GAS?....Gong's Amigos of Sound... Golden Armadillo Sisterhood... Giggling Acid Survivors... Gaia's Ancient Soothsayers... Girls Against Sausages... Gurus Are Sus... Great Assembly of Spaceheads...pick your own interpretation, or make up one to suit your s'elf

gas?

1658, from Dutch gas, probably from Greek khaos "empty space". The sound of Dutch "g" is roughly equivalent to that of Greek "kh." First used by Flemish chemist J.B. van Helmont (1577-1644), probably influenced by Paracelsus, who used khaos in occult sense of "proper elements of spirits" or "ultra-rarified water," which was van Helmont's definition of gas. Modern scientific sense began 1779, focused on "combustible mix of vapors" (1794, originally coal gas); "anesthetic" (1894, originally nitrous oxide - laughing gas). Meaning "intestinal vapors" is from 1882. Slang sense of "empty talk" is from 1847; slang meaning "something exciting or excellent" first attested 1953, from earlier hepster slang gasser in the same sense (1944). Gas also meant "fun, a joke" in Anglo-Irish and was used so by Joyce (1914). As short for gasoline (q.v.), it is Amer.Eng., first recorded 1905.

2008 is the 32nd year GAS has balanced on the tightrope between the physical, bees-knees world and the twinkling, shape-shifting concept known as Gong. All who have run GAS have done so more as an act of faith than anything else, responding to the soul-call that somehow unites the Gong family. This mission invariably takes huge amounts of energy on every level, not to mention a risk to one's sanity - however I am sure none of the past guardians would swap their time at the helm (although who is really steering this baby?) for anything else. Here I acknowledge them, holy fooles though I know each and every one of them to be.

1976-77 Chyme, Grant Showbiz & Bella (GAS HQ - Brighton)

Chyme now works as an alternative therapy practitioner.

Showbiz was Here & Now's very own Octave Doctor, before twiddling the knobs for the Smiths and others. He is a member of Moodswings and Blue Midnight and runs the occassional rather splendid club. Currently working with with, amongst others, The Right Honourable William Bragg of Barking - Billy to his mates.

1977-79 Harry Williamson & Gilli Smyth (GAS HQ North Devon)

Harry, for so many years the musical centre of Mother Gong, now lives and works in Melbourne, Australia running his own successful recording studio and of course is always making music. Gilli is at the heart of Gong to this day.

1979-82 Ark Redwood (GAS HQ - North Devon)

Aardvark (as he was then known) ran GAS from Oxford Cross, Harry's house in North Devon, until Harry and Gilli left for Australia. He is now the head gardener at the sacred Chalice Well Gardens at the foot of the Tor in Glastonbury.

1982-85 Brian Zero (GAS HQ - deepest Devon)

Brian plays guitar with the UK Invisible Opera Co. of Tibet, Riven (with Nigel Shaw & Carolyn Hillier) and his own band, Vamp, with partner Jackie Juno. He released his first solo CD, Tara, in 2004. He still lives in Devon.

1985 Pete Barnes & Jake (GAS HQ - Devon)

Sadly Pete and Jake have both gone before.

1986-88 Brian Zero (GAS HQ - even deeper Devon)

Sweet mother of God he came back for more! Brian rescued it actually.

1988-89 Rob Ayling & Barbara Kirk (GAS HQ - Yorkshire)

Rob Ayling now owns and runs the Voiceprint/Zeit Distribution empire from the N.E. of England and is still very much part of the family.

Babs lives in W.Yorkshire, very happily I hope.

1989-91 Harry Williamson & Jonny Greene (GAS HQ - Street)

A bit of another rescue job - Oh how we wobble along.

1991 to date... Jonny Greene (GAS HQ - Glastonbury)

JG takes GAS on as the first full-time helmsman, since aided and abetted by the likes of Blaiddwyn, Friday, Tim Flatus, Vicki Purple, Peter Hartl, Jonny's partner Su-fi and of course, many, many Gongsters around the Planet.

Over the years this line of GAS ‘world trees’ have been hugely supported and aided by an almost endless list of family, friends and household pets from every country, including: Mike Howlett, David Id, Basil Brooks, Mark Robson, Steve Gay, Bob Delvishio, Rick Chafen, Michael Clare, Fabio Golfetti, Craig Mitchell, George Ottinger, Jessica (Fi-Fi le Bon Bon) Checler, Manfred Bress, Phil Howitt, Blaiddwyn and Graham Hinton to name a small but choice selection.