OFF: GONG in LA, 6/2/99

[Keith Henderson]

Chuck said...

>The line-up was Daevid, Gylli, M. Howlett, Malherbe; the other two (guit and
>drums) are new to the band. The guitarist was good, fit in well w/the Gong
>thing, and was the most energetic.

Mark Hewins is his name.  And I was amazed to see that his nose is perhaps
even larger than Daevid's.  :)

I thought he was average at best.  Steffe was the better choice, but I guess
he wasn't available.

>The drummer was good, but could not do the things Pierre M. could.

Chris Taylor is his name, and was a last minute replacement of course.  I
thought he did just fine, and in fact, I preferred him to Pip Pyle on the
previous tours.

>Daevid and Gylli both wore several extravagantly silly costumes and played
>the auidence well.
>
>The set-list was something like this:
>
>1.IAO Chant (or Magick Mother Invocation)/Master Builder
>2.a song I didn't recognize

I think this might have been 'Pussy' from Camembert...at least that's the
way they did it at ProgFest.

>6.Eat that Phonebook

This was the highlight at ProgFest...wonderful version.

>That's it; they only played and 90 minutes. They _are_ getting up their in
>years, though, I'm sure Daevid has broken 60 and he looks 70.

Daevid has apparently been ill...at least I heard that's why he didn't
perform with University of Errors at ProgFest on Sunday as was scheduled.

>It was interesting to see the glissando guitar up
>close. I've been listening to Gong for about 4 years and never knew what the
>hell a "glissando" guitar was. Also, there was a sound I heard in Gong which
>I thought was a synth. Well, now I know it was the gliss; he just rubs this
>whammy-bar shaped thing against the strings...

Apparently, the object is a piece from a 19th c. French speculum, or at
least that's the long-perpetuated story/myth that I've always heard.
Appropriate in a way.  :)

Keith H. (FAA)