Gang of Four Live on KCRW

From KCRW DJ Eric J Lawrence:

While KCRW has a long-standing reputation for discovering new music, some of my favorite moments at the station have been when Jason and Ariana bring in a truly legendary and veteran band to perform live on Morning Becomes Eclectic.

And this morning’s set from post-punk progenitors Gang of Four certainly qualified.

After having the pleasure of introducing the band at their Music Box show the night before, I knew a little of what to expect they’d bring for their MBE session: angular, muscular, minimalist funk, matched with hectoring, emphatic vocals carrying a serious message behind them.

It was a treat to see the band celebrate the release of their first album in over 15 years with killer renditions of tracks from said album, as well as some gems from their catalog for good measure (“We Live As We Dream, Alone” from 1982’s “Songs of the Free” is a personal favorite, taking its title from a line from Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness.”)

In a week where the world freaks out over the release of a new Radiohead album, it is nice to recognize a band that has been recording for nearly twice as long and who can genuinely claim a laundry-list of groups that have followed directly in their footsteps.

ERIC J. LAWRENCE

Editor’s Note: If you missed it, check out the set in our archives here

Gang of Four Live on KCRW Set List

You Never Pay for the Farm

I Party All the Times

I Love a Man in Uniform

To Hell With Poverty

It Was Never Gonna Turn Out Too Good

A Fruitfly In The Beehive

We Live As We Dream, Alone

Do As I Say

Why Theory