PIL’s fabled “Riot Show“ at The Ritz, May 15th, 1981 (photo no. 1 from “Decline Of Art” fanzine, no. 2-4, 6 & & by Laura Levine and no.5 by John Prokassa)
“…At short notice PiL are brought in to replace Bow Wow Wow – and thanks to no rehearsal, and the fact the Ritz is equipped with a large video screen – the show is planned, not be a rock n roll gig, but to be a ‘video performance’: PiL play behind a large screen, on which pre-taped video footage is projected. However, the audience doesn’t get the concept (or joke…) and smashes the venue apart after 25 minutes! As chaos rages throughout, Levene threatens the crowd.
"If you destroy that screen, we will destroy you”
“You’re not throwing enough bottles!” John shouted over Keith’s shoulder. “Throw more bottles!…”
Having people stand in line in the rain for a total of 9 hours so they could see their hero up close and then realizing he was going to stand behind a video screen as part of an art project didn’t exactly turn out to be the brightest of ideas and taunting the crowd certainly didn’t help. Ritz staff ran for cover after a barrage of bottles and for the next minutes there were bouncers attacking and being attacked, the mob grabbing for anything, and people unsure if they were going to get out alive.
Not that it mattered to the members of PIL who were already backstage snorting cocaine, drinking their after-gig beers, laughing and enjoying their mischief.
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