Gong (band)

Gong
Gong live at HRH Prog XI in Great Yarmouth, 2023 From left to right: Ian East, Kavus Torabi, Dave Sturt, Cheb Nettles and Fabio Golfetti
Background information
Origin	Paris, France
Genres	Psychedelic rock[1] progressive rock space rock[2] jazz rock
Years active	1967–1968 1969–1976 1977 1990 1992–2001 2003–2006 2007–present
Labels	BYG Actuel Charly Musea Snapper Virgin Kscope
Spinoffs	Mother Gong Pierre Moerlen's Gong Planet Gong New York Gong Gongmaison Strontium 90
Members	Fabio Golfetti Dave Sturt Ian East Kavus Torabi Cheb Nettles
Past members	Daevid Allen Gilli Smyth Didier Malherbe Christian Tritsch Rachid Houari Pip Pyle Charles Hayward Tim Blake Francis Moze Mireille Bauer Steve Hillage Mike Howlett Pierre Moerlen Miquette Giraudy Benoit Moerlen Bill Bruford Patrice Lemoine Mino Cinelu Allan Holdsworth Hansford Rowe Keith Bailey Graham Clark Shyamal Maitra Chris Taylor Theo Travis Mark Robson Jorge Pinchevsky Orlando Allen
Website	gongband.com

Gong are a psychedelic rock band that incorporates elements of jazz and space rock into their musical style.^[3] The group was formed in Paris in 1967 by Australian musician Daevid Allen and English vocalist Gilli Smyth. Band members have included Didier Malherbe, Pip Pyle, Steve Hillage, Mike Howlett, Tim Blake, Pierre Moerlen, Bill Laswell and Theo Travis. Others who have played on stage with Gong include Don Cherry,^[4] Chris Cutler, Bill Bruford, Brian Davison, Dave Stewart and Tatsuya Yoshida.

Gong's 1970 debut album, Magick Brother, featured a psychedelic rock sound.^[5] By the following year, the second album, Camembert Electrique, featured the more psychedelic rock/space rock sound with which they would be most associated.^[1] Between 1973 and 1974, Gong released their best-known work, the allegorical Radio Gnome Invisible trilogy, describing the adventures of Zero the Hero, the Good Witch Yoni and the Pot Head Pixies from the Planet Gong.

In 1975, Allen and Smyth left the band, which continued without them, releasing a series of jazz rock albums under the leadership of drummer Pierre Moerlen. This incarnation soon became known as Pierre Moerlen's Gong. Meanwhile, Smyth formed Mother Gong while Allen initiated a series of spin-off groups, including Planet Gong, New York Gong and Gongmaison, before returning to lead Gong once again in 1990 until his death in 2015. With Allen's encouragement, the band decided to continue as a quintet comprising guitarist Fabio Golfetti, bassist Dave Sturt, woodwind player Ian East, guitarist and vocalist Kavus Torabi, and drummer Cheb Nettles. They released the album Rejoice! I'm Dead! in September 2016,^[6] followed by The Universe Also Collapses in 2019 and Unending Ascending in 2023.