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From The Desk Of Gang Of Four: The View From The Monument In The City Of London

Andy Gill has a relatively simple work ethic that’s guided him for years, ever since his legendary post-punk outfit Gang Of Four burst onto the staid scene with its jagged, jarring Entertainment! debut in 1979. “There are loads of bands that can chuck out the same album, year after year,” he says. “But that model is just not for me.” The group’s quantum leap forward to 1982’s more danceable third album, Songs Of The Free, might have clarified that tenet already. If not, the latest Gang Of Four record surely will—the aptly dubbed What Happens Next, Gill’s first after the departure of longtime vocalist Jon King. Gill will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our new feature on the band.

TheMonument

Gill: Built by Christopher Wren to commemorate the 1666 Great Fire of London, the Monument is a column with a viewing platform that still provides some of the best views across London. The distance from the base of the column to the top exactly mirrors the distance from the source of the conflagration in Pudding Lane to the place it was finally extinguished. It’s worth looking upwards as well as outwards from the platform. A beautiful golden ball of flames surmounts the column. The Monument is an incredible statement of optimism and determination to build a great future. Samuel Pepys wrote vividly about “The Great Fire.” His diary is, of course, one of the best documents of the time and is a wonderful read.

Video after the jump.