It’s 25th January 1981.
Four leading figures from Britain’s Labour Party launch the Social Democratic Party. They are known collectively as the “Gang Of Four”, a political reference to the cabal who had come to power in China during the Cultural Revolution.
On the very same day Leeds band The Gang Of Four are playing the Locarno, Coventry, supported by the Delta 5 and Pere Ubu. A seminal band and a seminal gig for me. Afterwards, nothing would ever be quite the same again. It’s the Lesser Free Trade Hall Sex Pistols experience in my own little universe. I understood for the first time the power of live performance and in my personal grading system this went to number one gig It’s stayed there ever since.
Part of what made it a revelation was the performance of Andy Gill. He didn’t seem to play his instrument like normal guitarists. It was more a piece of industrial equipment, sparking off the innovative funk-punk scaffolding of the drum and bass, interweaving round the Marxist critique of singer Jon King. It was disciplined yet incendiary, innovative but the epitome of ‘rock n roll’.
Afterwards I asked the friend I went with if he’d been similarly blown away. He replied that they were good, sure. But he was seeing Bowie soon and that would be the real deal. He had a car and I didn’t but on the drive home I must admit I had a teenage sulk about his comment.
Now Andy Gill’s gone.
I saw Andy perform Entertainment!, the first seminal album, in its entirety just before last Christmas. He had lost nothing. It would be nice to think that right now he’s forming a group in heaven, fronted by Mark E Smith. In some other part of the multiverse this is, of course, actually happening.
So a small part of my brain is for ever freeze-framed on a wet and blustery evening in a shonky Midlands town in January 1981. Thanks, Andy, you changed my life, and on this episode there are a few other bands who, I know, would happily admit to the same epiphany.
Tracklist:
At home he’s a tourist, The Gang of Four
Set-up, The Au Pairs
Guns before butter, The Gang of Four
House of jealous lovers, The Rapture
What we all want, The Gang of Four
Dance to the underground, Radio 4
Ether, The Gang of Four
Conversation, Dry Cleaning
Paralysed, The Gang of Four
Mr Your On Fire Mr, Liars
Anthrax, The Gang of Four
Damaged Goods, The Gang of Four