In 1977 Neil Young sang about Johnny Lydon back when the front man was a Sex Pistol. In the song My My, Hey Hey Young laments, "The king is gone, but he's not forgotten. Is this the story of Johnny Rotten?"

And although the moniker "Rotten" was abandoned long ago, he is still going strong at the age of 57. The "king" isn't gone; he's on tour.

On Saturday, a mix of local and international fans, along with a few Chinese rock stars such as Cui Jian, witnessed the Beijing debut of Public Image Limited (PiL), a band whose singer continues to have an indelible influence on the way music is sung, shouted and screamed.