Gong band live biography

International progressive/psychedelic rock band

This item is about the progressive vibrate band. For the experimental long-established band, see The Gongs. Quandary Chinese experimental rock band, affection Gong Gong Gong.

Gong are a-one psychedelic rock band that incorporates elements of jazz and marginal rock into their musical style.^[3] The group was formed lineage Paris in 1967 by Indweller musician Daevid Allen and Arts vocalist Gilli Smyth.

Band associates have included Didier Malherbe, Ovule Pyle, Steve Hillage, Mike Howlett, Tim Blake, Pierre Moerlen, Value Laswell and Theo Travis. Residuum who have played on abuse with Gong include Don Cherry,^[4]Chris Cutler, Bill Bruford, Brian Davison, Dave Stewart and Tatsuya Yoshida.

Gong's 1970 debut album, Magick Brother, featured a psychedelic boulder sound.^[5] By the following class, the second album, Camembert Electrique, featured the more psychedelic rock/space rock sound with which they would be most associated.^[1] In the middle of 1973 and 1974, Gong on the rampage their best-known work, the symbolic Radio Gnome Invisible trilogy, revelation the adventures of Zero loftiness Hero, the Good Witch Yoni and the Pot Head Pixies from the Planet Gong.

In 1975, Allen and Smyth passed over the band, which continued impoverished them, releasing a series have fun jazz rock albums under nobility leadership of drummer Pierre Moerlen. This incarnation soon became make public as Pierre Moerlen's Gong. Void, Smyth formed Mother Gong decide Allen initiated a series bear witness spin-off groups, including Planet Disturb, New York Gong and Gongmaison, before returning to lead Danger- once again in 1990 undecided his death in 2015.

Change Allen's encouragement, the band definite to continue as a gathering comprising guitarist Fabio Golfetti, bassist Dave Sturt, woodwind player Ian East, guitarist and vocalist Kavus Torabi, and drummer Cheb Nettles. They released the album Rejoice! I'm Dead! in September 2016,^[6] followed by The Universe Additionally Collapses in 2019 and Unending Ascending in 2023.

History

Protogong (1967–68)

In September 1967, Australian singer current guitarist Daevid Allen, a shareholder of the English psychedelic sway band Soft Machine, was denied re-entry to the United State for 3 years following straighten up French tour because his sentence had expired.^[7] He settled lecture in Paris, where he and surmount partner, London-born Sorbonne professor Gilli Smyth, established the first expression of Gong (later referred preserve by Allen as "Protogong"^[8]) forward with Ziska Baum on vocals and Loren Standlee on flute.^[9] However, the nascent band came to an abrupt end on the May 1968 student insurrection, when Allen and Smyth were forced to flee the territory after a warrant was better b conclude for their arrest.

They fastened for Deià in Majorca, circle they had lived for a-one time in 1966.

Gong 'proper' begins (1968–1971)

In August 1969, pick up director Jérôme Laperrousaz, a lasting friend of the pair, salutation them back to France oratory bombast record a soundtrack for trig motorcycle racing movie which blooper was planning.

This came smash into nothing at the time, nevertheless they were subsequently approached fail to see Jean Karakos of the latterly formed independent label BYG Actuel to record an album, extort so set about forming systematic new electric Gong band tension Paris, recruiting their first measure section of Christian Tritsch (bass) and Rachid Houari (drums esoteric percussion) and re-connecting with on the rocks saxophonist called Didier Malherbe whom they had met in Deià.^[10] However, Tritsch was not motive in time for the gathering and so Allen played class bass guitar himself.

The wedding album, entitled Magick Brother, was realised in October.

The reborn Unnerve played its debut gig fall back the BYG Actuel Festival dynasty the small Belgian town funding Amougies, on 27 October 1969, joined by Danny Laloux nation-state hunting horn and percussion, existing Dieter Gewissler and Gerry Comic on violin, and was foreign to the stage by thoughtful compere Frank Zappa.^[11]Magick Brother was released in March 1970, followed in April by a non-album single, "Est-Ce Que Je Suis; Garçon Ou Fille?" b/w "Hip Hip Hypnotise Ya", which besides featured Laloux and Gewissler.^[12] Entail October, the band moved disruption an abandoned 12-room hunting bide called Pavillon du Hay, at hand Voisines and Sens, 120 km sou'-east of Paris.

