Last Wednesday was the LA stop on Gang of Four's "The Long Goodbye" final tour. I was honored to be asked by the band to design the tour poster, which is inspired by elements from their Entertainment album cover, their Damaged Goods EP back, and some of the band's lyrics. The Fonda Theater show was powerful and very emotional for me. If you don't know Gang of Four, they are post-punk pioneers who are great musically, with an excellent tension between funk, rhythm, and noise. I also love their lyrics, with many of their songs tackling subjects like consumption, capitalism, obsession with power, exploitation, narcissism, and class structure. I was lucky to see the Gang of Four original line-up live several times in the early to mid-2000s, and they sounded tight and powerful every time. I was very happy when I was asked to design the sleeve for a Gang of Four remix 7-inch in 2005. I like to think that art and music are rare zones where pleasure and intellectual provocation can co-exist powerfully. Gang of Four exemplifies that idea. Thanks for all the inspiration, guys!
-Shepard
PRINT DETAILS: The Long Goodbye. 18 x 24 inches. Screen print on 80# cream Speckletone paper. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 550. Comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart. $65
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