Gang Of Four

60 years ago Mao Zedong proclaimed the birth of the People's Republic of China at Tiananmen.

30 years later and no less revolutionary (albeit in a different setting - Leeds), Gang of Four released their debut album Entertainment. Taking their name from the faction that struggled for power after Mao's death. In the uncertain times between a politically moribund 1970s Labour government and the devastating reforms of the Thatcher era, Gang of Four played music that was intelligent, funky and incredibly influential.

30 years after that again Gang of Four are planning a gig in Hoxton's The Macbeth pub.

With only two original members remaining, when Jon King and Andy Gill walk on stage there is a sense that their's is just another (post-)punk reunion - old men in their leathers trying to recapture whatever it was they once had. But Gang of Four were never your ordinary punk band. Only three songs in King is already swinging from the lightening rig - which didn't look particularly steady. If not as agile as he once, he gets a ten for effort. Guitarist Gill is less animated, pouting, playing his sharp, short rhythms and acting as the perfect foil to King's energetic antics.

The gig is a warm up for their Forum shows next month celebrating the anniversary of the release of their first album and it is from this groundbreaking LP that most of their set comes. With songs such as ‘Not Great Men’, ‘At Home He's a Tourist’ and ‘Anthrax’ you can't go wrong but it was their very first single ‘Damaged Goods’, with its brilliant juxtaposition of consumerism and broken love still hitting home. The crowd sang along and called for more. While it is clearly the songs
from the Entertainment long player that really get the crowd going and jumping along with King, songs such as ‘Cheesburger’ with it a crowd involving intro, show that the band where not mere one album wonders and they had more to say in the 80's and have certainly got more to
say now. To witness the intimate beginning of this run of more celebratory gigs, it was certainly well worth the travel into the iPhone heartland of Hoxton. And while the band were not 100% comfortable at all times (one time forgetting a verse!), for a warm up gig it was a highly engaging and refined set which bodes well for the bigger bashes.

Even if the gig wasn't as "secret" as advertised, its not often that you get to see a band this good in such a small venue. The younger generation of post pop girls and boys who produce music concentrating on celebrity culture with meaningless and fluffy content should be bought at ticket for the upcoming gigs to open up their ears to music with meaning and substance.

Set List

Gift

We Live

Ether

2nd Life

Great Men

Parade

Anthrax

Paralysed

What We All Want

Damaged Goods

Hero (new song)

Poverty

Uniform

Natural

Tourist

Cheeseburger

Essence