Virtually ignored in the fast-moving post punk era, Gang Of Four’s influence has far outlasted many of their contemporaries. With a name that echoed a Chinese communist clique and lyrics that referenced structuralist philosophy, this clearly wasn’t yer average Oi! Band.
Seething with intelligence, Gang Of Four questioned the nature of rock ’n’ roll. Guitar player Andy Gill’s clipped, dry style, devoid of effects resonates in everyone from Bloc Party to Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Using a funky backbeat courtesy of rhythm section Hugo Burnham and Dave Allan, the band subtly undermined their surroundings, like a small tick burrowing in a spot you just can’t reach.
Debut album “Entertainment!” remains their best known statement, but later albums such as “Songs Of The Free” and “Hard” – although more commercial – remain just as thrilling. Banned from Top Of The Pops due to a lyric that contained the word “rubbers”, Gang Of Four were banned by the BBC altogether due to their single “I Love A Man In Uniform” – a dissection of the armed forces that arrived just in time for the Falklands conflict. Ironically, it remains their biggest hit.
Although they eventually caved in to wider pressures in the mid 80s, the original line up reformed in 2004 to prove that they remain one of the most thought provoking bands to have emerged from these isles.
