Metal Box in Dub

‘The best guitarist of his generation’ was the assessment of the bloke behind me on Keith Levene’s long overdue to live action.

No argument from me as the former Public Image Limited genius wrenched some unbelievable sounds out of his battered guitars using only one effects pedal…yep, tiresome indie wannabes everywhere, one pedal, not a bloody space station at your feet.

Even better Keith had been brought back into action by fellow PiL member Jah Wobble and to complete this punk wet dream they were going to perform Metal Box in Dub.

There’s no doubt that Joy Division and PiL completely redefined British post punk towering above their contemporaries but former prog fan Levene and company added musical ability to Lydon’s punk ethos. It is equally true that Metal Box is the best album of that era offering a snarl and two fingers to the punk establishment.

So the chance to listen to Metal Box being reinvented for a new millennium by the two musical driving forces behind it was like winning a post punk lottery, especially in an intimate venue like the Trades Club.

Right from the off it was clear this was no cheap nostalgia trip as the opening instrumental fizzed with angular guitar and Wobble’s trademark thumping dub bass. Jah Wobble once said Poptones was the gem in PiL’s output, and how right he judging by a freeform version of this seedy tale of rape, a Cortina and a strange tape. It was genuinely frightening in its intensity as Wobble and Levene weaved round Nathan Maverick’s vocal tribute to the master, and some clever trumpet.

There was a moment during Careering when we back in the early 80s when Levene ripped up the rulebook taking British music off in a different and better direction where musical ability was no longer sneered at. To stand a foot away away from this fragile looking former wunderkind and watch his sheer invention as fingers flew across the strings was one of the most moving live experiences of my life.

The encore kicked off with the familiar bass riff of Public Image and I’m sure a few old punks had a unfortunate accident in their bondage pants whilst I just had a touch of the vapours during a intense version of one of my all time favourite singles.

Punk veteran John Robb popped up to do Graveyard which was more interesting than Maverick’s more respectful vocals as the Goldblade man trampled all over the original bounding round the stage, anchored by a serene Wobble who knew his gamble bringing Keith back had worked out perfectly.

This will probably the gig of the year and Levene has already won hands down the guitarist/comeback prize for 2012 with an utterly astonishing performance that proves form is temporary but class is permanent.