Public Image Ltd: Chaos and Charm Live at Castle Mills!

Inherently ridiculous, totally infectious and completely magnificent! All three descriptions, in different ways, describe accurately what it was like to see  the legendary John Lydon headlining a show in an elegant, boutique big-top tent, nestled in the scenic, riverside parklands of Kilkenny.

It was an occasion to remember. Decades after setting the rulebook on fire with the Sex Pistols, Lydon’s Public Image Ltd (PiL) arrived at the inaugural Live at Castle Mills series with intent, and duly confirmed that the elder statesman of post-punk hasn’t lost an ounce of his venom, even if it is now seasoned with a strange, almost professorial dignity.

The stellar triple-bill on the night included Kilkenny's own alt-rock heroes Kerbdog and the indefatigable ASH, ensuring that the night belonged entirely to an infectious, yet varied, school of guitar driven post-punk rock.

It was a special evening for Darragh Butler (pictured below), who was on double duty as a co-founder/organiser of the new event and drummer with Kerbdog.

Understandably, the band treated their set like a triumphant homecoming – and that's what it turned out to be. Delivering on their promise of a "swift, hard, and exciting" set, with Cormac Battle out front, they tore into a menu of blistering, riff-heavy alternative metal. The local crowd matched their intensity note-for-note, proving exactly why their mid-90s cult status remains firmly intact in Kilkenny. It was loud, unapologetic, and set an incredibly high bar for the rest of the evening.

ASH shifted the energy toward that place where timeless, hyper-melodic guitar pop meets indie rock. Decades into their career, the Northern Irish trio proved that they are still one of the most reliable and energetic live acts on the circuit.

They balanced a career-spanning set flawlessly, weaving massive legacy anthems like 'Girl from Mars' and 'Burn Baby Burn' alongside tracks from their more recent records. Tim Wheeler’s soaring hooks and the band’s relentless energy transformed the big top into a massive singalong, perfectly bridging the gap between Kerbdog’s heavy edge and the post-punk main event.

Lydon took to the stage his current 2026 tour aesthetic to the fore: sporting his signature cropped hair, and clinging to his lyric lectern like a rogue academic preparing a deeply unhinged symposium, he immediately commanded attention.