John Lydon has announced that an incarnation of PIL will be reforming for a run of shows in the UK this December. No word yet if the tour will be expanded to other countries.
PIL rose from the ashes of Sex Pistols and showed the more experimental and what many would call the more interesting side of Lydon’s work. Their sound defined much of what became known as post-punk with a reggae influence courtesy of bassist Jah Wobble and an urge to stray from traditional song structures and ‘rock’ guitar sounds. They released 8 studio albums including Metal Box, Flowers Of Romance and Album.
Wobble (nor Keith Levene) will not be participating in the reunion, the line-up will consist of guitarist Lu Edmonds, drummer Bruce Smith and a new arrival in multi-instrumentalist Scott Firth.
December Tour Dates
15 – Birmingham, O2 Academy
16 – Leeds, O2 Academy
18 – Glasgow, O2 Academy
19 – Manchester, O2 Academy
21 – London, Brixton O2 Academy
Doubtful Sounds 
they were an incredible band at their height. Metal Box was abstract and scary and showed a poetic breadth in Lydon’s lyrics that marked him as an artist and not a one trick pony as many perhaps had thought. Swan Lake/Death Disco was genius: “Words can never say the way, they told me in your eyes”. A paean to the passing of Lydon’s Mum, set to a deconstruction of her favorite piece of music.
Flowers of Romance was completely uncompromising, too. Nothing remotely corporate rock friendly about these albums…
Will be interesting to hear reports about the new band.