Jah Wobble Dissects 'Metal Box'
Jah Wobble has spoken to ClashMusic about his upcoming London show 'Metal Box In Dub'. On its release, 'Metal Box' split fans and alienated critics. Drawing on dub, free jazz and more, Public Image Limited finally removed themselves from the 'punk' tag and surged forward into uncharted waters. Now viewed as a seminal release, 'Metal Box' has had a strange old journey. Original PiL members Jah Wobble and Keith Levene joined forces recently for a daring re-interpretation of the album, re-tooled as 'Metal Box In Dub'. Heading to London venue the Village Underground on May 25th, 'Metal Box In Dub' will see the influential album re-cast in new and inventive ways. ClashMusic recently sat down with Jah Wobble to discuss the performance. "It's an album which is talked about more often than listened to" he jokes. "I think people like the idea of liking it. It's like James Joyce' 'Ulysses' - most people haven't actually read it!" Looking back, Jah Wobble's pinpoints his first introduction to electric period Miles Davis as a seminal moment in his musical development. "I heard that and at the time I was in the process of realising that I was leaving PiL. It was back in 1980 as we were about to go to America. I had heard Miles Davis and that really rocked my world. I realised that my conception of ‘Metal Box’ and what I envisaged PiL to be was continuing to go down a kind of a road where you can develop in certain ways. More modal and more theatrical in a sense, some of it. But I could definitely see the connection with dub, because there’s such a big, fat bottom end and not a lot on top or in the middle, so it was influenced – at least sonically – by the dub approach. So there are these two things informing it." Re-uniting with guitarist Keith Levene, the pair are leading a new ensemble through the 'Metal Box' material. "I mean, we’re both in our 50s now and while we’re not planning on dying anytime soon we’re at that age where it’s either now or never" he insists. "So quite frankly, I would probably run out of track in this business sooner or later one way or the other. I get quite tired of the business side of things anyway, so I’m feeling that this is definitely something I want to do in the latter stages. It’s not a ‘tick the box’ exercise but let’s finish some unfinished business. I like the idea getting the intray cleared out". Begun last year, the 'Metal Box In Dub' project has already resulted in some much dissected performances. "We’ve really enjoyed each of the three performances we’ve done. What surprised me is that I could really hear aspects of Morricone in there, and even Giorgio Moroder. The drummer we’ve got is so good, and so locked in that it sounds like Moroder, like heavy disco". "So that’s the reasons, really. If we’re going to do it then it’s now or never. I’d be surprised if I was doing it next year, like I say there’s only a few shows. I’m doing this purely for the spiritual kick of getting my in-tray as empty as possible. Hopefully when you kick it you’re in-tray will be empty. Sounds a bit drastic but I want to achieve what I was sent to achieve before ascending to a higher level... I’m joking, I’m joking!" 'Metal Box In Dub' - May
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