders and clinkers knowing that they had to follow this performance.

It's a good quality recording, although perhaps a little boomy which may cause a bit of a vibrating sound on some systems if the volume is too high.

I highly recommend this one as the band seem on fire and deliver one blistering song after another, especially FFF & Home which have always been favourites of mine.

There is a brief cut during Home, but not a lot seems missing.

There is a cut between Open & Revolving and Holidays in the Sun.

1055 No 1055 Düsseldorf 1983.

Düsseldorf, Germany, Philipshalle - 1.12.1983.

A nice little bootleg with an interesting setlist and good quality to match.

I wouldn't say it's an essential bootleg from this tour, as the quality is a little muddy at times and there does appear to be a bit of a modulating effect on the tape.

As with most shows in non English speaking parts of the globe, Lydon doesn't say very much. It's the standard setlist but with the inclusion of Careering and Bad Life which replace Flowers of Romance and Poptones.

There is a cut between Anarchy and This is Not a Love Song.

1056 No 1056 Switzerland 1987.

Lausanne, Switzerland, Hot-Point Festival - 4.9.1987.  (Thanks Mick)

This bootleg only recently turned up on the bootleg circuit, although I do remember seeing it once on a traders list back in 2001 or 2002.

Yet another festival appearance and yet another damn fine performance. It is an obvious audience recording although all instruments can be heard exceptionally clearly, so a very good quality microphone/recorder must have been used. Unfortunately there is almost no bass on the recording which was probably the result of the cassette transfer, which also was done in mp3 unfortunately. These annoyances aside it is a fantastic gig to listen to.

1060 No 1060 Los Angeles 1986.

Los Angeles, CA, Hollywood Palladium - 5.7.1986.  (Thanks Mick & Pete)

The source for this audio bootleg is a complete video bootleg of the gig. The video is pretty much of a rarity.

Sound quality could be a lot better.

1061 No 1061 Brighton, '83.

Brighton, UK, Top Rank Club - 2.11.1983.  (Thanks Mick)

NOTE: THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE BRIGHTON GIG. THE FIRST REVIEW IS A REVIEW OF THE COMPLETE SOURCE. THE SECOND REVIEW IS OF AN INCOMPLETE VERSION. BOTH RECORDINGS ARE FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES. 

Recording 1:

The most interesting thing about this gig is that it features Bad Baby in the setlist. This may have been the only time it was played on the UK tour. This alone is a good enough reason to get this gig as it's not a bad version - very upbeat and funky. A real pity that it didn't remain in the setlist.

Lydon makes a lot of comments between songs, mostly to the people spitting at him, although most of it is difficult to make out due to the quality not being the sharpest.

My version of this gig sounds like a pretty low generation recording which adds a little to its appeal.

The reason the running time is so long compared to all other gigs from this tour is that there have been no tape cuts between songs which really stretches out the time. Even after the final song of the set there is another 3 or 4 minutes of crowd noise...

Between encores there are no cuts, but a few minutes of house music.

There is a fadeout at the very end.

Recording 2:

I was quite excited to get this CDR from a fellow trader as it had been listed as an upgrade of the previous recording, however I was more than a little disappointed. It's anything but an upgrade and is in fact a much inferior recording.

Although the CDR has 10 tracks there are only 9 songs. One track is entitled "encore break".

To begin with the bass is much too high (no doubt the person who tranferred it from cassette wanted to recreate some of the early PiL magic!) however with Lou Bernardi on bass it hasn't worked and it's left us with a much too boomy, disappointing alternative to the complete master. This combined with the fact that it's incomplete (and is much shorter than the first version in general!) leaves us with a recording that would deserve a one way ticket to the wheelie bin were it not for the fact that it's apparently from a different source to the complete version. This alone has saved it from the chop!

This recording only lasts 45, making it 15 minutes shorter than the other version.

There is a cut between Chant and Anarchy.

1062 No 1062 New York City, 1984.

New York City, L'Amour Club - 10.11.1984.  (Thanks Mick)

Lydon has a lot of trouble throughout most of the set with malfunctioning monitors.

Performance wise this is probably the best audience recording from this lineup. The quality is not as sharp as most from this era, but it is still the best bootleg in my opinion. There's a lot of audience noise, especially people singing along etc, but the band and Lydon can be heard perfectly clear throughout.

All in all it seems like a good natured gig apart from the "tuppeny, ha'penny arseholes" who are spitting. For the most part Lydon is in good spirits though.

An example of Lydon's playful mood on this one is when the band finish playing Chant, he keeps singing so the band launch back into the song for another minute. When they finish playing Lydon again keeps singing, so they have to begin playing again. Indeed he does the same thing with This is Not a Love Song.

The set ends with a fantastic verion of This is Not a Love Song (is there ever a bad version of this song?) and even more interestingly with Memories, which was a rarely performed song at this time.

Highly recommended!

It is unclear which songs are performed as encores due to numerous tape cuts.

