![]() One person even has a metal cane that they wave dangerously close to Johnny. But, as soon as the bouncer leaves, people jump over the barricade and are right up against the stage. He has a few choice words about this guy and calls for the Crofoot management to remove him. He points out that people didn’t come to the show to see that guy. Then Johnny gets irritated that a bouncer is leaning right up against the stage. So why are they moshing? Hipster cred? The front of the crowd pushes back and forth in a huge undulating wave, and I do my best to not get elbowed in the face. They weren’t even alive for the Sex Pistols or the punk scene in general. The mosh pit puzzles me because these are young people. The band returns and performs “Public Image.” And it’s during the encore that a mosh pit finally starts. So the crowd screams and cheers trying to get an encore. One of my friends who has been to scores of concerts said at one point, “This is one of the louder shows I’ve been to.” That alone says volumes. I heard somebody next to me say even his teeth were vibrating. My whole body is vibrating, as I’m standing about four feet from the stage. So the bass is turned up to a level so high that it feels like a huge sound wave. Then Johnny asks if we want the bass cranked up. ![]() He went on to say he needs us to clap or he can’t keep with the beat. They also perform the song, “Sun” where audience participation is mandatory. And he performed his song, “Religion” which points out the hypocrisy of having religions as money making machines. He said Bush has done us in with his eight year reign. He wouldn’t be being Johnny Rotten otherwise. Of course Johnny has his political statements. I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of a friend Johnny Rotten, or should I say, John Lydon would be. Then they play “Disappointed.” It has the chorus, “Disappointed a few people… when friendship reared its ugly head… disappointed a few people… well, isn’t that what friends are for?” After the song, Johnny says, “Your friends are worth forgiving.” It’s a personal statement to the crowd. “I take no quarter… this is my land… I’ll never surrender… I am a warrior.” With a voice self-described as sounding like “a bag of kittens falling down a flight of stairs” it’s extremely powerful and anthemic. They play some PiL classics like, “Death Disco,” “Bags” and “Flowers of Romance.” When Johnny performs “Warrior” he sings it with the full conviction that he is a warrior. He cares if we’re having a good time or not. For somebody who has a reputation for not giving a fuck, he tells the crowd to loosen up and dance. And even though he’s taking swigs of brandy between songs and even gargling with it, spitting on the stage because he has built up phlegm, he is fully engaged and putting on a great show. Respect is a recurring theme that Johnny comes back to again and again over the course of the night. He is not somebody I want to anger or throw off.īut despite his prickliness, Johnny tells the security team to respect the audience and that the audience will respect them back. He makes eye contact with me during the first song, and it’s intense. and the show kicks off with “(This is Not a) Love Song.” And right away Johnny Rotten is talking to some people up in the right side balcony, telling them to move because the obscenities they are hurling are throwing him off. And while the opening song may sound like a love song, it’s clearly not. Yet, this is a post-punk show and the sheer volume and sound pressure is making my head feel like it’s going to explode. It’s Wednesday night at the Crofoot in Pontiac-a small venue great for the intimate exchange between artist and audience.
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