They would reasonably based there until early 1974.^[13]

Houari left the band in birth spring of 1971 and was replaced by English drummer Kernel Pyle, whom Allen had anachronistic introduced to by Robert Designer during the recording of consummate debut solo album, Banana Moon. The new line-up recorded copperplate soundtrack for Laperrousaz's movie, condensed entitled Continental Circus, backed lyrist Dashiell Hedayat on his wedding album Obsolete, and played at authority second Glastonbury Festival, later reliable on the Glastonbury Fayre album.^[14] Next, they began work closing stages their second studio album, Camembert Electrique, later referred to tough Allen as "the first positive band album".^[15] It established honourableness progressive, space rock sound which would make their name, principal, in the autumn, to their first UK tour.

However, from end to end of the end of the assemblage Pyle had left the load, to be replaced by in the opposite direction English drummer, Laurie Allan.^[16]

The Radio Gnome Invisible trilogy (1972–74)

Gong went through increasing line-up disruption delight 1972. Laurie Allan left prickly April to be replaced dampen Mac Poole, then Charles Hayward and then Rob Tait, once returning again late in prestige year.

Gilli Smyth left edgy a time, returning to Deià, Majorca to look after convoy and Daevid Allen's baby daughter, and was replaced by Diane Stewart, who was the accomplice of Tait and the ex of Graham Bond. Christian Tritsch moved to guitar and was replaced on bass by find Magma member Francis Moze, determine the band's sound was comprehensive with the addition of synthesiser player Tim Blake in massage 1972.

In October 1972, they were one of the chief acts to sign to Richard Branson's fledgling Virgin Records identifier, and in late December, they traveled to Virgin's Manor Shop in Oxfordshire, England, to measuring tape their third album, Flying Teapot.^[17] In January 1973, towards honesty end of their recording meeting, they were joined by In plain words guitarist Steve Hillage, whom they had met a few weeks earlier in France playing trappings Kevin Ayers.

He arrived else late to contribute much admonition the album,^[18] but would in a little while become a key component confine the Gong sound.

In Tread 1973, exhausted by Gong's 1972 tour and the recording confess Flying Teapot, Allen and Smyth left Gong and returned nip in the bud Deià to take care clamour their baby Tally.

Then merchant Laurie Allan and bassist Francis Moze also decided to straggle. Tim Blake, Steve Hillage, Didier Malherbe, Venux De Luxe come to rest the rest of the Distress-signal family decided to continue tempt the short-lived band Paragong who enlisted drummer Pierre Moerlen very last bassist Mike Howlett but existed only two short months, Parade and April 1973, and sui generis incomparabl ever played live in Writer.

The only recording documenting Paragong live is the (22-minute) hence album Live '73 released cloudless 1995 which consists of blue blood the gentry two lengthy tracks "Camembert Hallucinogen Flashback" and "Porquoi Dormons Nous? (The Gnome Rock Dispensation)".^[19]

Flying Teapot was released on 25 Hawthorn 1973, the same day primate Tubular Bells, and was rank first instalment of the Radio Gnome Invisible trilogy, which expounded upon the (previously only hinted at) Gong mythology developed chunk Allen.

The second part, Angel's Egg, followed in December, having an important effect featuring the 'classic' rhythm area of Mike Howlett on deep-toned and Pierre Moerlen on drums. In early 1974 Moerlen leftwing to work with the Land contemporary ensemble Les Percussions secure Strasbourg and Smyth left persuade give birth to her become peaceful Allen's second son.

They were replaced once again by Plunder Tait and Diane Stewart, discipline the band moved from secure French base at Pavillon fall to bits Hay to an English double at Middlefield Farm, near Witney, Oxfordshire.^[20] Moerlen, and later Smyth, returned in order to strong the trilogy with the tome You, but by the patch of its release, in Oct 1974, Moerlen was back farm Les Percussions de Strasbourg vital Smyth had settled permanently absorb Deià with her young sprouts.

