Post-punk night out? Yep, that’ll do nicely, and if there’s a standard bearer for that era to be sought, while it might be a closely run contest, surely Gang Of Four have first shout on the flag over Magazine and Wire.
Out on tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of their stupidly influential debut album Entertainment, we’re told there will also be a hefty dash of material from other releases. Had they called it a greatest hits tour, and it doesn’t get much greater than the likes of ‘Damaged Goods’, that might be closer to the mark. And although it’s busy with a healthy turnout at the ABC, shouldn’t it be heaving with a 20 minute queue at the bar?
GoF’s only originals players, Jon King & Andy Gill, stand motionless during ‘Anthrax’ while the razor-wire guitar screeches off and on. Different people mouth the split-lyrics as they’re spoken from the stage, so close in timing that it could be a mantra. However, the audience age group is made up mostly of people over 35+ that know every word and every judder of Andy Gill’s guitar. The bass is loud and the drums snap and thump, plus, they’ve even got Eddi Reader to do backing vocals when required. There’s no great crowd feedback amongst the younger ones for such a revered band, clapping like they’ve just nipped out for a swift pint instead of being a few chasers down the road. Reputation aside, if you’re below 20, is there anything to be gained other than watching a highly influential band from yesteryear when you a fresh bandwagon’s waiting to be jumped and you can hear GoF’s best parts pinched by the dull as fuck (there, I’ve said it) Bloc Party? It’s like a new album by The Cure; always waiting to be unglued since Disintegration. Gang Of Four hit it first time with Entertainment and can never go back despite having a great back catalogue, including the mid-90’s awkward but much-loved curio that is Shrinkwrapped. If you’re older, which plenty of the crowd are, Entertainment is ground zero.
Some bands from that era went for darkness, as near to the knuckle to Goth-friendly as you can get, while Gang Of Four were all about acidity with a leaning towards funk and a nod of the hat at Marxism. So, naturally, ‘I Love A Man In Uniform’ gets the biggest shout of approval and closer ‘To Hell With Poverty’ has the room happily howling like banshees. They bow, we cheer, they leave, and we go off into the night knowing that we can scratch another band of the ‘must-see-before-I-die’ list. Blimey, I even bought a t-shirt.
Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.
Photos by Takeshi Suga