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Gang of Four
April News 2010 (Part 1)
(Sunday April 2010 location - Newhampton - The Reans - Wolverhampton)
Gang Of Four: New Album - 'Content'
Other than ringing me to ask "are you coming over this Sunday" my good friend John Bigot hasn't asked me a direct question since the day after I went out with Joanne Deacon, and that was when we were in the 5th year at school back in 1978. But when he rang me last Saturday a direct question was what I got. "Ed have you ordered me a copy of the new Gang of Four album yet?" I don't know whether I was more shocked by his unusual directness or frightened at the prospect of how I was going to explain the Gof4 situation to him. So I said "Yes John I've pledged it for you, we'll talk about it tomorrow" Instantly I realised the mistake I'd made, but it was too late my words were out of my mouth and into his ears. "What's to talk about and what d'you mean pledged? Have you ordered it or not?!!!" He was talking from down the pub, slurring, the hubbub from the drunken rabble oscillating through his obsolete mobile; I quickly moved to placate him "I've ordered it, I've ordered it, of course I've ordered it, I'll see you tomorrow".
Placated or not it didn't stop me from having a seriously sleepless night trying to work out how I was going to explain the Gang of Four - Pledge Music project thing to John. You see it's not easy, John has got a STEREO, he's got a RADIO, he's got a CASSETTE player and he's got an EIGHT TRACK player; he's got a VIDEO recorder, a DVD player and he's got a CD player but what he "don't got" is a COMPUTER. When there's talk of computers or the internet down the pub John always says the internet was invented by the devil to do two things 1. Drip feed evil to the masses and 2. Put up the price of beer in the UK. He tells everyone "I went on the internet once, at Wolverhampton Library, it was bobbins!", but I have absolutely no proof that this one off event ever really occurred.
So without the greatest knowledge of Auction sites and Social Networking sites myself, I had to try and explain to John the Gof4 Pledge Music thing and moreover to explain what had happened, or should I say what was happening, to the £10 he'd already given me to buy the new "CONTENT" album for him - it wasn't going to be easy.
Next day when my grilling came I did have a few dark moments, especially when he asked "exactly when will I receive my Gof4 album"; and "what's the difference between buying and pledging"; and "what other items can I pledged for". I felt like a f**king politician in front of the Spanish Inquisition or heretic in front of a Public Inquiry. But in the end I played a blinder, you see I had an ace up my sleeve; I played John B a cassette recording of the new track "Sleeper", which had been posted on the Gof4 site the day before. After listening to this over a strong cup of tea John's eyes moistened and he said "the bass sounds soddin' great - it's like the Gang of Four of old alright" - no further explanations were required.
If you need any further information about "CONTENT" please click below, and if you understand what's going on, please let us know.
Please take note: Jon King is younger than Brinsley Forde, & Andy Gill is also considerably younger than Brinsley Forde.