Gang of Four^H^H^H^H Two^H^H^H One

There is so much snark in this article:

Andy Gill busting on Dave Allen, 2015:
Gang of Four Have Been Taking the Piss Out of Pop Culture Since 1979:

"His main point is that he doesn't think musicians should get paid," says Andy Gill, laying into his ex-bandmate turned digital music guru Dave Allen, now an artist relations specialist at iTunes. "He thinks music should be free. And when you actually push him on that, he comes up with things like, 'Earn some money on ringtones.' Literally." Sniggers ripple across Andy's new band members. "So what better person to work for Apple, having come from Gang of Four," he concludes of his ex-comrade, "although so briefly."

To be fair to Dave Allen, that last "briefly" dig at him lands slightly off the mark. The bassist, who quit suddenly during a 1981 US tour, played on both Entertainment! and Solid Gold, the two Gang of Four records the world at large cares about.

Ooh, burn!

Andy Gill busting on Dave Allen, 1982:

The press response was predictably confused: 'XTC meets G4NG' should mean herky-jerky agitprop or a bleak industrial take on the Beatles, surely? Not this understated, deeply arty, bottom-heavy and lyrically inscrutable piece of weirdness, edging -with 'here comes my handclap' -into avant-garde difficulty.

An hilarious flame-war took place in the NME between Dave and Andy Gill (shades of me and Andy Partridge). Dave had accused the G4NG -in one of the recent articles, and in response to the inevitable 'why did you leave?' question, of lacking ideological commitment.

When 'Tench' came out, of course, Gill retaliated: 'Dave dares to raise the banner of ideology then releases an album about a fish' he fumed. The Two Headed, Revisionist Running-Tench that he clearly was.

Previously, previously, previously.

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9 Responses:

  1. Should we even ask Dave Allen his thoughts about this?

  2. Should we even ask Dave Allen his thoughts about this?

  3. Josh: "Dave Allen declined to comment for this piece, and it’s sort of hard to blame him."

  4. Josh: "Dave Allen declined to comment for this piece, and it’s sort of hard to blame him."

  5. Agreed. (I haven't actually listened to the new G4NG release, as I not sure I can accept the band without Jon King's 'persona'.)

  6. Agreed. (I haven't actually listened to the new G4NG release, as I not sure I can accept the band without Jon King's 'persona'.)

  7. I saw Dave Allen on a panel at North by Northwest in Portland many years ago. He was a bit of prick. I think he was working for CDBaby at the time. The topic was supposedly digital distribution but his main point to the musicians in attendance was, "Please stop making music, everything you do it shit." I guess he thinks free is a fair price for the value.

  8. Knowing too much is tainting my perfect memories!

  9. Knowing too much is tainting my perfect memories!

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