To Hell With Poverty!: A Class Act: Inside the Gang of Four

by Jon King

'Entertaining and revealing . . . it offers a deeply human portrait of its narrator, a creative force shaped by chaos, resilience and an unrelenting drive to make art. It is a personal and, at times, harrowing journey which provides insight into a band that contributed to the evolution of rock music and inspired generations' Louder Than War

'To Hell With Poverty! captures something of [Gang of Four's] essence fractious, discordant, thrilling' MOJO

From Jon King, the legendary frontman of iconic post-punk band, Gang of Four, comes a memoir to remember.

To Hell With Poverty! documents Jon's story from a south London slum and working-class background to international success as core musician, lyricist, writer, and producer in acclaimed post-punk/funk band, Gang of Four. Made up of charming vignettes, the reader is taken on an episodic journey full of raucous adventures from Jon's childhood and teenage years, to the height of Gang of Four's success in the seventies and eighties.

Thrown off of Top of the Pops, truncheoned by police at an anti-Nazi rally, being at the heart of the Leeds music scene and the UK postpunk movement, fraternising with Hell's Angels and other undesirables, supported by bands like R.E.M. and playing with the Buzzcocks, there's no doubt King's time with Gang of Four is rich with jaw-dropping stories.

Evocative, pacey and witty in equal measure, To Hell With Poverty! is a music memoir for the ages

340 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 3, 2025

Reviews

[Sarah Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review: To Hell with Poverty!: A Class Act: Inside the Gang of Four by Jon King
Rating: 4.3/5

Reviewer’s Perspective & Initial Reactions
As a female sociologist and public health professional, I approached King’s memoir with a dual interest: its exploration of class mobility through art and its implicit critique of systemic inequities in the music industry. While the book is a raucous, episodic account of punk rebellion, its subtext—how working-class creativity thrives despite structural barriers—resonated deeply with my research on social determinants of health. King’s journey from a South London slum to international fame stirred admiration for his resilience. Still, his occasional romanticization of "undesirables" (e.g., Hells Angels) triggered unease, given their often gendered violence.

Strengths & Emotional Impact
-Class as a Central Theme: King’s unapologetic title (To Hell with Poverty!) and vivid depictions of working-class life offer a rare, unfiltered lens into how economic precarity shapes artistic expression. His anti-Nazi rally account parallels sociological studies on music as political resistance.
-Public Health Subtext: The memoir’s darker moments—police brutality, industry exploitation—unintentionally highlight how marginalized artists face physical and mental health risks. As a public health scholar, I longed for King to connect these dots explicitly.
-Emotional Resonance: The chaotic energy of King’s prose (e.g., being thrown off Top of the Pops) evoked both exhilaration and exhaustion, mirroring the unsustainable grind of creative labor under capitalism.

Constructive Criticism
-Gendered Blind Spots: King’s narrative centers male camaraderie, with little reflection on how women navigated the same scenes. A feminist critique of punk’s patriarchal underbelly is missing.
-Structural Analysis Lacking: While King critiques poverty, he rarely implicates the systems perpetuating it (e.g., austerity policies). A sociologist’s lens demands deeper systemic critique.
-Health Implications Glossed Over: The memoir’s hedonism (e.g., touring excesses) begs for a public health perspective on artist well-being, especially given punk’s legacy of addiction and early deaths.

Why This Book Matters
To Hell with Poverty! is a vital document of working-class artistry and punk’s radical potential. Its raw honesty and cultural significance outweigh its gaps in intersectional and structural analysis.

Thank you to the publisher for the free copy via Edelweiss. Rated 4.3/5—a must-read for scholars of cultural sociology, supplemented with feminist and political-economic critiques.

Pair With: Girl in a Band (Kim Gordon) for feminist counterpoint or Lipstick Traces (Greil Marcus) for punk theory. Ideal for readers seeking a visceral, if incomplete, class analysis of music history.

