2008 news

CAPC - musée d'art Contemporain de Bordeaux - Rue Ferrère, 33000 Bordeaux, France

Three month exhibition of all things French and psychedelic opens Friday 28th with three consecutive days/nights of concerts. Focusing on the beginnings in 1968, the key, 'strong 'n' steamin' role daevid, Gilli and the birthing Gong played in the development will be represented by rare posters, artifacts and images - and, as the photograph seems to indicate, in vibrational inspiration.

Details on their IΔO Festival page, and radiognomevisible.blogspot.com

Friday 28th features Tim Blake with the group Turzi.
Saturday 29th includes Kevin Ayers with The Telescopes.

One day and three day tickets available online from FNAC.

Filmed just before the two London gigs in June '08 - 5 minutes, 21 seconds… watch me

2009 celebrates Gong's 40th anniversary - as measured from their first 'proper' gig at the Amougies Festival in 1969. Certainly that was the first gig where they were primarily billed as Gong and where they first publicly performed group compositions. However the concept 'Gong' pre-dates that, as shown on this early 1968 handbill.

As a taster for the forthcoming gargantuan, gigabyte-rich, complete, fully Illustrated Gong Family discography, Steve 'shadowjack' and I have written an article on what we believe to be all the daevid and Gong vinyl releases on the French BYG label. It describes and lists the many variation of release, many more than we at first anticipated, in as detailed a way as we could manage. Click on the image.

hey madcaps & genii!!
BY MAD SON TOBY WHO WORKS FOR THE FIENDISH RUPERT MURDOCH PRESS HAS JUST POSTED MY OSAMA BIN HARDON ILLUSTRATION INTO HIS EMPLOYERS TEENYBOPPA ONLINE ZINE READ BY THE MULTITUDES

here is an opportunity to get a truly wild poem into the comments box of this murdoch press online mag!!!!!
GO FO THA JUGULAR EVERYBODEEEEE!!!!
POST YOUR MOST SEDITIOUS POEM IN THE COMMENTS…YES!!!!
love & anarcheeeese! dada alien

Gwyo ZePix expounds on things synthesizer-ish and his work on the soundtrack of the latest Batman film. All too brief but interesting : Howard Scarr: a sound scientist.

Harry Williamson and daevid allen have woven experience and magic into the audio and the visuals, both are a treat. It is an excellent part document, part impressionistic interpretation of what happened during the Gliss Orch set.

The visuals and effects use the colour associated with each chakra with ever-changing dissolve of the people playing the Drones and the audience as we all seemed to merge together in an evolving ocean of sound. It's a complete journey and I can't think of a DVD experience quite like it, but then there's never been a musico/spirito experiment quite like quite it before either.

A trove of System 7 and Mirror System remix tracks, all usually exclusive to the CD on which they appear. It's a joy listening to unheard Steve and Miquette material and contributions - all top stuff.

Mr Pixie sez…

We've had this cartoon for nearly 20 years. It floated to the floor from an unlikely folder as looked for some more Gong Dreaming 2 images for daevid. In this season of change it's time must have have come again - so there it is.

Rachid Taha/Steve Hillage's stonking version of 'Rock The bazaar' is one of the tracks on the cover-mount CD of October's Mojo magazine. This month's theme - songs of protest and insurrection.

If you are old enough and live in the UK, how did you 'celebrate' the 25th anniversary of our frumpy, multi-millionaire, German house-wife head of state in June 7th 1977? It was a public holiday and street parties were set up all over the country, an excuse for people to have fun in the way that suited them best.

For Here & Now, family and mates this meant a jammin', free outdoors gig/party in Bristol Gardens…and it was all recorded.

