Public Image Ltd
Buenos Aires | C Art Media
April 2026
Public Image Ltd flew to Argentina to prove that Anger Is Still an Energy… our Argentinean reviewer Daniel Rodriguez was there whilst Pablo Astudillo took the photos…
After more than ten years away, Public Image Ltd’s return to Buenos Aires was nothing short of explosive—a collision of sound, memory, and defiance. John Lydon, still uncompromising, stalked the stage at C Art Media with a raw magnetism that reminded the crowd why he remains one of Britain’s most fearless voices.
The night kicked off with Home, immediately pulling the packed venue into PiL’s uncompromising universe. What followed was a journey through biting social critique (Know Now, Corporate), hypnotic experiments (Poptones, Death Disco, Flowers of Romance), and incendiary anthems (This Is Not a Love Song). A surprise rendition of World Destruction injected urgency, while Warrior and Shoom reignited the chaos. The main set closed in ferocious fashion—pogoing erupted, the venue shook, and Buenos Aires went wild.
The encore was pure release. PiL ripped into Open Up, then soared with Rise, the audience chanting “Anger is an energy” in perfect unison. The finale—a furious medley of Annalisa / Attack / Chant—left fans exhilarated, drained, and utterly alive.
But beyond the songs, the atmosphere was unforgettable. Buenos Aires crowds are famous for their intensity, and this night proved why—every lyric shouted back, every rhythm absorbed as collective ritual. For me, it carried personal weight: PiL’s last visit had led to an interview with Lydon; this time, a brief backstage exchange reaffirmed his role as a cultural provocateur. His influence threads through Joy Division, The Stone Roses, Primal Scream, Happy Mondays, Oasis, and countless others—woven into the DNA of British music and into the lives of those shaped by it.
Across 14 songs, PiL delivered a masterclass in legacy: confrontational, experimental, and anthemic. Nearly five decades in, they remain vital, dangerous, and defiantly relevant. For Buenos Aires, this wasn’t just a concert—it was a reunion with a legend, a celebration of resilience, and a reminder that anger still fuels energy.
And fittingly, the night carried the banner This Is Not the Last Tour. It felt like both a promise and a provocation—Lydon insisting the work is far from over. If anything, this performance proved PiL’s fire still burns with urgency and defiance. One word captures it: monumental.
Worth noting: for the first time ever, PiL’s South American run included three Argentine cities—Rosario, Buenos Aires, and Mar del Plata. A historic gesture underscoring the band’s enduring bond with Argentine audiences.
Support came from Fea, a Buenos Aires-based project led by actress and performer Sofía Gala Castiglione, whose set leaned into a dark, dub-infused strain of post-punk. Built around repetition, tension, and spoken-word intensity, their sound felt both raw and immersive, channelling the genre’s legacy while pushing it into more experimental, performance-driven territory. Fea land somewhere between the moodier edges of post-punk and a more theatrical, avant-garde sensibility—an intriguing and fitting precursor to PIL. John Lydon himself praised them, saying “I loved the support band”… but with trademark bite, he added: “This Is PiL.”
PIL PLAYED
Home
Know Now
Corporate
World Destruction (Time Zone cover)
This Is Not a Love Song
Poptones
Death Disco
Flowers of Romance
Warrior
Shoom
Public Image
Encore:
Open Up (Leftfield cover)
Rise
Annalisa / Attack / Chant
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