A wee TV filmette and interview with daevid filmed in Paris during last year's Gong tour. Brush up your French or German (you can choose which you hear) as daevid is dubbed from English.
Tickets went on sale today for the exciting and innovative rock/dance collaboration between Japanese psychedelic progressive jam-band ROVO and System 7, Phoenix Rising Live. There are just two gigs. The first at the Manchester Ritz on Friday 7th March 2014 and the second at London's Shepherds Bush Empire on Saturday 8th March 2014. Tickets can be booked through the usual agencies such as musicglue (which offers a free download with your ticket), ticketmaster, ticketweb, etc.
Phoenix Rising live is a combined show of Rovo and System 7 playing together, sometimes using the techno beats as the rhythmic basic and sometimes using the live drums, seamlessly morphing from one to the other - showcasing some of the most sophisticated blends of electronic beats and completely live playing ever produced, made possible by the skilled musicianship of eight players.
Admirers of Steve's can be assured that in the format of Phoenix Rising his masterful electric guitar style is fully unleashed, with extensive soloing and duets with the electric violin of Rovo's Yuji Katsui.
The full Phoenix Rising studio album is set for UK release on September 23rd 2013, featuring original collaborations from System 7 and ROVO. It also includes a new arrangement of Meeting of the Spirits by the Mahavishnu Orchestra – a perfect showcase for the album's outstanding blend of guitar and electric violin.
As a pre-taste for the album the System 7 and Rovo Hinotori EP is released on June 3rd 2013 - but it's available to order now in the Planetgong bazaar.
It sounds (and looks) as if Gong's trip to Brazil was a joyous sucess. Even as daevid and Orlando prepare to wend their way back to Oz there is talk of a return trip in 2014 with perhaps dates in Argentina and Chile being added. Time was also spent in the studio over there where some rhythm tracks were laid down as a start on new Gong album....
The start of the exciting new ROVO/System 7 adventure features in the new issue of Prog magazine (on sale today, 29th May) where there is an exclusive ticket offer. There is an interview with Steve in the magazine itself and larger feature is promised in a future issue.
On BBC radio this Sunday 'Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone' celebrates the beginnings of Virgin Records - first release, 'Tubular Bells' - second release - 'Flying Teapot' of course. It was pretty interesting and is bound to be hanging about on the BBC for a while to 'listen again'.
M. daevid allen is currently wizzing around the UK and parts of Europe involved in all manner of musical, poetical and artistic adventures - do go and say hello if you are able. He's moving fast, lean and flexible, so get your skates on, he's only here till May...future gigs.
So unless you live in Brazil it's, "Last orders please..." for catching daevid outside Australia for the foreseeable future - meaning there are no future gig plans including daevid beyond the Magick Brother dates.
And if you come to the Buxton gig you can sample the Magick Brothers/Gong ale - a barrel of which has been specially brewed for the occasion - see image.
1. Up Close - daevid allen with the Invisible Opera Co. of Tibet. A one-off unique event in deepest Devon with the chance to get 'Up Close' with daevid (what makes him tick or tock? Ginseng 'n' tea methinks). Also featuring Tim Hall, a Q & A session, display of rare artifacts and anything else we can think of for a jolly, jolly. For travellers there are some limited residental possibilities at the venue. Very special and unrepeatable. details
It's 50 Years since Dr Who beginnings (horray!) and Dr Beeching endings (booo!)...also in 1963 Michael Horovitz invited the Daevid Allen Trio, with Robert Wyatt, Hugh Hopper, Mike Ratledge to perform poetry and jazz at his New Departures event at London's Marquee Club. Now 50 years later these two pioneers of performance poetry meet again to share their poetry in London on Monday 29th April, at The Art Worker's Guild, 6 Queen Square, Bloomsbury WC1N 3AT starting at 7pm. £7.00 on the door. future gigs.
Steve Hillage's return from a recent trip to Japan means we once again have a small re-stock of the limited edition, Japanese only releases, the Passion EP and the Phoenix Rising EP/DVD. This may well be the last time we get supplies.
Steve and Miquette have just launched a Mirror System Soundcloud page. There are some previously un-heard edits as well as selections from the first Mirror System and Reflector albums. All manner of wonderful sounds await.
All of the chilled out/dynamic duo's 2013 dates (to date) can be found in the latest System 7 news, and there are more to come.
Both the Saturday 6th System 7 gig and the bonus Mirror System show on Sunday 7th, added at the Trades Club, Hebden Bridge, with, in the afternoon Steve presenting a mini master-class of guitar sounds, playing solo and describing some of the signature sounds from the past present and future are SOLD OUT. The Sunday events are exclusivly put on by Steve and Miquette as fund raisers for The Trades Club.
Last month Gilli Smyth and daevid allen became grandparents for the sixth time with the arrival of Leonardo, a son to Orlando and Tamara - everyone is naturally delighted. And that's not the end of this year's newbies. Gilli and daevid's eldest son, Tali, will become a father for a 4th and 5th time this Summer - yes twins on the way.
Kevin Ayers died on 18th February at his home in Montolieu, France. He was 68. He was a dear friend of Daevid and Gilli, well, forever. His life both musical and personal intertwined closely with theirs particularly in the 60's and early 70's. They lived together, made music together, had adventures and just experienced it all together in those heady days. Despite some of the many obituaries denying the fact, Kevin was to all intent purposes a member of Gong in 1971 when the band first toured the UK. He also played an instrumental role in Steve Hillage appearing in Gong's Universe in 1972 while Steve was touring France as a member of Kevin's band.
Daevid told me on hearing the news of Kevin's passing he and Gilli thought, "If the situation was reversed, what would Kevin do?" Easy, a bottle of the best red wine affordable was purchased, Kevin's music went on heavy rotation and stories of the good times, full of good thoughts were shared with close friends and family in Australia. When all is said and done they simply loved him.
Dear Bruce Garrard, with whom I have shared many things over the past 25 years, including currently The Old Clinic where the GAS HQ and psychic hermitage is located, now has a web-site - www.unique-publications.co.uk - where he plans to share with everybody. I have not the slightest hesitation in recommending it to you as a budding repository of wit, wisdom, history and lore on subjects close to the hearts of many of us. Glastonbury Archives and Green Gatherings, Fire Dancing and Greenham Common, Pyramid Stages and Old Clinics, with so much more to come.
It's one of those rare times when all the 'regular' sizes of Black Camembert Electrique T-shirts are in stock, small, medium, large, x-large, xx-large and xxx-large, and for the first time ever there are some children's sizes available. These are for 5-6 and 12-13 year olds. T-shirts The t-shirt size chart has been updated to include the measurements of these new sizes. Purple Camembert Electique shirts have also been re-stocked.
