you’ ve got to play to these people. You can’ t let student’ s-union lobbyists heckle

early offshoots into the world of music, and from there I discovered the possibility of studying my own emotions, which I think describes Public Image rather well. So there it is – no looking back, all an improvement. And the older I get, the more honest I get, and the more I find out about myself. And I find a great sense of relief and enjoyment in that, because I’ m someone who had his childhood memories stolen from him by a hideous illness, and I’ m lucky to be alive. So there’ s someone looking out for me. It’ s possible that

Sex Pistols, circa 1977

you into ignoring populations. I don’ t support any fucking government anywhere, ever. But I do support the cannon fodder – the people who have no choice and are pushed to the frontlines to be shot at in every war. They’ re my fellow citizens, and the ones I’ m talking to.

IE: Any songs leap out at you when you were assembling this material? JL: Well, when I first started writing for a band, I was very picky about my subject matter. And so it was very …. not inwardlooking, but more focused on institutions and churches and politics, things that were genuinely offending me and conscripting me to a sense of world order which I strongly disagreed with. Those were my

nature really does like me.

IE: Do“ Poptones” or“ Careering” mean something different to you now? JL: No. I tend to remember things almost photographically. I know the exact time I wrote it, and I know for how long these songs bubble around inside my head, driving me mad sometimes until I actually commit them to paper. So I know where I’ m going with the thing. And the actual final writing usually takes place all in one go. So I’ m trying to combine with the jumble I call a brain, and that comes out in drawings. So words I don’ t like to alter. Maybe live. I do like to shape-shift a performance, but never on the written page. And I’ ve got a frightful short-term memory

– it just runs away from me sometimes. So when I’ m onstage, I’ ve always got a lyric book up there.

IE: Forty years. What do you make of it all, looking back? JL: There’ s not enough of. I don’ t have enough hours in the day to [ do ] all the things I want to. So none of this‘ I hope I die before I get old’ Pete Townshend crap for me. Life for me is too short, and all there is, is life. No‘ Hark, the herald angels sing’ or any of that guffaw. So I do intend to fulfill my journey, until the day I die, when I can go,“ Oh, thank God – I can stop thinking now!” That will be my reward – hours of silence.

IE: We just need to get you a new wristwatch. JL: Actually, I’ ve got about 20. They’ re all hanging from nails above the bed. And when I’ m indoors, I don’ t need a watch, because the big thing about any house that I live in – even hotel rooms where I stay – is that I always insist on a clock on the wall. How demanding of me, right? But everywhere I [ go ], there has to be a clock. Because I like to keep track of time. It’ s really important to me to be on time, with anybody and everybody!

Tom Lanham

12 illinoisentertainer. com april 2017