The Danceable Politicalization of Andy Gill’s Gang of Four

Andy Gill
1956–2020
RIP

by Henry Cherry

When Andy Gill died at 64 on Saturday, the sound of revolution was momentarily stalled. Gill was the co-founder of the UK’s Gang of Four, an avant-funk off shoot of that country’s monumentally impactful punk movement of the late 70s. Across ten albums and a barrage of EPs and singles, Gang of Four is best known for their bouncing ecstatic protestations like “To Hell with Poverty” and “Damaged Goods” and their big break on American radio, “I Love a Man in Uniform.” Gill’s sawing guitar, songwriting and production lay at the heart of the band’s dramatically seductive sound. As such, the power of his death resides in the music Gill is responsible for, and luckily, that music remains. Even as Gill lay in the hospital, suffering from pneumonia, the musician continued to work on new music, editing and annotating mixes for a yet to be released Gang of Four recording.

It was Gill’s slashing guitar that first thrilled audiences, producing a daring counter balance to bassist Dave Allen’ swaying bass lines (a sound which Gill contended he himself taught to his bandmate.) The off-kilter beat ignited a burning energetic quarrel in singer Jon King that would have been unattainable without the guitarist’s polyrhythmic blasts. Announcing Gill’s passing, the band released a statement calling the late musician and producer “our great friend and Supreme Leader.” Without Gill, they were…