There is a cut between Bodies and Public image.

There is a cut between Public image and Anarchy.

There is a cut between Chant and This is Not a Love Song.

1065 No 1065 Osaka 1985.

Osaka, Japan, Kosei Nenkin Kaikan - 14.1.1985.  (Thanks Mick & Issei)

The quality of this bootleg may not be so great, but it's definitely one of the most obscure PiL recordings that I've ever come across. The Japanese guy whom sent it to me said that he obtained it in the late 80's from a fellow trader.

It's a good enough show, although the Japanese audience are typically reserved. Annoyingly so, in fact.

1066 No 1066 Sydney, 4.1.1985.

Sydney, Australia, The Royal Antler Hotel - 4.1.1985.  (Thanks Mick & Brad)

Two versions of this gig exist, an excellent quality audience recording and a great quality, although below average, soundboard recording. The audience master was recorded personally by a contact of mine.

Both recordings clock in at 68 minutes and of course there is a lot more crowd noise on the audience recording. The mixing desk one sounds very flat.

It's a great performance, very similar to the previous night at Cronulla although Lydon doesn't seem to be suffering from any technical difficulties tonight.

1073 No 1073 Springfield, USA 1992.

Springfield, MO, USA - The Shrine Mosque, 8.4.1992  (Thanks Mick & JD)

A very good quality recording.

Bootlegs from the early part of the That What Is Not Tour are pretty rare, so this was a great find.

Despite being a very obscure show, it is pretty average and nothing exciting happens that's worth mentioning. Lydon doesn't really interact with the crowd, save for the "I cannot hear you!" and "It's only Granddad Rotten!" standards.

There is a cut between The Body & Disappointed.

There is a cut between Public image & Covered.

1082 No 1082 Berlin, Das Metropoltheater, 1987.

Berlin, Germany, Das Metropoltheater - 21.10.1987.  (Thanks Mick & Tillman)

Firstly a BIG thanks to Tillman for sending a copy of this gig from his own master cassette, from his own collection of personally recorded shows.

An excellent gig - one of the very few bootlegs in existence from PiL's European dates of 1987.

Recorded using a Sony TCD5M PRO recorder, the sound quality is fantastic, with just a little bit of tape hiss to add authenticity to the recording.

Upon receiving a cassette copy of the gig I immediately conducted a high quality digital transfer and created the artwork, presented here.

An extremely tight performance with a storming version of Public image. Religion is the only turkey of the evening.

After the closing bars of Holidays in the Sun Lydon tells the crowd: "One day you'll tell your grand children about this gig!"

1085 No 1085 Adelaide, Australia 1989.

Adelaide, Australia, Le Rox Night Club - 29.8.1989.  (Thanks Mick & Brad)

This is another obscure Aussie bootleg that was sent to me last year by friend from down under.

The quality of the recording is pretty average. It sounds as if the bootlegger was standing quite a distance away from the stage, as the band sound very distant and audience chatter can be heard very clearly.

The original CDRs that I received played every so slightly fast, which I have since corrected.

From looking at the setlist is appears to have been edited. The band do not play Worry or World Destruction. This is not the case though, as there are two audience recordings of this gig and both have identical running orders.

1095 No 1095 Cleveland '86.

Cleveland, OH, USA, The Phantasy Nite Club - 17.6.1986  (Thanks Mick & Renato)

The trader from whom I got this gig had it listed as a mixing desk rip, but it's a definite audience recording.

Lydon offers an identifier ("Hello Cleveland!") during FFF.

Apart from bemoaning the Cleveland fans for being too shy Lydon doesn't really say very much apart from telling the crowd to stop throwing things during the encores.

Another hugely entertaining bootleg from the Album tour.

There is a cut between Banging the Door & Flowers.

There is a cut between Home & Public image.

There is a cut between Rise & Annalisa.

There is a fadeout after Ease.

1101 No 1101 Leeds University - 18.11.1983.

Leeds University, UK - 18.11.1983.  (Thanks Mick).

I've been after this recording for years but never knew that it was actually a soundboard recording. That said it is a very poor quality soundboard - at least until Banging the Door. The first 6 songs are also in mono which is a bit irritating. After Solitaire there is a cut and the quality suddenly jumps into stereo as well as improving tenfold! At first I thought that perhaps someone had spliced two different gigs together, although this theory was quickly dispelled after Banging the Door when Lydon says; "Bloody hell does Leeds get lobotomies on the National Health?" which at least proves it's still the same show. The quality jump is inexplicable.

The audience are barely audible throughout the entire show, which is not uncommon on mixing desk recordings although it must be said that it sounds extremely lifeless.

There is a cut between Solitaire and Banging the Door.

There is a cut during Anarchy.

1102 No 1102 Lancaster University - 9.12.1983.

Lancaster University, UK - 9.12.1983.  (Thanks Mick)

This is a pretty bad tempered one. Most of Lydon's comments are reserved for the punk army who are gobbing away as usual.