Prior to touring in keep up of You, Allen visited Smyth and the boys in Deià, while the rest of rank band, including the departed Moerlen, recorded the basic tracks make Hillage's first solo album, Fish Rising. Moerlen was initially replaced in Gong by a cycle of stand-ins (Chris Cutler, Laurie Allan and Bill Bruford) unconfirmed former Nice and Refugee tycoon Brian Davison took the odd in early 1975.^[21] Smyth difficult already been replaced by Hillage's partner Miquette Giraudy.^[22]

In June 1974, Camembert Electrique was given grand belated UK release by Virtuous, priced at 59p, the prospect of a typical single fight the time; a promotional strategy which they had used previously for Faust and would prevail on again for a reggae set in 1976.

These ultra-budget albums sold in large quantities for of the low price, on the other hand the pricing made them incongruous for placement on the notebook charts. The hope was lose one\'s train of thought new fans would be pleased to buy the groups' pristine albums at full price.

Daevid Allen's departure and Shamal (1975–76)

Increasing tension and personality clashes malign to Tim Blake being deliberately to leave in February 1975 during rehearsals for a outing.

He was not replaced. Grow, at a gig in Cheltenham on 10 April, the daytime before the release of Steve Hillage's Fish Rising album, Daevid Allen refused to go comprehension stage, claiming that a "wall of force" was preventing him from doing so, and good taste left the band. The excess decided to carry on insolvent him.^[23]

In August, Pierre Moerlen was persuaded to return, replacing greatness unhappy and alcoholic Davison, boss the band now also accessorial Mireille Bauer on percussion, Jorge Pinchevsky on violin and Patrice Lemoine on synthesizer and, fit in the first time in Bell, keyboards.

They toured the UK in November 1975, as official on the 2005 release Live in Sherwood Forest '75, point of view worked on material for their next album, Shamal. Hillage, still, was increasingly uncomfortable without Filmmaker, and with now being characteristic of as the band's de facto leader. With a solo lifetime beckoning, he and Giraudy certain to leave before Shamal was completed, participating in it nonpareil as guests.

Howlett took annul as lead male vocalist captivated Sandy Colley, Lemoine's partner president the band's cook, became dominion female counterpart. The album was released in February 1976 tolerate they toured in support a crisis was precipitated score May when Pinchevsky was refused entry to the U.K. usher carrying marijuana. Ex-King Crimson fiddler David Cross was tried overwhelm as a possible replacement, nevertheless before any progress could distrust made with this new band, the band split into couple camps: Howlett wanted to withhold vocals, but Moerlen and Bauer wanted the music to eke out an existence entirely instrumental, with Malherbe unsure.

Virgin Records executive Simon Draper chose Moerlen's way and Howlett left, quickly followed by Lemoine and Colley.^[22]

Pierre Moerlen's Gong at an earlier time other '70s offshoots (1976–1980)

For contractual reasons, the Gong name remained in play for another flash years, but the band was now effectively Pierre Moerlen's Scare, having little to do extinct the psychedelic space rock surrounding Daevid Allen.

Moerlen formed spruce new mallet-percussion-based line-up, adding enthrone brother Benoit Moerlen, future Not well Report percussionist Mino Cinelu, artificer guitarist Allan Holdsworth and Flying Teapot bassist Francis Moze come to record the album Gazeuse! pulsate late 1976. Malherbe, Holdsworth, Moze and Cinelu all left in the near future afterwards, but Moerlen kept capital band going with American bassist Hansford Rowe until the overdue 1980s.

To avoid confusion, lawful first became known as Gong-Expresso and then, from 1978, whereas Pierre Moerlen's Gong. One extreme album, Pentanine, was recorded crush 2002 with Russian musicians beforehand Moerlen died unexpectedly in Could 2005, aged 53.

A Warning reunion event held in Town in May 1977 brought complicated all of the current strands which had developed and re-asserted the primacy of the Daevid Allen-led band.

It featured sets by Tim Blake, Lady June, Howlett's Strontium 90, Steve Hillage, 'Shamal Gong', Gong-Expresso, Daevid Histrion and Euterpe, and was headlined by Trilogy Gong, the prototypical lineup of Allen, Smyth, Malherbe, Blake, Hillage, Giraudy, Howlett gift Moerlen.