Although we usually favour that most elusive of states, actively engaged non-attachment (crossed with a gently amused/bemused side salad of beat zen), it does tickle one's fancy when the spiral nature of things is revealed and the joyous reverberations of Gong syncopation find general favour in the mainstream. This seems to be the case with the Gong Queen Elizabeth Hall concert. [Independent Review]

Basil Brooks' (Zorch) Gong photos slideshow | Gong Family gigs (grouped by gig)

'This was my final show number 7 and what a beauty it was. The whole thing was absolutely marvelous. I have never seen daevid, and many others, so happy and up for it. daevid dancing with the Moon, Hoppy + daevid having a good old natter, friendly faces, it was a real cracker.' - The Tin Man

There was a great large two page article in the Independent on Tuesday 3rd June which hit many of the salient Gong historical points with poise, style and positivity. It also featured this historic photograph below, but they didn't name the personalities, so I have.

Gong newly at their house in Sens early '71 : Christian Tristch, Gilli, daevid, Didier, Rachid Hourai (sadly long part of Gong's unfeasibly large drum ensemble in the sky)

Well what a surprise, they are back - Global Village Trucking Company. Older comrades will need no introduction, but for new readers, GLOBS (as they were affectionally known), were deeply intertwined with many Gong gigs and adventures back in a time we can barely recall.

But it doesn't stop there. Back in 1973 there was a TV documentary on the Global Village Commune, and as part of a follow-up, 'where are they now?' type series a new film about Globs and their lives since '73 is to be broadcast on Tuesday 13th May, 9.00 p.m. on BBC 4. And if you are going to Glastonbury Festival you can catch them there as well.

Calling all good folk and true - PLEASE can you focus your highest thoughts, energies and deepest love and support towards Mike & Been Howlett & family and their son Kit, who had a severe reaction to some MDMA on Friday 18th. He is holding on in there with us in coma in a London hospital, on dialyses awaiting an emergency liver transplant.

Tue 29 update:- Kit remains stable, and each night that that occurs is considered an 'improvement', although he remains the most unwell person in unit. Focus should now be on protection from infection as his body needs every possible last ounce of energy to heal itself.

May a large sphere of light continue to surround Kit and may the vibrant and healthy young man you can see in your mind's eye be soon with us once more.

Mon 28 update:- I do have better news today. Time was running out for a transplant but last evening the doctors told us that Kit's liver has just started slowly to regenerate itself. He is by no means out of the woods and is still unconscious on a respirator and is looking at several months in intensive care with all the horrors that that can bring. However, he has made his body start a healing process on the liver and we hope that he can find the strength within himself to protect the rest of himself from infection.

It's the most crazy roller coaster of a nightmare and always one step forward, two steps back. Our fingers are so crossed and we just hope. Thank you all for your kind thoughts. Now we just hope that his body can rally round to fight off the onslaught of infections the world will now throw at him!

xxxxxB

Sun 27 update:- Dear Friends - The current state of Kit is that he is in a critical condition but stable. He needs a liver to survive, and his condition is just about good enough to endure the operation. There is a window of a few days before his condition will deteriorate beyond being capable of receiving a transplant. He is on the highest priority list in the UK for a liver which has to be O or B type blood group, and the right size - not too small. All we can do is hope.

Today is my birthday and I have just one thing I wish for - a liver for Kit - so forgive me for asking, but I would be grateful if you could spare a moment and imagine that happy outcome.

Love, Mike

On the healing lists, in the thoughts, in the heart, in the mind - Love the one you're with.

Sat 26 update:- There is still no change basic change in Kit's condition and he still awaits a suitable organ, but after several difficult nights he had a much more stable time the night after the above was posted - so keep up the good work.

Maybe it's just because these photographs come from the Berlin Brainville show, but I can't help thinking that the dapperly dressed alien looks like a kind of tricksterish Weimar era cabaret host - 'Vealkom Ladiez un Gentlemen…' - Brainville followed by Sally Bowles and the other 'gorgeous' dancers.

Unlike the gigs in Italy that magnetised round 250 people average, Berlin was as usual totally unheard of. An unfathomable pod. Small but inventively assembled. This in a jaded punk club, voluminous and shaky. Old school. Very high godfearing stage and a wooden bench around a dance floor. Notably it was full moon and also the anniversary of Hitler's birthday when all good prog rockers quake over their charts. Only the tallest and most fearlessly blonde transvestites walked with the living dead this night. And Brainville.

