Gang of Four formed in Leeds in 1976, the band pioneered a style of music that inverted punk’s blunt and explosive energies — favouring tense rhythms, percussive guitars, and lyrics that traded in Marxist theory and situationism. They put every element of the traditional “rock band” format to question, from notions of harmony and rhythm to presentation and performance. The gang are back and are ready for more.
Gang of Four is one of the most radically important, and influential rock groups of the last 40 years. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, INXS, R.E.M., U2, Rage Against the Machine have all spoken of their debt to Gang of Four. More recently, the band’s influence has extended to Franz Ferdinand, Nine Inch Nail, St Vincent, Sleater Kinny and James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem amongst many significant others, with today’s creators of angular rock music having GO4’s influence and imprint all over it.
