Damn it, I should have gone. "To have heard Gang of Four at the right age is not to become radicalized, it is to become immunized." Perfectly summed up. I don't know when Entertainment crawled into my hand, but the bold anti-;love song attack mesmerized me and made me sick of mainstream radio. When they played the Catalyst, summer of '83, I tried to make a banner that said "Santa Cruz Welcomes the Gang of Four" on a used bedsheet, but it was just one more inept display that fell down. I still remember whoever the drummer was at the time, walloping a tin-lined plastic milk carton carrier for that tolling bell of miserable capitalism that was the percussion in "He'd Send in the Army."( A very nice version of this from the URGH! A Music War film exists on You Tube.)
When I was having hellacious post-grad days in San Francisco., having my deluded expectations of success reshaped into a straight-8 M-F dullard job, I used to listen to Solid Gold, one of their less popular records. "I Fled"--wish I had. But maybe my favorite of all of their songs is "I Will Be a Good Boy". What does the system want from us if not utter capitulation. I hope your students will someday find an offramp from this conveyor belt of horror.
Oh, Gina - thank you for the lovely words!
Fantastic and would I even expect less? GO4 destroy doublespeak and leave my fillings brittle.
Damn it, I should have gone. "To have heard Gang of Four at the right age is not to become radicalized, it is to become immunized." Perfectly summed up. I don't know when Entertainment crawled into my hand, but the bold anti-;love song attack mesmerized me and made me sick of mainstream radio. When they played the Catalyst, summer of '83, I tried to make a banner that said "Santa Cruz Welcomes the Gang of Four" on a used bedsheet, but it was just one more inept display that fell down. I still remember whoever the drummer was at the time, walloping a tin-lined plastic milk carton carrier for that tolling bell of miserable capitalism that was the percussion in "He'd Send in the Army."( A very nice version of this from the URGH! A Music War film exists on You Tube.)
When I was having hellacious post-grad days in San Francisco., having my deluded expectations of success reshaped into a straight-8 M-F dullard job, I used to listen to Solid Gold, one of their less popular records. "I Fled"--wish I had. But maybe my favorite of all of their songs is "I Will Be a Good Boy". What does the system want from us if not utter capitulation. I hope your students will someday find an offramp from this conveyor belt of horror.
Thanks, another insightful and enjoyable piece. Super jelly that I missed this tour!
So bummed to have missed the show in Denver. But, I did hear that our own Lynn Perko sat in on drums at that show. What a treat that would have been.
GO4. Thanks for the reminder!