Those few freeks who dared come hear us sat bravely in a circle on the benches leaving a large open circular space completely empty but for the vivid sorcery of an expensive light show descending on the boards. Indeed we were a small yet extremely high frequency selection of heads. Elegantly crinkled high art iniates! A secret society of sorts. Perhaps assembled by psychic intent to counterbalance the dread. Perhaps.

Yet the opening moments of the show were definitely nothing less than a scene from a David Lynch movie. Perhaps even Twin Peaks itself. An almost empty room. Drifting indoor chemtrails. Shifty lightshafts. Hu basslike & a ghost, wrangled & scrangled wild electronic birds in twangled bedraggle. Chris unswallowing his multi armed atomic shiva & multiplied sticks. I watch his arms blur into hyperdrive. Meanwhile I struggled into the unusual punishment of a white tuxedo.

Once pon stage I realise that i must unto the peoples go. So I slide cross the lip & spin like a dervish to see which way to fly. I am feeling mischievous. A photographer extreme left. He lifts his lense to focus. He is gone. He never existed at all. I am drawn right up to him...go to shake his hand but actually spontaneously press his hand to my lips. I want to kiss him back to life. Suddenly he drops his camera and gives me his secret smile. I melt. Now i know whatt I must do.

As hu's electron flocks swoop & soar, I make my way round the semi circle kissing everybody's hands. Kissing deeply with my mouth & eyes, the circle of my selves. Contact had been made. Now i can play.

After what seems like several hours of un parallelled musical fun, it appears the first half must end. So we finish. Back in the dressingroom the interval becomes a party in the dressingroom. When it is time to play the second set, Henry appears dramatically: No! It ISN'T POSSIBLE! They have shut down the PA. They say there is not enough crowd & they make nothing on the bar. They want to go home. Feeling curiously half fucked, we return to Henry's with a small concentration of indignant supporters. We talk till late.

Ahhhh Berlin. You always surprise me.

There can't be any other 'Family' of musicians who could present four uniquely different opportunities to join with them in one city in the space of less than a month. Very intense I know, and a little bus-like (all coming at once), but maybe that is just the path of all things Gong-like these days. As always we never know when the the chance will come again.

Thr 22 May - London, DAEVID ALLEN'S University of Errors + Here & Now : Without doubt firing on all cylinders after their European dates earlier in the month, daevid and the Errors are joined by the thunderous wonder that is the Here & Now line-up of original member axis of Keith the Bass & Steffe, with one-time Ozric Tenticlers Merv & Joie. Begin with a bang I think. All the info + direct ticket link

Thr 05 Jun - London, Deptford, The Albany Theatre - DAEVID ALLEN & THE MAGICK BROTHERS + KANGAROO MOON : This should be an evening of sheer electro-acoustic joie de vivre as daevid is joined by violinist Graham Clark and Mark Robson and supported by the those excellent celtic-space practitioners the Moonies. All the info + direct ticket link (on sale from Tues 6th May)

Sat 14 Jun - London, Queen Elizabeth Hall - GONG + ADRIAN SHERWOOD daevid, Gilli Smyth, Mike Howlett, Theo Travis, Chris Taylor, and in Gong for the first time in the UK since 1975, Steve Hillage & Miquette Giraudy - as part of MASSIVE ATTACK'S Southbank Meltdown Festival The Southbank's online booking - looks as if it's sold out. Try for returns?

Sat 14 Jun - London, The Forum - GONG + SLACKBABA : A return to the, greatly enhanced, scene of the hugely enjoyable Gong 25th Birthday Party back in '94. A gathering of the tribes till...well the next time we gather - may it happen again and may it happen soon.

The waiting is over - you can now order this amazing double DVD package exclusively from www.uncondvd.com. Apparently the stock is in and shipping orders will shortly begin. Half of the limited pressing of 1000 was sold over weekend. There will be a regular pressing of Disc 1, the Gong performance, with a slightly reduced booklet when the limited edition has sold out, which probably can't be too far off.