Must be said that PiL seem to be simply going through the motions by this point. The tour was just about over and you can hear that Lydon is thoroughly fed up with it. The crowd also give voice to their displeasure, one attendee shouting; "Oh, fuck off you rich bastard!"

1105 No 1105 Toronto 1986.

Toronto, Canada, Temple Concert Hall - 16.6.1986 (Thanks Mick & Darren).

Some pro-shot footage of this gig has shown up in the past, but I never knew of an audience recording until quite recently.

It's not the greatest quality unfortunately but it is a very rare bootleg so it's definitely a great find!

The last 4 or 5 songs suffer from an irritating oscilating effect but apart from that it's pretty ok.

There are tape cuts between the last 3 songs.

1106 No 1106 Byron Bay 1989.

Byron Bay, Australia, Arts Factory Lodge - 20.8.1989.  (Thanks Mick & Brad).

A great quality audience recording, although incomplete.

The trader from whom I obtained this recording had it incorrectly listed as "Live at the Citrus Club"

1147 No 1147 Sacramento, 1984.

Sacramento, CA, The Crest Theatre - 21.10.1984.  (Thanks David Chilcott)

A good quality soundboard recording, although the audience are practically inaudible.

Public image fades out during the first verse and is incomplete.

High quality artwork created by Mick.

Here's a reduced quality MP3 sample.

1148 No 1148 Aberdeen 86 (Version 2)

Aberdeen, Scotland, Capitol Theatre - 13.5.1986.  (Thanks Mick).

This is an upgraded digital transfer from the cassette bootleg using much better equipment.

The recording is in full stereo, has had some hiss removal and has been transfered at 48kHz/16bit.

Here's a reduced quality MP3 sample of the new version.

1149 No 1149 London, 2.5.1992.

London, Kentish Town, Town & Country Club - 2.5.1992. (Thanks Mick & Richard).

This is an upgraded digital transfer from the cassette bootleg using much better equipment.

The recording is in full stereo, has had some hiss removal and has been transfered at 48kHz/16bit.

Here's a reduced quality MP3 sample of the new version.

1150 No 1150 Aylesbury '83. (Version 2).

Aylesbury, UK, Friars Club - 19.11.1983. (Upgrade!)  (Thanks Mick.)

This is an upgraded digital transfer from the cassette bootleg using much better equipment.

The recording is in full stereo, has had some hiss removal and has been transfered at 48kHz/16bit.

Here's a reduced quality MP3 sample of the new version.

1151 No 1151 Sydney 1985. (Version 2).

Sydney, Australia, Cronulla Sutherland Leagues Club - 3.1.1985.  (Thanks Mick).

This is the same recording as 975, but with new, improved quality artwork...

This is a mixing desk recording.

Unfortunately Bad Life cuts after about 2 minutes, which is why this recording is listed as incomplete.

Lydon gets seriously frustrated during Low Life because apparently the monitors "...are nothing but fucking bass!"

This is followed by strong versions of Memories (during which Lydon has to change mics) and interestingly, Banging the Door (the first time I'd heard this song performed by this lineup!) which must be said urinates all over the '83 lineups version!

1155 No 1155 Tokyo, Japan - 1987.

Tokyo, Japan, Kokaido Shibuya - 10.12.1987.  (Thanks Mick).

Direct digital transfer of the gig from the cassette bootleg using Goldwave v5.63.

Full stereo.

Transfer Bitrate; 48kHz/16bit WAV.

CDR Burn; 44kHz/16bit.

No hiss removal.

Reduced quality MP3 sample.

1183 No 1183 Brixton Academy 27.5.1986

London, Brixton Academy - 27th May, 1986.  (Thanks Mick & Pete). 

Every copy of the infamous Brixton gig that I've ever heard has ran far too fast. This recording is no exception.

The band play well, and the show is infamous for all the wrong reasons.

Performance/quality wise it's certainly not the most essential bootleg from 1986, but will always be the most famous and sought after unfortunately.

Poor quality artwork. Front cover has a photo of Lydon from the Christmas day gig in '78 and the rear sleeve shows a John Lydon wax dummy.

Innacurate setlist too.

1184 No 1184 Tokyo, 2.7.1983.

Tokyo, Japan, Nakano Sun Plaza - 2.7.1983.  (Thanks Mick.)

One of the gigs that was used for the Live in Tokyo album.

Good but basic artwork.

Recording is an above average audience recording and a much better listen than the official release.

1185 No 1185 Paris, France - 17.1.1980.

Paris, France, Le Palais - 17th Jan 1980.  (Thanks Mick).

Audience recording of the first night in Paris. Certain tracks from this gig were recorded officially and included on the Paris au Printemps album.

Good quality recording. This gig was also Martin Atkins live debut with the band. Atkins would drum on and off with PiL for the next 5 years.

Above average quality artwork, based on the 2nd Edition sleeve.