THE smiles at the end said it all. John Lydon, as Johnny Rotten with those Pistols guys, will be forever remembered for his part in a great rock ‘n’ roll swindle. Fast forward a few decades and he’s delivering full-value post-punk fun for his legions of fans.

Tramshed’s sold-out crowd was soon rocking as PiL opened with Double Trouble, a typically tongue-in-cheek punk-parody track from new album What the World Needs Now. From the off, Lydon, now a portly 61-year-old a million miles from the scrawny teeth-grinding Rotten, had his fans in his palm. More new tracks including a superb Corporate interspersed with classics like Death Disco and This is Not a Love Song ensured momentum was maintained for the two-hour set.

Tight drumming, powerful basslines and Lydon’s soaring vocals made for a complete musical experience, and the whole place was rocking as the lads closed with another new song, Shoom. Sure, Lydon has mellowed over the years, but the teasing of the audience, the rants, the whispers, the rolling eyes, it’s all still there.

A word too for Tramshed, a fine mid-sized venue which was desperately needed in Cardiff following the demise of Coal Exchange.

Cracking show, no customers swindled here.