GIG REVIEWS

Gang Of Four
@ Stylus, Leeds University Union
24.1.05
www.vanguard-online.co.uk

“In this world, right now, Some are insane, and they're in charge. To hell with poverty We'll get drunk on cheap wine.” Ker-chung, chung chung chung chung. Andy Gill's guitar slashes and chops, the crowd shimmies and jerks. Jon King drops to the floor and scuttles for an exit.

The Gang Of Four are back. This is a band with massive cred and tonight they can do no wrong. This year anyone and everyone claims them as an influence yet, whilst Franz Ferdinand could have sold out the Leeds Uni Refectory, the Gang Of Four have been moved to the 400 size Stylus.

All the better for the acolytes. Here are the fans from back in the day and a very healthy slice of those too young for nostalgia. Supported, bizarrely, by the very Gang Of Four-ish Departure [Jon King says they didn't choose the support], the debt was immediately apparent.

This was a homecoming gig and after a few pints in the Fenton they took the stage to an introduction from Andy Kershaw – ex- student entertainment officer, who once booked them for £750 back in the day. They launched into a greatest hits set with obvious relish, particularly Dave Allen on bass. All was good except the guitar being a little quiet. Noise that squally deserves excessive volume.

Somewhere, about forty minutes in, Andy Gill turned the guitar up, rubbed it up to the speaker cabinet, and woke up, adding a storm of wrenched notes to the choppy funk of Hugo and Dave. Up to then it had been merely good - Jon doing his embarrassing Dad dance and the band funking along. Perhaps a pint too many in The Fenton, where I caught them earlier, reliving other days. But from that point on the set caught the wind. All the highlights of Entertainment and Solid Gold were played, plus a few singles, topped by the song they regret as too normal - Essence Rare. Jon King calls it their Motown number, disappointed by it having a verse/chorus/verse structure. Jon girned, Andy posed and Dave and Hugo did that rhythm thing that proved so hard to imitate. Then Andy dropped to the floor and scuttled around before popping off for a breather. This was a far longer set than they used to play – an hour and a quarter and, of course, not long enough.

Tonight I had a real sense of what this was about. It wasn't a cabaret, it was a celebration. As time passes on and they pass through middle age, for how much longer can they rely on being able to pull the original band back together? And it's worth it, just five times, to feel the pulse hammer out and watch the crowd shake and nod. Not enough for making money, this is mostly for them. And us forty year olds, who still get a thrill from watching Jon King beat out a rhythm by twatting a microwave with a tyre iron.

Tonight we got to hear where the baton that Franz Ferdinand, The Rapture, The Departure, Bloc Party And Radio Four carry started out. “I found that essence rare it's what I live for.”



Ross McGibbon