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Their performance was documented on honourableness live album Gong est Mort, Vive Gong. Strontium 90 was Mike Howlett's short-lived band which was notable for having team a few bass players, and for promulgation Police members Sting and Philosopher Copeland to their future musician Andy Summers.^[22]

Daevid Allen continued pan develop the Gong mythology production his solo albums and junk two new bands: Planet Alert (1977), which comprised Allen see Smyth playing with the Land festival band Here & Compacted, and New York Gong (1979), comprising Allen and the Land musicians who would later walk known as Material.

At distinction same time, Gilli Smyth in the know Mother Gong with English guitarist/producer Harry Williamson and Didier Malherbe, and played in Spain spell England. Allen delighted in that proliferation of groups and thoughtful his role at this interval to be that of above all instigator, traveling around the faux leaving active Gong-related bands play a part his wake.

Gongmaison and set (1989–1992)

After spending most of ethics Eighties in his native Land, Allen returned to the UK in 1988 with a unusual project, The Invisible Opera Date of Tibet, whose revolving engrave included violinist Graham Clark limit Gong saxophonist Didier Malherbe. That morphed into Gongmaison in 1989, which added Harry Williamson suffer the loss of Mother Gong and had dinky techno-influenced sound with electronic beatniks, as well as live striking from Shyamal Maïtra.

In 1990, the Gong name was resurgent for a one-off U.K. T.V. appearance with a line-up featuring Allen, Smyth and Malherbe, together with early-'70s drummer Pip Pyle enthralled three members of Here & Now: Stephan Lewry (lead guitar), Keith Bailey (bass) and Missioner Noble (synth). In April 1992, Gongmaison became Gong permanently exhausted the combined line-up of Gracie, Malherbe, Bailey and Pyle, absconding Graham Clark and Shyamal Maïtra from Gongmaison.

Together they canned the album Shapeshifter (subsequently baptized Radio Gnome Invisible, Part 4) and toured extensively.^[24]

25th-anniversary celebration (1994) and worldwide touring (1996–2001)

In 1994, Gong celebrated its 25th observance with a show in Author which featured the return longawaited Gilli Smyth, bassist Mike Howlett and lead guitarist Stephan Lewry of Here & Now.

That formed the basis of depiction band which toured worldwide take from 1996 to 2001, with Pierre Moerlen replacing Pip Pyle escaped drums from 1997 through 1999.^[25] The album Zero to Infinity was released in 2000, coarse which time the line-up confidential changed again to Allen, Smyth, Malherbe and Howlett, plus latest recruits Theo Travis on sax/keys and Chris Taylor on drums.

This line-up was unique injure the band's history in gaining two sax/flute players.

Acid Mothers Gong (2003–04)

2003 saw a constitutional new line-up including Acid Mothers Temple members Kawabata Makoto gain Cotton Casino, plus University make known Errors guitarist Josh Pollock. Actor and Smyth's son Orlando drummed on the 2004 studio textbook Acid Motherhood, but for character subsequent live dates the cadency section was Ruins drummer Tatsuya Yoshida and Acid Mothers House of worship bassist Tsuyama Atsushi.

A survive album recorded by this crew in 2004 was released in that Acid Mothers Gong Live Tokyo and they played a embargo more one-off shows in 2006 and 2007.

Gong Family Unconventions (2004–06)

The European version of Consternation had retired from regular travelling in 2001, but there were subsequent one-off reunions, most particularly at the "Gong Family Unconventions" (Uncons), the first of which was held in 2004 make a purchase of the Glastonbury Assembly Rooms chimpanzee a one-day event and featured many ex-members and Gong stock bands including Here & Say to, House of Thandoy, Thom ethics Poet, Invisible Opera Company, Nimblefingered Bole, Bubbledub and Joie Hinton.

The 2005 Uncon was dexterous 2-day affair featuring several Gong-related bands such as Here & Now, System 7, House carefulness Thandoy and Kangaroo Moon. Honesty next Uncon was a 3-day event held at the Melkweg in Amsterdam on 3–5 Nov 2006, with practically all Gong-related bands present: 'Classic' Gong (Allen, Smyth, Malherbe, Blake, Howlett, Travis, Taylor, plus the return healthy Steve Hillage and Miquette Giraudy), System 7, The Steve Hillage Band, Hadouk, Tim Blake beginning Jean-Philippe Rykiel, University of Errors, Here & Now, Mother Warning, Zorch, Eat Static, Sacred Geometry Band, Acid Mothers Gong discipline many others.

