Gong / The Steve Hillage Band

Gong have been flying their brand of psychedelic progressive rock for over forty years, and in recent years have not been seen on our shores since 2000. I've not seen them since a decade before that, and as rain and wind battered the country we made our way to Exeter's Lemon Grove to see both the Daevid Allen led main event and the support act, a rare appearance of the Steve Hillage Band.

We arrived at the venue before both live acts to hear DJ Ambiessence get us in the mood with a mixture of Hawkwind and other psychedelic treats. The crowd was the most diverse bunch of odd balls I've ever seen, ranging from spacesuit wearing green moon mask wearing pixies, and wizards with bubble machines, long haired space freaks, earth mothers, pixie eared hippy chicks to suited accountant looking types, and middle aged possibly music teacher types. Long beards and weathered faces were the order of the day. Most of the parents had clearly dropped their kids off at the Smerin's Anti-Social Club's gig down the road.



All forms of beer rapidly ran out, as did the Guinness and the place filled rapidly ready for The Steve Hillage Band to take to the stage. The guitarist was flanked by Mike Howlett, recently returned from Australia to take up bass duties in this his second gig. Chris Tayler was to provide more than adequate drumming duties and completing Hillage's line-up was partner Miquette Giraudy more familiar on synths for Hillage's main project System 7.

Hillage looked relaxed and announced, "It's a Love Thing" and for the next hour we were taken on a journey through the highlights of the Canterbury sound. "Phenomenal!" shouted a member of the crowd as the sound melded effortlessly with the visuals spilling over the band.

We were treated to classic Hillage sounds, which would fit perfectly at any rave, the music had us all swaying, and pockets of the crowd were soon getting their groove on. "Psychedelic music is the name of the game, of the deep underwater variety" announced Hillage, and Tayler's drumming moved up a gear, the lights hit strobe mode, and it was a complex, glorious, dance music mix, with 'Sun Song', 'Hurdy Gurdy Man' and 'Salmon Song' proving the highlights for me. Giraudy's synth work seamlessly updated these classic old tunes, and their wondrous guitar work into something that sounds as modern as anything delivered by an on form up and coming DJ.



Rapturous applause of appreciation accompanied the band off stage, with Hillage saying they'll be back in a bit. The whole band returned as Gong with the addition of Theo Travis on saxophone and flute, the projections got even brighter, washing the backdrop with colour as a giant teapot flew into view. The band's frontman saunters onto the stage, a lithe white haired 'catweazle' figure in a blue wizard's hat and crazy cosmic pyjamas. He sprightly scooted about the stage, and the 2009 incarnation of Gong deliver classic tracks from the amazing Gong archives, alongside new tunes from their latest opus '2032' released earlier this year.



The tripped out space rock had a much more modern feel to it with Giraudy inspiring a few shapes from behind her synths. Howlett now looked like a fawn with small goaty, and metal slatted sunglasses, he kept up a terrific drum'n'bass groove with Tayler. This gave Hillage, and Allen a chance to deliver soaring complex guitar riffs, whilst Travis added some incredibly floaty freeform jazz from his wind instruments.

Allen looked no older than when I saw him in the '90s and is sprightly for his age, he must be easily 70. After the intro scene setting of 'Escape, Control, Delete' which mixed the old stuff perfectly and proved that the new material sits up well beside old songs like 'You Can't Kill Me – Camembert Electrique'. The atmosphere was great in the crowd, there were bubble guns filling the air with bubbles, and the crowd clap along enthusiastically to the basslines.



Sunglass wearing Gilli Smyth joined the band to add her Shakti Yoni space whispers to many tracks and delivered a faultless 'Yoni Poem'. More new songs 'Digital Girl' and the Celtic flavoured dance groove 'Dancin' With The Pixies' seem perfectly in place with old classic 'Dynamite'. The elderly pair make me think about just how long they've been conducting this punkadelic outfit for, a Sex Pistol's 'No Future' reminiscent 'Waccy Baccy Banker' feels bang up to date with it's lyrical slamming of our financial institutions.

The set didn't let up it's rave intensity, with jazz flute stylings, and was hard driven space rock at times, and floaty airy free flow at others, reminding me a lot of Ozric Tentacles or Hawkwind in their pomp, with the visuals, bubbles, smoke, and atmosphere this was what I'd missed from those band's sets the last few years I’ve seen them. It seems it's only Gong that delivers off kilter psychedelia so well, textured and layered, it’s sweaty and fragrant much like the Normandy cheese.



Allen makes a costume change to return as a 'Pot Headed Pixie' and we get some of the old classics including 'Flying Teapot' however I personally think that I prefer the new mixed material, the old stuff sounds less techno-logical, it's crowd pleasing though and gives a chance to take a breather and cool off from the baking heat in the venue.

There was electronic birdsong, and other electronic effects aplenty, the band delivering more timeless space groove with 'You Never Blow Your Trip Forever' which was a fitting end to the encore, where the visuals had me enthralled throughout a blown out jazz tinged acid groove, suddenly there appeared a teapot and pixie saying 'Goodbye' and the lights come up.

Gong may have come from the late sixties when founder member David Allen left Soft Machine (or rather they left him!) but you'd not have guessed their extended longevity in the light of this performance. They're still putting out songs that would fit perfectly in any early hour rave, and have been busy unearthing a few new treasures to add to the Gong archives. This evening was exactly what I've missed from those other psychedelic bands I've seen in the interim years, both bands were a perfect encapsulation of those far out nights many decades ago, and that was without any chemical, or natural enhancements.

FUTURE GIGS