Disc 1 - A professional four camera shoot of the magical Uncon Gong set with Daevid Allen, Steve Hillage, Tim Blake, Gilli Smyth, Mike Howlett, Miquette Giraudy and Didier Malherbe, Theo Travis and Chris Taylor.

Disc 2 - A documentary style film that delivers a real vibe of and insight into the magic of the Unconvention with many illuminating and humourous interviews and footage of Mother Gong, Kangaroo Moon, Acid Mothers Gong, University of Errors, Here & Now and more, as well as Steve Hillage Band - for the first time since 1979!

The limited edition comes with a 12 page booklet packed with photographs designed by Peter Hartl.

Time travel made real - love it

The heavenly Gong drum corp expands once more - drummer Brian Davison died last night after short battle with illness. He was a member of Gong on a 1975 tour while Pierre Moerlen was on one of his sabbaticals, but he probably most well known as a member of The Nice. Good love to his nearest and dearest at this sad time.

After the Gong 70 gig in Australia on the 21st March daevid set off from Australia on his latest circumnavigation of the globe, and will I trust be somewhere near you - sometime.

MARCH

Wed 26 - USA, Seattle, 88 Keys - Zero 2 (daevid allen + Josh Pollock)

Thr 27 - USA, Friday Harbour, Duck Soup Inn - Zero 2 (daevid allen + Josh Pollock)

Fri 28 - USA, Olympia, Washington, China Clipper Inn - Zero 2 (daevid allen + Josh Pollock)

Sat 29 - San Francisco - Das & Nina day

Sun 30 - USA, San Francisco, Hemlock Club - Zero 2 (daevid allen + Josh Pollock)

Mon 31 - San Francisco

APRIL

Tue 01 - Leave SF

Wed 02 - Arrive Toulouse, France

Thr 03 - To Rome, Italy

Fri 04 - Drive to Taranto - Brainville rehearsal

Sat 05 - Italy, Taranto - Brainville 3

Sun 06 - Drive to Rome

Mon 07 - Fly to Toulouse

Tue 08 - Fri 11 - Chez Beatrixe Nr. Toulouse

Sat 12 - Italy, Viterbo, Cantieri Musicali Music Club - Brainville 3

Thr 17 - Italy, Rome, Stazione Birra - Brainville 3

Fri 18 - Italy, Florence, Auditorium Flog - Brainville 3

Sat 19 - Italy, Gorizia, Auditorium - Brainville 3

Sun 20 - Germany, Berlin, Lido Kultur - Brainville 3

Tue 22 - Italy, Pescara, Auditorium Flaiano - Brainville 3

Thr 24 - France, Les Lilas (Nr. Paris), Le Triton - Brainville 3

Fri 25 - Belgium, Verviers, Spirit of 66 - Brainville 3

Sat 26 - Luc Pilmeyer's place - meet Michael Clare

Sun 27 - Drive to Dordrecht - meet UofE

Mon 28 - Dordrecht - UofE rehearsals

Tue 29 - Dordrecht - UofE rehearsals

Wed 30 - Netherlands, Dordrecht, De Pontonnier - University of Errors

MAY

Thr 01 - Netherlands, Dordrecht, Parkingpop Festival - University of Errors

Fri 02 - Netherlands, Amsterdam, Overtoom 301, Alchemistic Cabaret #4 - University of Errors

Sat 03 - Netherlands, Amsterdam, Overtoom 301, Alchemistic Cabaret #4 - University of Errors

Sun 04 - Netherlands, Amsterdam, Overtoom 301 Alchemistic Cabaret #4 - daevid Film Night

Sun 04 - Israel, Tel Aviv, Barby Club - Acid Mothers Gong

Mon 05 - Israel, Tel Aviv, Barby Club - University of Errors 07-11 - Netherlands, Residency in Rotterdam, Worm - University of Errors

