Entertainment, Music, We Love Music

We Love Music: Gang of Four @ 9:30 Club, 2/9/11


courtesy of Gang of Four.

In 2005, the return of Gang of Four felt vital. Playing to a packed 9:30 Club, touring in support of ‘Return the Gift’ on which they re-recorded most of their greats, the original Gang of Four roster played a blistering set that left us breathless and neck-sore from the sudden aural thrashing they gave us. The surprising vigor and fury that this 25-year old band played with in 2005 seemed to deliver a message to the droves of post-millennial-shift, post-punk pop revivalists that said “This is how its done”. Danceable rhythm and angular guitars amount to little substance without the spit and anger, the passion and snarl, the political outrage and razor sharp criticism. It was one of the best shows of the year.

In 2011, the return of Gang of Four feels somewhat unnecessary and yet it is welcome. Playing to a 3/4 full 9:30 Club on Wednesday night, touring in support of a strong new album ‘Content’, the reconstituted Gang of Four (featuring Jon King and Andy Gill with a new rhythm section) played an uneven set that entertained us and occasionally thrilled us but did not come close to the impact of their last reunion run. Part of the reason for this was the uneven mix of new songs and classics, part of it was the slightly off chemistry of the new line-up, and part of it was the fast and loose nature of the performance which lacked the ruthless reclaiming-the-title motivation of their 2005 shows. Even with the lumps though, this show was a fun one that offered enough highlights to make for a fine night of music and ended with a fantastic finale that finally tapped into some of that 2005 tour magic.

Continue reading

The Daily Feed

The Winning Ticket (Extra): Gang of Four

We’ve got a pair of tickets to see post-punk legends Gang of Four at 9:30 Club with your name on them!

The gang are back under the leadership of Jon King and Andy Gill with a new rhythm section and a great new album. This is one of my favorite bands and their show at the club in 2005 made my short-list for the year’s best by living up to and surpassing my highest expectations. Gang of Four perform at 9:30 Club on Wednesday, February 9.

For your chance to win these tickets simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address between now and 4pm today. One entry per email address, please. If today doesn’t turn out to be your lucky day, check back here each Wednesday for a chance to win tickets to other great concerts. Tickets for this concert are available on Ticketfly.

For the rules of this giveaway…
Continue reading