GONG - changing of the guard

27. November 2014

Gong

GONG - changing of the guard

The psychedelic clan Gong delivers a masterpiece with "I See You". With a completely new line-up it should be presented live in Germany in autumn. But Mastermind Daevid Allen fell seriously ill. The band still wanted to play, but some promoters waved away: Gong without Allen? No way! So the whole tour was cancelled - and "I See You" from a wonderful old work to a legacy. At least that's how Allen's statements can be interpreted. We spoke to the 76-year-old Australian before the start of his six-week radiation therapy, which, according to his own statement, offered him a "good chance of complete recovery".

eclipsed: Who's the "me" in the album title?

Daevid Allen: "I" is first of all the singer. As such, I feel great empathy with everyone who listens to the album. This connection makes me happy. But one can also ask: Who sees through my eyes: me, you, another entity or even a group intelligence? The best experience with the album is when you know that singer and listener are basically one.

eclipsed: Which revolution is mentioned in the song "This Revolution"?

Allen: This revolution can be triggered by networking on the Internet. Their external enemies are the old-school capitalists, whose life goals have shrunk to protecting their own resources at all costs. Their inner enemies are those spirits who are only out for short-term glory.

eclipsed: "When God And The Devil Shake Hands" is reminiscent of the jazzy albums "Shamal" and "Gazeuse!", a gong phase when you weren't even there. Is that supposed to be proof of something?

Allen: The song was written by our new guitarist Kavus Torabi. With his band Knifeworld he constantly produces such sophisticated riffs. At Gong they are stretched and oxygenated by drumming and Dave Sturt's famous bass grooves. My son Orlando, who plays drums and sings here, was coached by [ex-gong drummer] Pierre Moerlen and would like to bring this influence into the new gong repertoire.

Lesen Sie mehr im eclipsed Nr. 166 (Dez 2014/Jan 2015).