September 07, 2009

By By Andre Paine, London

John Lydon's influential U.K. post-punk band Public Image Ltd is to return for a five-date British tour in December after a 17-year hiatus.

The Sex Pistols frontman has brought late-1980s members Lu Edmonds and Bruce Smith back for the dates, which coincide with the 30th anniversary of the experimental groups's "Metal Box" album. Original PiL members Jah Wobble and Keith Levene are not involved in the tour.

Multi-instrumentalist Scott Firth, who has collaborated and played with Steve Winwood, John Martyn, Elvis Costello and the Spice Girls, has joined the group for the Live Nation-promoted tour.

The tour begins at Birmingham O2 Academy on Dec. 15 and continues with dates at Leeds O2 Academy (Dec. 16), Glasgow O2 Academy (Dec. 18), Manchester Academy (Dec. 19) and London Brixton O2 Academy (Dec. 21). Tickets go on sale on Sept. 11. The dates were booked by the Solo Agency.

In an interview with the Guardian today (Sept. 7), Lydon described PiL as an "unfinished work which is set to continue for some time."

"The Sex Pistols were too rigid," he added. "PiL allowed me to express proper emotions."

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