1,297 GANG OF FOUR, Miki Berenyi Trio, Hallan, Bristol O2 Academy, Saturday 7th October 2023

 

I’m not really sure what I was expecting from this one, but it certainly wasn’t that…!

I confess that seminal Leeds New Wave politico-agit post punkers Gang Of Four rather passed me by back in the day. Unlike kindred spirits Wire (whose “12XU” was a regular floor-filler), they never got played at U-18 Brunel, my local nightclub and main source of my late 70’s-early 80’s musical finds, so when I diverted into Bunnymen territory in the early 80’s, I never bothered checking them out. My mistake. An early 2000’s revisit of that era (most current bands then finding inspiration from that time) included GO4’s landmark debut “Entertainment”, and sure enough I found it an excellent if uncomfortable listen, the music taut, tense, stripped back and claustrophobic, reflecting the bleak cold war threat and political/ industrial unrest of those times, with pointed, acerbic lyricism practically barked out by vocalist Jon King. Somewhere between industrial post-punkers Comsat Angels and anarchist sloganeers Crass, then… It had always been at the back of my mind to catch them “live”; sadly I left it too late to see a line-up featuring influential original guitarist Andy Gill, who died in 2020, but this tour was a tempter, going from possible to definite by the addition of “The Queen of Shoegaze”, Miki Berenyi and her trio, as tour support.

Old friend Keith was up for it too and just happened to be in Bristol during the day, so I drove down early, meeting the man at 5 for some splendid BBQ Chinese nosh up Park Street, then grabbing a barrier spot house right at doors (next to gig buddy Alfie again!), after gaining O2 Priority entrance! Not long to wait for young openers Hallan, on at 7.25; their first 2 numbers were dark, angry bass-led beasts with a proper crap-rap rant-style vocal delivery, strongly reminiscent of The Fall, but just as I was about to dismiss them as another bunch of incoherent shouty Fontaines DC-alikes, they served up the splendid “Cut With The Kitchen Knife”, a dark brooding early Editors-esque number with a proper “sung” vocal. Yay! The subsequent “Colline Gate” had shades of early New Order with a gothy descending Hooky base, and the crisp, regimented riff of closer “Money Talks” recalled Killing Joke’s “Love Like Blood”. Strong finish to an overall promising set…

 

Miki (who I’d briefly spoken to on the way in, Miki claiming to remember me from March’s Stroud gig (no. 1,272) which was nice) then led her boys onstage for 8.15 to a warm welcome, the stark and detached opener “Light From A Dead Star” setting the tone for the mood of the set, if not the sound… initially the guitar was very muted, the programmed drumbeats the main feature for Miki’s fragile, high-register vocals to compete with. I get that this line-up won’t have the upfront, smothering guitar reverb and effects of Miki’s former charges Lush and that’s fine, I just wanted a bit more oomph… thankfully the guitars chimed in properly for the haunting feel and textural pitter patter of 4^th number “Vertigo”, and the soaring yet plaintive “For Love” was lovely. Miki, relaxed and urbane onstage, chatted about Moose’s beloved Spurs being top of the Premier League and made excuses for a hangover from last night’s London gig, before the bubbly dance of “Big I Am” and dissonant mystery of closer and best-of-set “Baby Talk” rounded off another overall charming set. Looking forward to seeing them at “Shiiine On” now…!

 It got a little busier down the front but this was a fairly quiet one overall, with the balcony shut tonight. Still, one hoped that GO4 would play to the folks here rather than lament those absent… and so it proved; and how! Led onstage to a fanfare by their singer, the wild-eyed imposing Zefram Cochrane lookalike (well, actor James Cromwell, but hey, I’m a Trekker so I’m bound to say Big Z!) Jon King, they were immediately “on it”, opener “Return The Gift” fast, funky and frenetic, with guitarist David Pajo sending jagged shards of sound around the venue, and the aforementioned King throwing David Byrne staccato shapes belying his 68 (!) years. “You’re all very attractive!” announced a beaming King, clearly in fantasy band camp onstage throughout, as “We Live As We Dream, Alone” was an irresistibly groovy early highlight, the man then announcing, “I cheered when you chucked that evil motherfucker [Edward Colston]’s statue into the river!”

 

As I mentioned, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this veteran bunch of political post-punkers, and, given the material, I may have been anticipating this to be a bit tinny, moody, dour even… Nope, none of that; Gang Of Four were pretty much the opposite; upbeat, irrepressible and actually downright fun, propelled by King’s kinetic onstage antics and full on in-your-face delivery, and Pajo’s virtuoso guitar work, the guitarist often using the mic stand to coax ever more dissonant, squalling and serrated noise from his instrument. “He’d Send In The Army” saw a roadie wheel on a used microwave for King to batter to pieces with a baseball bat as percussion (said object being on sale at the merch stand afterwards for £30!); a subsequent Dr. Feelgood cover “Roxette” was an unexpected swaggering bluesy stomp; and “I Parade Myself” was brilliant, Pajo’s Middle-Eastern guitar inflections the base for King’s flamboyant gestures and mellifluous, teasing vocals. Miki made an onstage appearance for “I Love A Man In Uniform”, joining drummer Hugo Burnham’s daughter on backing vocals, then Burnham himself took centre stage, his rock-steady, regimental drumbeat powering the clipped military march of “At Home He’s A Tourist”. “I Found That Essence Rare” was my set-highlight, a brilliant, jet-propelled and hooky blast, before the strident terrace chant of a pointed “To Hell With Poverty” closed out a quite startling set. 

Another cover – this time of fellow Leeds post-punkers The Mekons’ “Where Were You”, for former Mekon Mark White, apparently in the crowd tonight (!) was the highlight of a 3-song encore, the band taking a deserved bow after a triumphant and celebratory performance. I grabbed a list (batting down some other punter’s hand to do so – the roadie’s giving it to me, bucko!) then we headed off, reflecting on the gig. Tense, claustrophobic, dour, downbeat, monotone? Nope, tonight’s Gang Of Four gig was just absolutely bloody joyous!