OFF: GONG in LA, 6/2/99

[Chuck Rosenberg]

In a message dated 99-06-03 09:40:04 EDT, you write:

<< 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.  :)

---You're right!

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

---I've never seen Steffe, but I thought Mark was perfect. Not that I'm a
judge of musicians, esp. live performances, since I'm not big on concerts.

 >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.

---Yes, he did fine, of course. But I'm used to Pierre's amazing fills.

 >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.

---That's correct, it was "I am your Pussy", though I think that's originally
from Flying Teapot, not CE.

 >6.Eat that Phonebook

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

 >That's it; they only played and 90 minutes.

---Come to think of it, considering the price of the ticket ($18), 90 minutes
_was_ weak, but I guess I shouldn't complain, eps. if Allen is getting over
an illness. I won't go to the store when I'm sick, much less perform a
concert.

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)
  >>

---And what is a speculum? Too lazy to get the dictionary right now, Chuck