Gang Of Four . Long Island . 1982
Okay! It’s official! I’ve become a doddering codger! One too many synapses have misfired & my prefrontal cortex is Pretty Vacant MAN or so it seems. Maybe I’m being a little too hard on myself. Or maybe not.
I started attending CW Post Center of Long Island University in the spring of 1978. (Had to look that one up too!) I was twenty-one. Going back to school to get a degree. I was living in the dorms with Danny Laughlin. Through him I met Tom Quinlavin. Tom was a painter … as in fine artist. We hit it off right away. Somewhere in that first semester I met a girl, Brandy, or Candy, or Nancy, or Chuck … can’t remember her name. Don’t even remember how we met … memorable huh! I think the thing that interested me about her was she liked punk music. Music was always a good “bonding” agent for me. Always has been. Always will be.
The reason I remember her, was because there was a photo of her on the first exposure of the two rolls of film I shot at the Gang Of Four show. So I’m also thinking that we went to the show together. As in … on a date. But what kind of date could it have been? She was probably sitting alone at the table, for most of the night, while I was off shooting the band. Oh well. She and I didn’t last too long. I wonder why?
So here is where I confess. I don’t remember the name of the venue I saw the Gang of Four. I don’t remember the date. The only reason I know it was in 1978, is because I know I was living with Danny in the dorms at Post when I met Brandy-Candy-Nancy-Chuck. What I do remember was the venue was a dinner club kind of place. It was not a regular music venue. There were tables and chairs on a terraced floor in front a full raised stage. I remember the parking lot and the Vegas-like sign “Appearing Tonight”. I just wish I could “re-visulaize” the name of the joint! Hopefully someone else who went there will remember and leave a comment.
The one thing I do remember … the show was incendiary! From first song to last. What I loved was the lighting they used. A lot of stage foot up-lighting. Never saw anything like it before then. Very ominous. Very dramatic. Lot of fun to shoot!
Hope you like!
