Kevin Bronson on October 20th, 2015

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Say what you will about lone original member Andy Gill moving Gang of Four forward with a young supporting cast, but the music of the legendary U.K. post-punks sounded no less vital Sunday night when they unleashed their stone-faced fury on a Part Time Punks crowd at the Echoplex.

As they did when we caught them at SXSW, Gill, bassist Thomas McNeice, singer John “Gaoler” Sterry and drummer Jonny Finnegan, were biting, confrontational and intent on reinforcing the notion that a lot of the stuff that mattered in 1979, when Gang of Four released “Entertainment!,” still matters today.

Indeed, it’s the rare band who can forge a set of songs written more than 35 years apart into a cohesive statement, and Sunday’s show saw that. Gang of Four played six songs from their new album “What Happens Next” (released in February), highlighted by opener “When the Nightingale Sings,” “To Hell With Poverty” and “At Home He’s a Tourist.” They weren’t the least bit out of place with “Why Theory?” and “Paralysed” (each from 1981) or the four songs they ripped from “Entertainment!” “Damaged Goods” and “Love Like Anthrax” were released on the same single in 1978, for cryin’ out loud. Clench fists.

Meanwhile, San Diego’s the New Regime also impressed. They are the project of Ilan Rubin, known primarily as the drummer for such bands as Nine Inch Nails, Lostprophets, Angels & Airwaves and Paramore. They played a chunk of tunes from their new EP “Exhibit B.”

L.A.’s Gothic Tropic opened the night.

Photos by Michelle Shiers