70s punk innovators to play O2 Academy Bristol in October

70s punk innovators to play O2 Academy Bristol in October

Posted on: 27 Feb 2023

Formed in Leeds back in the 1970s, Gang of Four are renowned throughout music as one of punk’s greatest innovators.

 

Gang of Four will play O2 Academy Bristol on Saturday 7 October.

 

At the peak of their powers, the legendary four-piece inverted punk’s blunt and volatile energies, instead favouring tense rhythms, percussive guitars and lyrics that touched on topics including Marxist theory and situationism.

 

BUY TICKETS HERE

 

 

Releasing their debut album Entertainment! in 1979, Gang of Four immediately caught the zeitgeist of the time. The LP received rave reviews throughout the UK thanks to its singular sound and a promising tour of the US followed.

 

Having established themselves as one of the UK’s most exciting acts, the band’s stock continued to rise and their 1982 record, Songs of the Free, proved a breakthrough across the pond. 

 

Gang of Four’s tough funk rhythms, jagged guitar and intelligent, challenging lyrics that rejected the sloganeering of many of their contemporaries have influenced a diverse range of musicians. The likes of Fugazi, Nirvana, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Rage Against The Machine and Radiohead all count the Leeds band as a key inspiration.

 

With avant-garde tendencies and a diverse range of influences, Gang of Four put everything about the traditional “rock band” format into question, from their approach to harmony and rhythm to presentation and performance.

 

Now, almost 40 years after they first formed, the gang are back and ready for more with original members Jon King and Hugo Burnham as well as returning member Sara Lee and David Pajo, of cult post-rock outfit Slint. 

 

The group’s upcoming UK tour will see them play venues in Leeds, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham and London as well as Bristol.

Gang of Four will drop by O2 Academy Bristol on Saturday 7 October. Secure your ticket HERE.


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Article by:

Stanley Gray

Stan is a born and bred Bristolian, recently graduated from studying English Literature in Sheffield. His passions are music and literature and he spends the majority of his time in venues all over the city, immersing himself in Bristol’s alternative music scene. A lifelong Bristol City fan, Stan’s Saturdays are spent watching his team both home and away.