Pevensey Bay hasn’t had too many claims to fame since 1066 but it can now lay claim to being part of the formative experience of punk legend John Lydon who lived there as a four-year-old.

The PiL frontman revealed his Sussex connections at the start of a fired-up rendition of One Drop, gently baiting the crowd he lived in a far superior place to Bexhill.

Having reached national treasure status, Lydon cuts a mellower figure these days wearing glasses and having to read long-forgotten lyrics from a lectern.

But he was no less impressive a performer, his booming theatrical voice ranging from an incredible vibrato on Deeper Water to a hellish growl on newy Corporate.

Backing up the former Mr Rotten, guitarist Lu Edmonds, looking every inch an extra from Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, cutting between a smooth groove, power riff or screeching lick as and when the mood suited.

An epic rendition of Religion which closed the main set saw bassist Scott Firth lay down an entrancing groove while Lydon raged against organised religion.

An encore of the hits Public Image and Rise rounded off a great performance to a crowd that had grown considerably and mysteriously since the band kicked off nearly two hours earlier.

Forget the Country Life ads, John Lydon is still very much deserving of your respect.

Four stars