Gang of Four – I Love a Man in a Uniform

While I do remember hearing this song on the radio in New York before we moved up to Maine, I didn’t know who the band was. It was only once I was at college and diving into the bands who influenced the bands I loved, that I learned about Gang of Four.

I’d read that when R.E.M. were just getting started they had opened for Gang of Four. Then there was the movie, Urgh! A Music War, which was a glimpse into bands we’d heard of but had no idea what they looked or sounded like.

But it wasn’t until my best friend got hold of Songs of the Free and taped it for me that the lightbulb went on. This was the band that did I Love a Man in a Uniform!

Gang of Four were my introduction to post-punk. Their sound and the fact that they were so political, at a time when I was becoming more aware politically, vaulted them into place as one of my favorites. I liked that you really could learn something from listening to their lyrics, but I also loved Andy Gill’s guitar playing and that these songs grooved.

Back in April I went to see Gang of Four on their Last Goodbye tour. I originally got a ticket for the Boston show since that was the closest place they were playing. A few months after I had my ticket, they added a show closer to me so I snagged a ticket. Fun fact, on the first Gang of Four tour of the U.S., Pylon opened up. At the show I went to, they projected some images on the screen behind the band, including the one below which is an old flyer where you can see Pylon listed. Small world.