Welcome to the Week in Rock, where we round up all of the headlines posted on this site over the past week. This edition includes items about Midnight Oil, The Stone Roses, John Lydon, This Mortal Coil, The Specials, Pet Shop Boys, World Party, Mission of Burma, The Smiths and more — plus the latest Auto Reverse mixtape.
Public Image Ltd. frontman John Lydon appeared on a panel with several members of the British Parliament last night on the BBC’s ‘Question Time’ program, where a good portion of the discussion focused on the so-called war on drugs (‘Let us as human beings determine our own journey through life,’ Lydon implored).
As part of the promotion of the new Public Image Ltd. album ‘This Is PiL,’ frontman John Lydon has launched a new video series called the ‘Lollipop Blog,’ of which he spends the first installment discussing the artwork he created for the record’s cover — including the ‘freedom buffalo’ that graces the CD’s front cover.
Our latest link round-up includes a Q&A with Morrissey in which he suggests he’ll retire in 2014 at age 55, plus interviews with Bob Mould reflecting on Sugar’s ‘Copper Blue,’ John Lydon discussing Public Image Ltd. and the Sex Pistols, and former Replacements drummer Chris Mars talking art and music.
John Lydon’s reactivated Public Image Ltd. is planning a North American tour later this year, the group announced on its website today. No details have been released about the trek, which comes more than two years after PiL’s post-Coachella tour of North America in the spring of 2010.
Two members of Public Image Ltd.’s most famous lineup — bassist Jah Wobble and guitarist Keith Levene — have reunited after 30 years, playing a handful of ‘Metal Box in Dub’ shows in the U.K. this year that spotlight PiL’s classic 1979 sophomore album. John Lydon takes issue: ‘It’s very unfair.’
BBC Four next month will follow up its excellent documentary ‘Synth Britannia’ with the new three-part ‘Punk Britannia,’ a look at the ‘historic cosmology, meteoric impact and smouldering aftermath of the most genuinely transformative force in British popular music history.’ The three parts air Friday, June 8 and June 15.
Q&A: Daniel Ash on Love and Rockets’ reunion, his new band — and figuring out how to play “So Alive” 
Q&A: Chris Frantz talks Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club and new book ‘Remain in Love’ 
Q&A: Steve Wynn on The Dream Syndicate’s first new album in nearly 30 years 
Q&A: Bauhaus’ David J on his ‘accidental’ concept album ‘Not Long For This World’ 
Q&A: Peter Murphy on ‘Ninth,’ Bauhaus’ break-up, reuniting Dalis Car 
Q&A: Joey Santiago on Pixies’ ‘Doolittle’ tour, possible ‘Surfer Rosa’ shows, new album talk 
Q&A: Prefab Sprout’s Paddy McAloon on new album, changing the world with music 
Q&A: Peter Hook talks ‘Unknown Pleasures’ tour, re-recording Joy Division 