Sat 10 - Netherlands, Rotterdam, De Player - University of Errors

Tue 13 - Norway, Trondheim, Blæst - University of Errors

Wed 14 - Norway, Bergen, Garage - University of Errors

Thr 15 - Norway, Hamar, Festiviteten - University of Errors

Fri 16 - Norway, Oslo, Blå - University of Errors

Sat 17 - Norway or Sweden, TBA - University of Errors

Sun 18 - Sweden, Frölunda, Frölunda Kulturhus - University of Errors

Mon 19 - Sweden, Malmö, Inkonst - University of Errors

Tue 20 - Sweden, Uppsala, Katalin - University of Errors

dWed 21 - Sweden, TBA - University of Errors

Thr 22 - UK, London, Dingwalls - University of Errors + Here & Now

Fri 23 - UK, Isle of Man, Peel, Centenary Centre - University of Errors

Sat 24 - UK, Ashton-under-Lyme, The Witchwood - University of Errors

Sun 25 - UK, Scotland, Knockengorroch Festival - University of Errors

Mon 26 - UK, UK, Leeds, New Roscoe - University of Errors

Tue 27 - UK, Leicester, Musician Pub - University of Errors

Wed 28 - UK, Brighton, The Engine Room - University of Errors

Thr 29 - UK, Portsmouth, Southsea, The Fawcett, TBC - University of Errors

Fri 30 - UK, Glastonbury, Assembly Rooms - University of Errors

Sat 31 - UK, HItchin, Club 85 - University of Errors

JUNE

Thr 05 - UK, London, Deptford, The Albany Theatre - DAEVID ALLEN & FRIENDS + KANGAROO MOON

Announcement of further adventures very soon...

Italy 4.6.08 - Da boys done good... [photo] by Marcello Nitti. There is some info on the first Brainville gig at Marcello's site geophonie.it

Dear Gong, Our San Francisco-based rock mag, the legendary Crawdaddy!, which has recently been reincarnated online, today published a piece exploring Angel's Egg. The link is here: Crawdaddy Angel's Egg article. Best, David MacFadden-Elliott (Assistant Ed), Crawdaddy!

Steve and Miquette are interviewed in the current issue of the UK magazine 'Computer Music'. I've only had a fleeting glimpse but it's a large 4 page article with some nice photographs taken in their studio and is naturally about making music on computer and the software they use. Here's the on-line blurb:-

System 7 - The 'ambient for life' duo have been crafting spaced-out techno for nearly 20 years now, but how are things working out for them since they ditched most of their hardware in favour of laptops, Logic and Live? Miquette Giraudy enthuses about soft synths and sampling, Steve Hillage reveals his views on guitar amp modeling plug-ins, and more in the Computer Music interview.

There is a Steve Q&A piece in the current issue of 'Record Collector' some of which I may well reveal here just as soon as I can find the copy hidden somewhere in the office.

Yes there are three Brainville releases heading our way in the next two months. In chronological order first up is:-

Brainville 01 - Live in NYC '98, a concert of daevid, Hugh Hopper, the late Pip Pyle and Kramer at the Knitting Factory just a day or two before the 'Children's Crusade' album was recorded. This is due on the 17 March and is now available to pre-order in the bazaar. I haven't heard this album yet, but I do remember at the time daevid and Pip saying how good that gig was and how baffled and rather disappointed they were that the studio recorded 'Children's Crusade' didn't come near to matching it - so I really look forward to this one.

1st April (natch) sees the Brainville 3 - Trial By Headline CD released. This I have heard several times in the past week and it grows and grows on me, there are some stunning sounds on it. Recorded over three gigs (2 last year and one the year before) and complied by Brainville 3 drummer Chris Cutler it will be facinating to see how the Brainville concept has evolved over the past 10 years, especially as at least a couple of the tracks are nominally common to both CDs - I bet they are radically different though.

Deeper into April (no firm date yet) we have a Brainville DVD Live at Le Triton, recorded last year. This is a 90 minute film roughly divided 50/50 into concert footage and interviews. Not seen or heard a thing of this yet, but I do look forward to it.

