Gang of Four: Post-Punk History with Andy Gill and Jon King (May 17, 2009)

[@fractaljack]

Saw them 4 times in the "golden era" of 1980 - 1982 including meeting them after the show in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1981. They were so genuine, gracious and approachable and my wife and I were in a cloud of awe - being able to have a simple conversation with these legends. I can honestly say their music changed the way I viewed the world politically, socially and musically and I'm very grateful for their existence and influence in my life.

[@klausrain111]

Saw Gang of Four in Chicago in 1980 or so. They blew everybody's mind. One of the best bands I've ever seen and I've seen a thousand bands. 999 were another one of the best bands I saw in Chicago, late 70s I think it was.

[@countrymousejewelry]

Im aahamed to say ive Never heard of em n i thought i was a punk rocker

[@garyonderisin8338]

one of the greatest, most important bands of all time! r.i.p. andy gill

[@RayyanKesnan]

That's one of the best descriptions of punk rock i've ever heard. "What's exciting is the attitude, but the music is actually conservative".

[@leoninocat5070]

Spot on,The Pistols were pretty disapointing

[@katdroidd]

I was program director of my college radio station when "I love a man in uniform' was released, and it was widely misunderstood by the ROTC students and their friends. To the point that eventually the album was stolen out of our library and I heard it was being played at their house parties 🤣 This was before the internet so you had to get your music in any available hard format. I never held it against them but it always made me laugh.

[@simaixan85]

Really Really good interview with one of the most interesting band of this era. Gill and King gave material and interviewer exploited it well.

[@stylophobia]

Relevant interview (and band) yet again in view of the 2022 post-Gill Gang Of Four tour of the USA .

[@61hink]

Could listen to these guys talk for another hour. Andy Gill gone way too young.

[@davidsmith6355]

I agree - very interesting interview. Andy was probably an early covid victim I believe, how unlucky that is.

[@GorgeouslyStupidThing]

Well only one spoke.

[@merlin5476]

I've onlyrecently found out about Gang of four via Killing Joke & the work that Andy Gill had done with them. The whistle test session they did was damm good & the bass player was awesom.

[@PontiacS]

Someone needs to do a Proper Documentary about Gang Of Four.

[@rayc7192]

26:45 "russian doll of stupidity" Jon just comes up with phrases like it's nothing!

[@designguy65]

Great band. Seeing them in Urgh: A Music War was a real stunner. Totally opened a very different approach to playing guitar for me and music in general. Interesting to get some insight into their process.

[@pressureworks]

Yes check out Dr Feelgood videos. You'll see why so many musician cite them as an influence. And you'll see how Go4 adopted the on stage style.

[@markmarkplace]

Had the good fortune to see the Andy with the last incarnation of GO4 in Detroit a couple months before he died. Bucket list item, check.

[@GriefTourist]

Really interesting discussion and questions

[@glennwilliamson889]

Somebody got a camera for Christmas!!!

[@jackharkins1689]

Thanks for sharing!

[@SignedMedia]

Thanks for watching!

[@slvideo1]

Legends

[@klausrain111]

😂 Along with the Stones, Bob Dylan, MC5, Velvet Underground, the Kinks, Talking Heads, Husker Du, the Minutemen, Captain Beefheart, New York Dolls, Pere Ubu, U2 and a few others, including John Lennon, Gang of Four help prove that intellectuals make the best rock and roll. 😂

[@tagomago9523]

Love Gang of Four me mate. 'Yellow EP' is one of my top 10 favorite albums. Another brilliant little Punk EP, The Fall - 'Slates'. These two little EP's are fantastic !!!

[@tagomago9523]

'Slates' also being in my top 10 of all time, so

[@JM356]

Amazing how different the climate changed from 2009. What they're saying about the 70s applies now in 2022 again.

[@chamberpot969]

We need a new punk revolution to upset the narrative more than ever.

[@sofiacorrea3354]

subtítulos en español please

[@StevieZero]

Andy Gill reminds me of Keith Levene

[@duncan-rmi]

great insight from these two, hugely influential & (in andy's case) greatly missed. but ffs, when you're shooting an interview, have a good long think about what you're pointing the camera at- why is that mains socket right in the middle of your shot?- & don't put your interviewees on creaky plastic bean bag chairs. or whatever that is they're on.

[@nstanifer28]

"How much reverb should we use" "None" "ok next question"

[@pressureworks]

The band that broke punk ???? What does that actually mean ??

[@crnkmnky]

I feel like they were joking or full of it on that question about synth-pop. The best Human League album is the one where Phil Oakey was sent to Minnesota to sing on leftover Janet Jackson tracks? 🤨 Okay, Patrick Bateman. Hip-hop was great simply because it was revolutionary, but punk was too conservative, and synth-pop had no great songwriters? Like… how, Sway? 🤕

[@Metal_Horror]

Devil's advocate: if a band spends a lot of time discussing, tuning, and 'testing' the authenticity of their music, doesn't that remove some of the authenticity?

[@RayyanKesnan]

Testing music is just to see if it connects with people. Depends what your goals are I guess. Authenticity is making music that is expressive, but if you also want to say something you have to make sure it resonates in a way. Playing music is a collaboration between the listeners and the musicians. It's an odd environment in a capitalist society being a musician, cause music becomes another "product" you have to sell. In non-capitalist societies music making isn't necessarily a performance, but a collective celebration. So it's a weird dynamic. On the one hand you wanna make whatever you believe in, on the other you want to be playing music with large groups of people. Authenticity can't be isolation from other people, so it's a give and take I think.

[@hirepimike]

Thinkers

[@cnfuzz]

If internet and youtube should have existed in 1977 then we would not have had all these great late 70's bands , nowadays bands just cobble up bits and riffs or visuals they find on youtube

[@tomcarl8021]

I wonder if they were upset when the Berlin Wall came down.

[@klausrain111]

Tard question.

[@RishPanjeetJr]

LOVE their music, but man, for thinking themselves unpretentious they were highly pretentious.

[@theyearoftherat]

worst camera work of all time right here. rip andy