Travelling through time and space to Southend in Essex, UK, where I assumed human form and went to Chinnery’s on the sea-front, to see psychedelic space-rock band Gong. The original idea to do so came about when my other half called me excitedly to watch a video on her YouTube feed of very strange people wearing pointy wizard hats singing a song about Astral Projection, saying she thought I would be interested in this sort of thing. I was impressed that she had developed a taste for early 70s space rock! By lucky hap, we later heard that Gong themselves were playing a gig at a venue not a million light years from our Wizard’s tower, so we manifested tickets accordingly.
The current line-up of Gong is made up of members who were all recruited by founder member Daevid Allen before his passing in 2015, and whom Allen specifically authorised to carry on the Gong name.
The nature of Gong’s music is that they played for over an hour, but I only counted about five separate songs! On this occasion they were a drums / wind instruments / bass / guitar line-up, but with the crafty use of digital delays and loop-units their sonic assault sounded more layered than one would first expect.
However, there was an unexpected bonus tonight. The support band came on featuring two female vocalists and creating an ambient / mystical / psychedelic type rock sound, at which the Sumner Family Brain Cell immediately activated. “Hang on, I know these people – it’s The Butterfly Wheel!” – a band I previously reviewed when they did their show The Hermetic Marriage in Hampstead. Gong had not announced who their support act was going to be, so I was particularly delighted to see them again.
The Butterfly Wheel incorporate influences of Alchemy, Tarot, and the Western Mystery Tradition generally into their lyrics. Amazingly, I managed to say hello to them after their set, and they still remembered me!
In summary, Gong are currently touring the UK and Europe from now until November – see here for a full list of their gigs, including links to buy tickets. Highly recommended (especially if you get to see The Butterfly Wheel with them as well).
Gong / Butterfly Wheel – Southend 28/09/26
Travelling through time and space to Southend in Essex, UK, where I assumed human form and went to Chinnery’s on the sea-front, to see psychedelic space-rock band Gong. The original idea to do so came about when my other half called me excitedly to watch a video on her YouTube feed of very strange people wearing pointy wizard hats singing a song about Astral Projection, saying she thought I would be interested in this sort of thing. I was impressed that she had developed a taste for early 70s space rock! By lucky hap, we later heard that Gong themselves were playing a gig at a venue not a million light years from our Wizard’s tower, so we manifested tickets accordingly.
The current line-up of Gong is made up of members who were all recruited by founder member Daevid Allen before his passing in 2015, and whom Allen specifically authorised to carry on the Gong name.
The nature of Gong’s music is that they played for over an hour, but I only counted about five separate songs! On this occasion they were a drums / wind instruments / bass / guitar line-up, but with the crafty use of digital delays and loop-units their sonic assault sounded more layered than one would first expect.
However, there was an unexpected bonus tonight. The support band came on featuring two female vocalists and creating an ambient / mystical / psychedelic type rock sound, at which the Sumner Family Brain Cell immediately activated. “Hang on, I know these people – it’s The Butterfly Wheel!” – a band I previously reviewed when they did their show The Hermetic Marriage in Hampstead. Gong had not announced who their support act was going to be, so I was particularly delighted to see them again.
The Butterfly Wheel incorporate influences of Alchemy, Tarot, and the Western Mystery Tradition generally into their lyrics. Amazingly, I managed to say hello to them after their set, and they still remembered me!
In summary, Gong are currently touring the UK and Europe from now until November – see here for a full list of their gigs, including links to buy tickets. Highly recommended (especially if you get to see The Butterfly Wheel with them as well).
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Tagged as Gong, Review, The Butterfly Wheel