Photo by Melissa Miller
Gang of Four
Gang of Four performing at Turner Hall Ballroom (2025)
Taking a final lap, Gang of Four did not go gentle in to the night on Friday at Turner Hall Ballroom. Appropriately, they raged.
The band’s final North American tour, dubbed “The Long Goodbye,” marked 45 years since the release of their debut album Entertainment. That album comprised the first set followed by another blast—a second set of raging material.
Decked out in red and black, original members vocalist Jon King and drummer Hugo Burnham were joined by hired guns bassist Gail Greenwood (Belly, L7) and guitarist Ted Leo (Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Aimee Mann), both of whom fit the bill nicely while adding their own personalities to the mix.
Lanky and overflowing with manic nonstop gesturing, King delivered mini manifestos while pacing back and forth across the stage like a caged animal. Foundationally, Burnham’s tribal beats and steady drumming was the kind of personality you can build a band on.
Gang of Four’s stock in trade has always included a healthy dose of groove and Greenwood’s throbbing, funky bass delivered. She was a picture of strength wielding her Thunderbird bass, one leg perched on Burnham’s drum riser. Nerdy and filled with noises, Leo had big shoes to fill on guitar. Founding member, the late Andy Gill’s abrasive guitar tone was a key ingredient in the band’s sound. Leo was a perfect pinch hitter, obviously a fan who added to the sonic legacy.
Throughout the show, a revolving backdrop included historic images of the baby-faced band and familiar handbills. Interspersed were also and stark messages including BE THE RESISTANCE, WOMAN LIFE FREEDOM, MAKE GOOD TROUBLE and HANNAH DUGAN.
Photo by Melissa Miller
Gang of Four
Gang of Four performing at Turner Hall Ballroom (2025)
The medium and the message
After a surprisingly short break and change of clothes, King opened the second set with a drum solo. Except instead of a drum, he was playing a microwave oven. And instead of a drum stick he was using a baseball bat. That, in a nutshell, was meta-shorthand for a band whose career has been based on social and political commentary.
|
|
But the evening wasn’t all grad-level sociology. During the urbane, cynical, funk of “I Love a Man in a Uniform” and “Damaged Goods,” as viewed from the balcony, the dance floor looked like a flashback to the hipper nite clubs of the early ‘80s. Playing a solo introduction to “Anthrax,” Leo assaulted his guitar, coaxing rude sounds from his vintage Ampeg amplifiers and Echoplex rig—eventually raking the strings across the mic stand before the band segued into the tune proper.
Photo by Melissa Miller
Gang of Four
Gang of Four performing at Turner Hall Ballroom (2025)
Rabbit punch
Too often a band’s final tour is an act of desperation or simply a thank you to the fans, and a typical shorthand review might be “at least they didn’t embarrass themselves.”
Gang of Four was nothing of the sort.
Older? Sure. But vital as ever. In fact, the encore set was a stellar rabbit punch with a healthy chunk of the audience pogoing blissfully.