Steve & Miquette are interviewed in the current issue (March?) of the UK based magazine 'Computer Music'. I've only had a fleeting glimpse of a friend's copy but it's a large 4-5 page article with some nice photographs taken in their studio. Here's the on-line blurb:-

System 7 - The 'ambient for life' duo have been crafting spaced-out techno for nearly 20 years now, but how are things working out for them since they ditched most of their hardware in favour of laptops, Logic and Live? Miquette Giraudy enthuses about soft synths and sampling, Steve Hillage reveals his views on guitar amp modelling plug-ins, and more in the Computer Music interview.

Our lucky antipodean cousins partake of the first Gong gig of 2008, as 'Gong 70' re-convene on Friday 21st near Byron Bay with daevid, Gilli, Orlando Allen et al…which made me think Gong may well be Gilli Smyth's band (not that she claims 'ownership') as this recent e-mail from her explains…

Just idly flicking through the Forum, as one does, I came upon the question of the name 'Gong'. It happened like this. In the tiny loft in Paris where we lived in l967/8 just after daevid had been refused entry to U.K. and thus had to leave the Soft Machine somewhat suddenly…..we were sitting talking with a photographer called 'Blake' who disappeared after that, leaving us a strange old-fashioned leather bag, afterwards always called 'the Blake bag'…when. I thought of the name 'Gong' for the odd collection of musicians we were performing nightly with in a club in the Latin Quarter called 'La Vieille Grille'. Then came more gigs, then Don Cherry with us, and Stockholm, and then the revolution in the first part of l968. Many things changed then, including that we had to flee Paris in the night as 'revolutionaries'…..for Spain, and when we returned a few months later it was still 'Gong' with different musicians, always known as the Ist Gong. I do like to get details correct.

Our lucky antipodean cousins get to partake of the first Gong gig of 2008 (may there be more), as Gong 70 re-convene on Friday 21st near Byron Bay with daevid, Gilli, Orlando Allen et al...which made me think...Gong may well indeed be Gilli Smyth's band (not that she claims 'ownership' - far from it) as this recent e-mail from her sort of explains...

just idly flicking through the Forum, as one does, i came upon the question of the name "Gong". It happened like this. In the tiny loft in Paris where we lived in l967/8 just after Daevid had been refused entry to U.K. and thus had to leave the Soft Machine somewhat suddenly.....we were sitting talking with a photographer called "Blake" who disappeared after that, leaving us a strange old-fashioned leather bag, afterwards always called "the Blake bag"...when. I thought of the name "Gong" for the odd collection of musicians we were performing nightly with in a club in the Latin Quarter called "La Vieille Grille". Then came more gigs, then Don Cherry with us, and Stockholm, and then the revolution in the first part of l968. Many things changed then, including that we had to flee Paris in the night as "revolutionaries".....for Spain, and when we returned a few months later it was still "Gong" with different musicians, always known as the Ist Gong. i do like to get details correct.

Yes there are three Brainville releases heading our way in the next two months. In chronological order first up is:-

Brainville 01 - Live in NYC '98, a concert of daevid, Hugh Hopper, the late Pip Pyle and Kramer at the Knitting Factory just a day or two before the 'Children's Crusade' album was recorded. This is due on the 17 March and is now in stock in the bazaar. There is some stunning music on this release, just as there should be when two or more gather in the name of the great Sun Ra himself.

1st April (natch) sees the Brainville 3 - Trial By Headline CD released. This I have heard several times in the past week and it grows and grows on me, there are some stunning sounds on it. Recorded over three gigs (2 last year and one the year before) and complied by Brainville 3 drummer Chris Cutler it will be facinating to see how the Brainville concept has evolved over the past 10 years, especially as at least a couple of the tracks are nominally common to both CDs - I bet they are radically different though.

Deeper into April (no firm date yet) we have a Brainville DVD Live at Le Triton, recorded last year. This is a 90 minute film roughly divided 50/50 into concert footage and interviews. Not seen or heard a thing of this yet, but I do look forward to it.