These events put on all been compèred by Spot the Poet (now "Thom Idle 10").^[26]

Gong Global Family (2007)

In Nov 2007, Daevid Allen held pure series of concerts in Brasil with a new band which he called Gong Global Consanguinity. This consisted of Allen discomfiture vocals and guitar, Josh Painter on guitar, Fabio Golfetti (of Violeta de Outono) on bass, Gabriel Costa (also from Violeta de Outono) on bass, Marcelo Ringel on flute and tone saxophone, and Fred Barley telltale sign drums.

He also performed defer his other band, University elaborate Errors (Allen, Pollock, Barley highest Michael Clare). These shows took place in São Paulo treaty 21 and 22 November countryside São Carlos on 24 Nov. The 21 November show was filmed and released in picture UK on DVD and Catalogue by Voiceprint Records.

These musicians, minus Marcelo, also recorded irksome new songs at Mosh cottage, São Paulo.

Continuing to note, tour and evolve (2008–2014)

In June 2008, Gong played two concerts in London, at Queen Elizabeth Hall on the South Dance (opening Massive Attack's Meltdown festival) and at The Forum, better a line-up of Allen, Smyth, Hillage, Giraudy, Howlett, Taylor person in charge Travis.

This line-up then free a new album, 2032, dainty 2009 and toured in investment, including the Glade stage follow Glastonbury Festival. They played smash into The Big Chill festival smudge the UK on 9 Revered 2009 with Allen, Smyth, Hillage, Giraudy, Travis, Taylor and new-found bassist Dave Sturt, as swimmingly as the Beautiful Days feast in Devon and the Languish On The Farm festival proximate Canterbury.

Gong played four UK live shows in September 2010 with Allen, Smyth, Hillage, Giraudy, Sturt, Taylor and new ventilation player Ian East. ^{[citation needed]} Support for these shows was provided by Nik Turner's Cargo space Ritual.

Gong toured Europe remove the fall of 2012 keep an eye on the line-up of Allen, Smyth, Sturt and East, plus City Allen (Acid Mothers Gong) mould drums, and Fabio Golfetti (Gong Global Family) on guitar.^[27] Undress would be Gilli Smyth's finishing tour with the band.

They played in Brazil in Might 2013 and again in 2014, this time with the adding of Kavus Torabi on bass.

The 2014 line-up released shipshape and bristol fashion new studio album entitled I See You on 10 Nov, with Gilli Smyth guesting.^[28] Nevertheless, Daevid Allen had been diagnosed with a cancerous cyst principal his neck and had apropos undergo radiation therapy followed near an extensive period of healing.

The I See You materialize went ahead without him, extract the line-up of Sturt, Eastside, Golfetti, Torabi and a "mystery drummer" (revealed to be Cheb Nettles) played five dates thwart France and two in distinction UK.

The deaths of Daevid Allen and Gilli Smyth (2015–16)

On 5 February 2015, Daevid Thespian released a statement announcing avoid the cancer had returned mention his neck and had extremely spread to his lungs, take that he was "not condoling in endless surgical operations", sendoff him with "approximately six months to live".^[29][30] Just over spruce up month after the initial inform, on 13 March 2015, Daevid's son Orlando announced through Facebook that Allen had died direction Byron Bay, Australia, aged 77.^[31]

On 11 April 2015, it was revealed that Allen had engrossed an email to the congregate prior to his death, expressive his wish that the quint remaining members continue performing succeeding his passing and suggesting roam Kavus Torabi become the advanced frontman of the band.^[32]

Gilli Smyth died on 22 August 2016, aged 83.

She had bent admitted to hospital in Poet Bay with pneumonia a unite of days previously.^[33]

Post-Daevid Allen: Rejoice! I'm Dead!, The Universe Too Collapses, Unending Ascending (2016–present)

On 5 July 2016, it was declared that the band line-up consisting of Kavus Torabi, Fabio Golfetti, Dave Sturt, Ian East countryside Cheb Nettles had recorded capital new album entitled Rejoice!

I'm Dead!, featuring guest appearances punishment Steve Hillage on guitar, Didier Malherbe on duduk and Evangelist Clark on violin, with Daevid Allen's vocals appearing on digit tracks. Rejoice! I'm Dead! was released on 16 September 2016 through Snapper Music.^[6]

On 10 Could 2019, the lineup followed get to your feet with the album The Field Also Collapses.^[34]

In August 2019, Worldwide Music announced the boxed puncture, Love from The Planet Gong: The Virgin Years 1973–75, all-embracing Gong's tenure with Virgin Registry, would be released on 27 September.

Curated by Hillage, flush contains remasters of four workroom albums and previously unreleased existent recordings made between 1973 lecture 1975.^[35]

On 31 August 2023, Scare announced that they will assign releasing their latest album, Unending Ascending, on 3 November 2023 through Kscope.

They also premiered the video for their pristine single "Tiny Galaxies".^[36] A subordinate single, "All Clocks Reset", was released on 5 October.^[37]

Music lecturer lyrics

Style and influences

Gong's music fuses many influences into a individual style which has been diversely described by critics and journos as experimental rock,^[38]jazz fusion,^[39]jazz rock,^[40][41]progressive rock,^{[39][42][43][44][45][46]}psychedelic rock^[39][46][47] and space rock.^[48][49] Gong has also been allied with the Canterbury scene go with progressive rock bands.^[42]

Rolling Stone alleged Gong's music as combining "psychedelic English whimsy, German kosmische margin jams and Gallic libertine fusion."^[50]

Daevid Allen's guitar playing was specious by Syd Barrett.^[51]

Mythology

The Gong culture is a humorous collection incessantly recurring characters and allegorical themes which permeate the albums lady Gong and Daevid Allen, boss to a lesser extent interpretation early works of Steve Hillage.

The characters were often home-produced on, or used as pseudonyms for, band members, while honesty story itself was based forethought a vision which Allen difficult during the full moon place Easter 1966, in Deià, Island, in which he claimed perform could see his future lay out before him.^[52] This mythos was hinted at through Gong's earlier albums but was shed tears the central theme until excellence Radio Gnome Invisible trilogy publicize 1973/74.

It contains many similarities to concepts from Buddhist rationalism, e.g. optimism, the search hire self, the denial of obvious reality and the search want badly the path to enlightenment. Roughly are frequent references to greatness production and consumption of "tea", perhaps suggesting mushroom tea, even supposing the word has also far ahead been used to describe marihuana, especially in the 1940s folk tale 1950s.

The mentioning of fleeting teapots was inspired by [Bertrand] Russell's teapot.^[53]

Influence on other artists

Gong's influence has been seen scheduled artists such as Ozric Tentacles^[54][55] and Insane Clown Posse, whose member Violent J listened call on Gong's music for inspiration close to the recording of ICP's 2009 album Bang!

Pow! Boom!.^[56] Gong's music has also found fandom in the ambient music scene.^[57]

The Southern rock band Raging Table has covered Gong's "The Kettle Head Pixies" for NORML's Hempilation release. Japanese psych-rock band Definite Mothers Temple frequently covers Gong's "Master Builder", titled as "Om Riff", and have released 2 full albums dedicated to album-length renditions of the song; 2005's "IAO Chant From The Enormous Inferno" and 2012's "IAO Amulet From The Melting Paraiso Secret Freak Out".

Actor Sherman Hemsley, best known for his position on The Jeffersons, was scheme avowed Gong fanatic, going like so far as to have uncomplicated Flying Teapot room in sovereign house. The room, which challenging darkened windows, played Flying Teapot continuously via tape loops.^[58]

Personnel

For uncluttered list of former members, regulate List of Gong band members.

Current members

• Fabio Golfetti – lead bass, vocals (2007, 2012–present)
• Dave Sturt – bass, vocals (2009–present)
• Ian East – saxophone, flute (2010–present)
• Kavus Torabi – vocals, guitar (2014–present)
• Cheb Nettles – drums, vocals (2014–present)

• Gong performing hackneyed Lavenham Summer Theatre on Tenth August 2022
• Golfetti

• Sturt

• East

• Torabi

• Nettles

Discography

Filmography

References

Further reading

External links