Gang of Four
Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
24th June 2025
Louder Than War’s Andy Brown is there to witness Gang of Four’s last ever gig in Leeds at the Brudenell Social Club.
“When we wrote a lot of this stuff… it’s so different now… this was a time of authoritarianism, war across the world and the rise of fascism… hard to imagine.” (Jon King, on stage at the Brudenell Social Club, 2025)
From the original Gang of Four line-up, only vocalist Jon King and drummer Hugo Burnham remain. We lost guitar maestro Andy Gill in 2020, and bassist Dave Allen passed away earlier this year. Indisputable post punk giants, I think you’ll agree. Accompanied by guitarist Ted Leo and bassist Gail Greenwood, the band are in the midst of their farewell tour, appropriately called The Last Goodbye. Yes, tonight’s show at the Brudenell Social Club will be the last time they play Leeds, the city where they first formed some 48 years ago.
The band have two sets lined up for us with the first comprising of each and every track from their seminal 1979 debut album, Entertainment. If you’re not familiar, then I suggest you go listen to the album as soon as humanly possible. The second set is entitled, ‘the best of the rest.’ Taking all of this into consideration, tonight certainly feels like one for the history books. Yes, they’re calling last orders, but I have the feeling that Gang of Four won’t be going gently – or quietly – into the night.
Large flags are being hung to the left and right-hand side of the stage; one is emblazoned with the words Anti-Fascist Action, while the other proudly states, I Support A Woman’s Right To Choose. Gang of Four getting political? Surely not! In all seriousness, it’s heartening to see. In this world of right-wing populists and regressive legislation, it’s exactly what we need.
“Are you ready to do this, boys?” asks Greenwood. Not yet, comes the response from a bandmate. Ready or not, Gang of Four are firing on all cylinders from the moment the opening notes of Ether hit my expectant eardrums. King is practically vibrating; the energy of the music seemingly rushing through every fibre of his being. Greenwood nails that snarling, elastic bass as Leo conjures Gill’s metallic, razor wire thrash. It can’t be easy stepping into such sizable shoes, but the pair deliver all the passion, funk and fury that your post punk loving heart could possibly desire.
Burnham is a real powerhouse from the get-go, giving tracks like Natural’s Not In and the iconic I Found That Essence Rare all the rocket fuel they require. It’s all the more impressive when it’s revealed that he’s playing with a broken fibula. The skills and sheer commitment of this man are absolutely off the scale. It’s crystal clear that Burnham wasn’t going to miss this for the world. After all, this is Gang of Four, not Morrissey.
The performance more than lives up to the albums indisputable ‘all killer no filler’ status. My personal highlights include the satisfyingly funky At Home He’s A Tourist – accompanied by the bright lights of the Brudenell’s disco ball – and a mass singalong to the ultimate post-punk barnburner, Damaged Goods. Everything sounds fresh, urgent and highly pertinent. 5.45 is about something else entirely, but can’t help but bring the genocide in Gaza to mind, “How can I sit and eat my tea? With all that blood flowing from the television.” Powerful doesn’t begin to cover it.
King is in fine spirits as he regales us with tales about living next door to Andy Gill on Kelso Road and the time he attempted to make a homemade PA system with Andy Corrigan. The latter story reaches Spinal Tap-levels of insanity and culminates in an explosion. Suffice to say, the band weren’t paid for that particular gig. Gang of Four are inexorably tied to this city, so it feels rather fitting that they went to Leeds Town Hall this morning to recreate an old press photo from the 70s. Apparently, John Langford of The Mekons always claimed – perhaps not entirely seriously – that it was Mussolini’s favourite building in Britain.
“Love will get you like a case of anthrax/ And that’s something I don’t want to catch” sings King before Leo unleashes yet another wave of glorious feedback. At one point, the singers on his knees, gleefully whacking Leo’s guitar strings with a tambourine. I wouldn’t usually feel the need to mention someone’s age, but King is 70 years old and an absolute live wire. Take note up-and-coming bands, this is how it’s done. Using a crutch, Burnham makes his way to the mic to share a few words for his “lovely brother” Dave Allen before the band take a brief break.
The next thing you know, King is using a metal baseball bat to beat the ever-loving crap out of some unsuspecting microwave oven. Don’t be alarmed, it’s simply the percussion for the excellent He’d Send In The Army. That poor appliance never stood a chance. Alongside numerous underappreciated gems, we get the subversive – and insanely catchy – I Love A Man In Uniform and a ferocious, Outside The Trains Don’t Run On Time. The momentum on the latter feels utterly unstoppable. The encore includes an unrecorded song called Waiting For My Elevator and an unrehearsed rendition of The Mekons’ Where Were You? The band are clearly having a riot.
The four-piece finish us off with one last celebratory run through Damaged Goods. “I’m kissing you goodbye!” wails King as the crowd bounce along in exuberant appreciation. The audience is an impressive mix of ages, but everyone knows how lucky they are to be here. What an honour to witness such an emotional and energetic send-off for this legendary band. Amongst the enthusiastic applause, I hear someone shout a heartfelt THANK YOU, and quite honestly, what more can you say?
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You can find Gang of Four on Instagram and Facebook
Photos by Neil Chapman (Unholy Racket). You can visit his author profile for Louder Than War and find him on Facebook and Instagram.
All words by Andy Brown. You can visit his author profile and read more of his reviews for Louder Than War here.
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