The new System 7 'Space Bird' EP was released, Monday 21st Jan. It contains two vinyl only mixes the 'DubfireDeepSpaceRemix' by Dubfire and 'LiquidSoulRemix' by Liquid Soul, plus Steve and Miquette's 'OriginalMix' which also appears album.

'Space Bird' has been No.1 on the main Beatport chart for the past few days. In dance world this is very impressive indeed. - well No.1 is number No.1!

What a week. First System 7's Phoenix takes to the air in glorious flight, and now a call to musical devotion for all 'Hadoukim' with the arrival of the stunning >Baldamore CD and DVD. 'Calling Mr Bad Grasse' - take a twinkling bow.

Today sees the release of the totally inspiring new System 7 album Phoenix. A wonderfully symbolic first release of the year. It's an album brimful with that unique uplifting System 7 blend of rhythms, lush ambientness, cutting edge technology and of course guitar - yep there's plenty of that as well. Choosing to invite the array of collaborators and friends they have, Steve and Miquette once more re-affirm the System 7 ethos of working with some of the very best in a creative and enjoyable collective.

If the rest of this year's Gong related releases are only half as adventurous and perfectly formed and focused in intent as 'Phoenix' we are in for one heck of a ride (remember it's Hadouk's 'Baldamore' and finally daevid's 'Seven Drones' up next!).

Clear the decks, empty whose cupboards, sweep away those cobwebs, make room for the new, it's that time of the year... Here's the return of ever-changing mail order page to be filled with all manner of odds and ends, both Gong Family related and beyond, keen and eager to find new homes. Coming soon - Rarities clearout page.

The February issue (No. 58) of Dazed and Confused, a mode-ish UK fashion mag and style bible, has just hit the streets. It contains a rather good 4 page article based around an interview with daevid allen who is this month's 'Cult VIP'. As with many of these things it's a bit of a beginners guide to Gong for those in the know, but I like the cut of the writer's gib - an intelligent Gong friendly. My favourite new daevid quote comes near the end of the article when he says, with a laugh:-

'The art of surviving in rock music is to never let yourself become too popular and never play for more than 1,500 people if you can avoid it, as it becomes an abstract thing within an abstract thing - it's as boring as fuck, you might as well be inside a huge contraceptive!'

Stefanie Petrik's review : 'I don't want to fuck a fairy.' he gasped, laughing, his eyes strong and trying to link with mine as I pushed through the crowd. 'It'd be too small!' he laughed at his own joke, his wife, clearly not laughing.'

daevid's FOOT&MOUTHNOTE…'Stokers Siding is a mini mountain village on the flank of Australia's formidable Mt Warning. Here the land was stolen from the local aboriginal tribes by unconscious anglo forebears who gave the brutal short back & sides to the intricately beautiful & subtly structured sub tropical rainforest in order to superimpose dairy cows, pastures & Devonshire Tea.'

It seems hardly but a rambling sentence or two since I first espied the alien disporting hymself in the strobin' limelight, intertwining musical and other new intriguing vibrations with tip-top sonic alchemists, the great Gong beat combo. But it is in fact many years. He was barely a brace 'o' brace 'o' twelvemonth past one and one half score years (aka 34), a mere lad in retrospect - viewed down the telescope of time from my current fifty odd, (decidedly odd since doing this), years. Yet here we pause more than three and a half decades round the bend as he prepares to celebrate his 'Big Seven Oh Ho Ho!' with a gig/party in Australia. Strange, very strange.

I have also posted a new topic, 'daevid Birthday Greetings', in the 'Planet Gong' section of the Forum, for those of you who would like to warm t'old bugger's cockles and send him a massage of mirth, reflection and merriment.

The gig section... has been updated with all known gigs. These include System 7, including the exciting looking 'Phoenix' CD Launch parties in Bristol and London, some Brainville 3 adventures in Europe and Israel at the begining of April, a whole raft of Hadouk gigs (always in France!), and Here & Now in Glastonbury - very soon! The only other thing in the pipeline is the possibility of some University of Errors gigs around the time of the Brainville dates. Oh yeah it looks like Tim Blake is up for more Hawkwind gigs in March. Them's the plans.

