The constantly metamorphosing entity called GONG is launching itself into new territories with a tour destined to make people talk, discuss and even argue. Among the stops on the journey, the line-up has set one in Italy: Saturday 3 September 2022 at 2Days Prog +1 in Gattico-Veruno (NO)which will take place from 2 to 4 September and which for years now has been a point of reference for Prog lovers, not only Italian, considering the international recognition it has received. The concert is at free admission.
From their beginnings in a French commune in 1967 and through the years of Virgin Records, of mismanagement, court cases, break-ups and reunions, deaths and rebirths, the common thread of beautiful, dangerous and extraordinary music has always been present.
The current holders of the flame have been reunited for the past eight years: the sinuous bassist Dave Sturt joined just when the album 2032 saw the light; Ian East (saxophone, flute) was the next member to cross the portal; Fabio Golfetti brought his guitars from Brazil (after having worked for many years together with Daevid Allen); kavus Torabi (lead vocals and guitars) appeared to Daevid in a vision; Cheb Nettles (drums) arrived suddenly. The different musical worlds of the GONG include shades of psychedelia, space rock, jazz, avant-garde, krautrock and surreal soundscapes.
In 2015 Daevid Allen has passed away. His influence and legacy were honoured in the first album of the line-up after his departure, Rejoice! I'm Dead! (2016). In recent years the GONG performed together with the Steve Hillage Band (himself a member of the line-up of GONG in the 1970s) and released the highly acclaimed album The Universe Also Collapses (2019) and an incredible live album Pulsing Signals (2022) which captures one of the band's creative peaks with tracks recorded during the 2019 tour.
The GONGs are:
Kavus Torabi: vocals, guitar
Dave Sturt: bass
Ian East: saxophone
Cheb Nettles: drums
Fabio Golfetti: guitar
