Going, Going, Gong
Speed freaks, hippies, and ravers all love Gong. Well, at least that was case ten years ago in Taipei when Gong was played at just about every outdoor jam or pre-dawn party. One guy wickedly recalled this scene as: “Demerol, wearing a dress, and flying on my motorcycle listening to Gong.”
While Gong’s popularity is not where it once was, many believe these early Gong parties were a precursor to Taipei's fledgling rave scene.....
A look around the first area rave clubs reveal the same penchant for day-glow colors, strange pyramid shapes, and other psychedelic images that continue to appear on Gong’s website. Someone else told me that listening to Gong was good practice for “spacing out” to music, or at surrendering oneself to strange loopy beats which is just what you need when knocking around to psycho-trance, acid house, or whatever else they call it now.
I’m guessing Gong may be similarly popular in Japan. They are playing the Orange Court and not Gypsy Avalon, and one can still download the band’s original 1969 release, Magic Brother, off the internet, so it’s still at least marginally popular. Another thing helping their popularity is a 2003 project with Japan’s Acid Mother’s Temple. And, I dare you, which other band can claim to be part of Glastonbury’s 1971 triple-live album release.
The band calls each gig a “giggling party” and they are definitely worth a look considering where they’ve been, who they’ve influenced, and perhaps music is coming all full circle with the new psychedelic scene evident in NYC-area bands such as Gang Gang Dance, Animal Collective, etc.
If you want to discover Gong for yourself, possibly hooking up with some other freak
Minded people up for a “giggling party”, here’s your links
//sean s.
Comments
Thanks for another fab article - I enjoyed that!
Posted by: Acid Alkaline Diet | February 11, 2010 3:38 AM