The new 'Baldamore' CD and DVD from the Hadouk Trio are stunning. Didier kindly send me promos just before Christmas - nice present. I enjoyed both immensely, everything is of the highest quality and only one track appears on both releases. To hear Hadouk play their is enough in itself, but then to see them in action as well is a further joy indeed.

This sounds totally crazy but I don't know exactly what stock of the various combinations of CD and DVD will arrive from only UK Hadouk importers, they can't tell me. This bizarre situation may help explain why the band sell 20,000 copies of a release in France and 150 copies in the rest of the world!

There is a further Didier related release I've been told about by Geoff in New York but have been unable to source. This is 'Asian Perfume' by Jean-Pierre Limborg on the Encore Merci label. Both Didier and Steve Shehan appear on the CD which seems to be along ambient, world, electronic lines.

70 cycles and still spiralling-because of the divided alien

1. when music became healing - for yourself and all around/within
2. when Mysteries became simple - goodwill and love within
3. when self-initiation workshops - learned and shared
4. when poetry became the tracks of dreams
5. when time (like haircuts) became irrelevant
6. when what you had you gave away
7. when beliefs changed every day
8. when fresh in every moment
9. when new in this now
10. when kindness to others
11. when strict accounting
12. when truth had power
13. when aware of capriciousness
14. when grieving the loss of
15. when celebrating the birth of
16. when meditating constantly
17. when All Bran for breakfast
18. when multibands simultaneously
19. when jammin with families
20. when walking by the sea
21. when alternative economics
22. when actions spirit based
23. when ransacking Virgin
24. when Lady June Deia
25. when French Chateau
26. when magickal accomplices
27. when Burroughs and Ono
28. when Hendrix and Lennon
29. when canal boat in Seine
30. when parties where death came
31. when famous in France
32. when famous in Italy
33. when anonymous in Romania
34. when hitchhiking
35. when broke as a stick
36. when rich in sex
37. when attacked by ex-wives
38. when many beds
39. when open house heart
40. when listening to young
41. when Terry Riley
42. when Planet Gong
43. when Invisible Opera
44. when UNCON
45. when saved by Jonny Greene
46. when personal re-invention
47. when People in Performance
48. when taxi driving Melbourne
49. when collaborations
50. when Living Room Theate
51. when Carringbush Library
52. when solo in Canada
53. when Gong Maison
54. when poet in marketplace
55. when poet on the street
56. when jamming all night long and the tape ended up blank
57. when years without
58. when lives of the rich
59. when Electrique Camembert
60. when drawing for fees
61. when appreciating others
62. when 25th Anniversary
63. when setting fire to the past
64. when regathering the ashes
65. when kirtan
66. when Glastonbury
67. when Byron Bay Bard
68. when sharing your rebirthday
69. when learning by example
70. when this is always just another beginning

WRITE ON!
LIVE ON!
PLAY ON!

thom Jan 12,2008

Some great Youtube embedded links on Fabio Golfetti's website of daevid in action in Brazil at the end of last year - there are meaty versions of Fohat Digs Holes in Space, Inner Temple and I Should Have Known. Fabio tells me he is working towards a DVD release in late Spring.

I have also posted a recent interview with daevid in the Archive Interview section. It goes under the somewhat portentous title 'Exploring the historical regulation of music in Euro-Mediterranean and the Islamic world' : Darrell Jonsson in Discussion with daevid allen - 05/2007. However fear not, it's good, interesting and thought provoking fare, with Darrell and daevid fully engaging each other.

Two major System 7 events have just been announced for February - The Phoenix Launch Parties. With friends and guests of the calibre of Eat Static, Slack Baba and Alex Patterson involved these promise to be something very speccial to be a part of. Sat 16 Feb - BRISTOL | Thr 21 Feb - LONDON

And as good news tends to come in threes…all System 7 back-catalogue CDs are now lower in price in the bazaar - effective from 1st Jan. If there are any of their amazing albums you may have missed now is the time to sample and enjoy.