[Jim Dooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very fun, and funny, memoir. Jon King delivers numerous engaging stories about growing up in Kemsing and attending (along with some future Mekons and filmmakers) Sevenoaks School. The future Gang of Four vocalist describes a less-than-wealthy monochrome upbringing that is enlivened by snatches of popular culture and an inspiring school art department. There are also many telling vignettes detailing the jobs (from farming to a paper sack factory) he had prior to attending university. These (often amusing) accounts explore an area rarely covered in the Gang of Four story. A ‘class act’ indeed. King also supplies a revealing snapshot of his times at university in Leeds and his complex, on-again-off-again, relationship with Andy Gill. Fans of Gang of Four will be fascinated by how King contrasts himself, both in terms of temperament and artistic leanings, with Gill. Much of the material here makes for a good companion to the (somewhat more academically-inclined) song descriptions contained within the Gang of Four 77-81 boxed set. As for the anecdotes about the band’s activities, they are absurd, touching and farcical – tales that are positively Spinal Tapian at times. The Hard-era crazed and decadent tales of being in Los Angeles and Miami stand in stark contrast to King’s austere upbringing. In spite of the weighty topics touched on here, King never loses sight of the ludicrous and humorous nature of being in a band. In this way the singer seems firmly tied to one of his key influences - the Situationist International. Much like King’s electrically-charged performances the writing in To Hell With Poverty! is riveting, charismatic, assertive but always with a twinkle in the eye and a tongue planted ever-so-slightly in cheek. – Jim Dooley

[Beverly Laude · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was first introduced to the music of Gang of Four in 1981 while I was in college when a local band covered "I Found that Essence Rare". Then, "I Love a Man in Uniform" was perfect for me at the time since I was dating an Army guy. I have continued to enjoy their amazing music through the past 40+ years.

When I was given the chance to read an advance copy of this book through Akashic Books, I knew that it would be a great read. And, it was! Jon King has created a wildly readable book, starting with his upbringing in a London slum. Though his true love was art, he found himself in a post-punk band with his friends and the rest is history!

Reading the book is like sitting in a room talking to a friend and the stories just keep coming! Full of humor, friendship (with its usual conflicts) and name-dropping adventures, this is a fast paced book and will hold your attention from start to finish. Since I am American, a lot of the language and locations were a bit difficult for me to follow and I'm sure that British readers would enjoy this book even more.

Thanks, Jon King, for reminding me of a lot of great memories involving your music. I am happy that I rediscovered your discography and know that I will continue to listen to your work until the day I die!

[John Lyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jon King pulls no punches in this gem, he’s clearly a master of the English language and also throws in a ton of English (England) slang, as well as words and phrases from about a half dozen other languages.

It was wonderful to learn not only about his personal history and upbringing, as well as the history of one of my all-time favorite bands, Gang of Four.

It was shocking and frightening to read about his 3-4 near death and/or serious injury experiences, and personally I couldn’t be happier that he escaped largely unscathed.

I'm going to see the band’s last ever concert at the Paradiso in Amsterdam, although his tale of threats and violence there definitely give me pause. It was fun to see that King is a big fan of many of the bands that I love, most notably the Ramones, who we both mention in some depth in our books. www.JustaFan.space

[Han · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 stars based on my love of Gang of Four but just 3 stars as a memoir. It was very stream of consciousness like vocally telling someone about your life and getting sidetracked by funny stories. That could be a bit of a drag to get through (especially with the heavy British slang) but I like how that's in line with King's overall approach to art, like how everything from his physical art to his lyrics was kind of like a collage. In a memoir, I typically want a narrative throughline, and this one just didn't have that.

[Lewis Caviness · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining read, BUT... I wish he had spent less time on his youth and more time on Gang of Four. I would have liked to read more about what it was like recording Entertainment!. The sections on the next albums felt rushed and skimpy. I also want to know what happened after the disastrous Hard was released.

[Nik Havert · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a fun read. I wish there were more Gang of Four stories in it, however. Over half the book is about King's upbringing and schooling, which IS a hard look back at the economic disparity in 1960s and 1970s England. The GOF stories are fun, and you learn how often they got screwed over by labels, managers, and the BBC.

[Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book....

[Aaron Badgley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant book. It feels like King is just talking with you. It is honest, open and revealing.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

See StoryGraph

[Bruce Kirby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ready or not, Jon King tells all. British cheek but all heart and soul. Picked it up at their farewell tour this year.

[Marc Nash · Rating 3 out of 5]

Video review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhfnU...