REVIEW: Gang of Four Endures… and Then Some
06/25 @ Bearsville Theater, Woodstock
Photos by Maggie Aulman
“Gang of Four busted out hit after hit in a sweaty, strobing, and colorful marathon set.”
Midway through Gang of Four’s set, I started focusing on vocalist Jon King’s right arm; it was doing a lot of work. Between the on-stage beating of a sacrificial microwave with a baseball bat — customary for performing the last track off 1981’s Solid Gold, “He’d Send in the Army” — drawing large circles in the air with the swing of his microphone wire, and shaking a tambourine like there’s no tomorrow, I was floored by both his endurance and stage presence. His voice possesses the same boyish and bratty punk rasp it always has.
It wasn’t that long ago that rock critics panned anyone who dared to perform music live over the ancient age 40 (an episode of the Simpsons had its fun at The Rolling Stones’ expense, renaming their 1989 Steel Wheels Tour as the “Steel Wheelchair Tour 2010”). Ageism be damned, Gang of Four busted out hit after hit in a sweaty, strobing, and colorful marathon set. I arrived at the show ill-prepared in platform boots; my arches and calves are still aching, and the most work I put into the night was nodding along in reverence and watching.
After a heartfelt introduction by renowned musician and session bassist Gail Ann Dorsey — bassist and backup vocalist for Gang of Four in the early ’90s — the group began a blazing performance of “To Hell With Poverty!” (likely a nod to King’s latest book titled after the song). They slammed through tracks off 1979’s Entertainment! including “Natural’s Not In It;” “Damaged Goods;” “I Found That Essence Rare;” and “Love Like Anthrax.” Solid Gold’s “Outside The Trains Don’t Run On Time” as well as their recently released 2026 single “NO KINGS HERE!” penetrated the room’s heavy summer air, its thickness felt even indoors (or maybe that was just everyone’s body heat).
King was joined by drummer Hugo Burnham, another original member of the group. In a quick exchange with Burnham following a private, pre-show Q&A curated by O+ Festival, he playfully quipped to me, “Be easy on us, we’re old!” But the crowd was a mix of generations, something that’s always heartening to see. It means that the music is evermore resonant. The group lost founding member and guitarist Andy Gill in 2020, whose indelible mark on the band forever remains. Bassist Gail Greenwood (Belly, L7) and guitarist Ted Leo (Ted Leo and the Pharmacists) make up Gang of Four’s current incarnation in an assemblage that feels like perfect alchemy.
This candy-colored carnival was kicked off by Providence, RI’s Downtown Boys, who opened the night with the same youthful exuberance and pure punk energy Gang of Four laid down. Their songs are shot through with blistering saxophone solos and the slamming of frantic keys, alongside vocalist Victoria Marie’s bellowing voice.
Victoria Marie and guitarist/vocalist Joey La Neve DeFrancesco used the time between songs to reinforce the band’s political messages highlighting stories of societal injustices and the realities of war, genocide, and worker exploitation. While sobering topics, their words were uplifting and bolstered by a grassroots activist spirit. About three-quarters of the way through their set, they performed a cover of “New York City Cops” by The Strokes, which was really the icing on the cake for me. Their latest album Public Luxury is out now.
