It was the 24th of October 2012.
I'm a big Progressive-Rock fan since the moment my uncle gave me as a present the 1971 Genesis album "Trespass"(vinyl edition). That album completely blew my mind, it's a masterpiece from the first to the last song. A true classic.
After Genesis, of course, I knew about many other legendary Progressive Rock bands, like Yes, Camel, Caravan, King Crimson, Can, Van Der Graaf Generator, Jethro Tull, Tangerine Dream, etc...
One particular band was standing out among the others, but not just because of their great songs and lyrics; it was because they were so original and attractive at the same time. They build a whole universe around the band members and the music they made.
The name of this band was GONG.
Around 2001, Several Prog-Rock bands reunited to record a DVD series called "Classic Rock Legends", and I got GONG's DVD.
I was amazed.
All the band was so incredibly good, but the frontman, Daevid Allen, just had that thing that, or you're born with it, or you will never be able to buy it. He was charisma, talent and creativity, all together personified on a single human being.
Of course, I thought that I'll never have the chance to watch them live, so I was happy enough watching the DVD and listening to their incredible space - psychedelic - prog - rock albums.
I was wrong, because almost ten years after the release of that DVD, I accidentally noticed that GONG was on tour. Yeeaahh!!! I couldn't believe my eyes! UK, France, Italy... I was thinking that they would probably be a tribute band or something... but no: it was THE REAL thing.
As the Tour was not coming to Spain, and I live in the city of Barcelona (close to France), I decided to go by myself to the city of Montpellier to enjoy that "once in a lifetime" experience. I didn't care about going alone at all. I bought tickets to see Gong live and still couldn't believe it... a band that was basically inactive since 1978!!
Time passed quickly, as usual, and the concert was close. I took the train and spend some days in the beautiful city of Montpellier, hanging around the nice bohemian streets of this Mediterranian town.
The day of the concert arrived and, as I had no other thing to do, I went to the venue 5 hours before the beginning of the concert. Once I was there, I was extremely happy just to see the concert poster:
I saw that the door of the theatre was open, so I just slowly walk inside. The band was on the stage doing the sound check.
GONG was on the stage.
I remember I didn't move an eyelash to avoid someone kicking me out of the building, and no one did. Daevid played some songs that I've never heard, maybe I should share the audios I recorded.
After the sound check, the band went backstage, and Gong's crew ask me to leave to close the main entrance.
I walked outside holding on my hands the 1974 album "YOU" (the CD version, vinyl stayed at home because I didn't want to break it). I knew that it was the only chance I'll ever have to meet him in person, so I just went to a backdoor on the side of the building and asked the guy that was standing there if Daevid could come to sign my CD because we had friends in common.
Isn't it funny?? "Friends in common "!! XD XD
In fact, it was partially true.
Years before I made a phone interview to his friend Pau Riba, a contemporary Catalan Progressive Rock singer. Pau and Daevid became good friends in the Spanish hippie Island of Ibiza, so good friends that even Daevid played the guitar in a couple of songs of Pau Riba's 1977 album called "Licors".
Here's a funny picture of Pau Riba with Salvador Dalí in the late 70's.
Pau Riba and I were not precisely friends, but... it worked!! Daevid Allen just appeared in front of me.
The founder of Soft Machine, the father of psychedelic rock, together with Syd Barret, was standing in front of me.
The guy that played with Jimi Hendrix at the "Speakeasy" club in London in February of 1967 was just right there, looking at me.
Amazing!! In fact, if Daevid was no touring USA during 1968 with Jimi Hendrix, it was because his visa expired and he couldn't enter the country. Soft Machine did it as you can see:
We talked for around ten minutes about his music, about Pau Riba and some other things. He asked several times if I already got tickets for the concert, with the clear intention of giving me free tickets in case I didn't have. He signed my CD and draw me his characteristic gnome wearing his hat... It was just unbelievable for me while it was happening, and is still unbelievable when I think about it today.
I feel so enormously grateful for having the opportunity to meet and calmly talk to a person that, although he was not directly "under the spotlight" at that moment, and was not "acclaimed by huge masses of people ", has been such an influent and important person in the history of Modern Music.
Everybody knows about Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones or Bob Dylan. In my opinion, Daevid Allen is to Progressive Rock what Chuck Berry is to Rock'n'Roll.
Now, after this little assertion about his figure and artistic legacy, I can continue my story.
After our chat, I ask him to have a picture together and of course, he had no problem to do it. Here's the couple of pictures we had:
The funny thing about the pictures is that he asked me to make a second one, because I took the first one from below and, after watching the result on my cell phone, he didn't like it, and said "No, you have to take the picture from above, you'll see...".
And he was right!! The second one was so much better.
Still, one last hilarious curiosity; on both pictures, while he was smiling, he whispered a high-pitched sound, something like a long "weeeeeeeeeeeeeeehh.....". Just watch the pictures and you'll perfectly imagine the sound. :) :)
We said goodbye, and he told me to write him an email in case I could find someone to let GONG's tour arrive to Spain, he said he would love to play there. Sadly, I didn't succeed in my task, my contacts are not always as good as I would like.
After that thrilling moment, I went to a bar to prepare myself for the concert that I was about to live, and also to celebrate meeting Daevid. I decided that both things could be done at the same time by drinking a good whiskey on the rocks.
Finally, the moment arrived; the concert was about to begin. I went back into the concert hall, with good whiskey flavor in my mouth, addressed directly to the front and placed both arms on the stage. From there, like staring from a balcony, I witnessed the best concert I've been in my life, just to be compared with the first time I've heard Peter Gabriel singing live.
Daevid was 74 years old at that time, and I never saw before, and probably will never see, someone with that amount of energy and vitality playing on the stage 2 meters away from me.
Impressive, spectacular, grandiose.
These pictures were taken from my spot during the concert:
Honestly, without having the pictures, I would think that all that I lived that day was a dream. A really vivid dream that I had. As time goes by, I keep appreciating more and more how lucky I was.
Now, there's a sad part on my story; Daevid is no longer among us. He became part of music's history. Less than two years later, in June 2014, a cancerous tumor was found on his neck.
After surgery, the tumor reproduced and he decided that he would like to spend his last months of life without having to deal with doctors and chemotherapy. He was sharing his art and reading his poetry until his last breath. This picture was taken on the 1st of March of 2015, less than two weeks before his death (on the 13th) while he was performing at "Writers at the Rails", in Byron Bay (Australia).
Of course, a part of being so brave, he kept his great sense of humor, yet facing a terminal cancer.
As he deserved, he passed surrounded by his family and loved ones, but as I don't want to give a sad ending to this great story (I know he'll hate it too) I'm just going to share some pictures of him with Soft Machine in the late 60's:
With Gong during 70's:
And a picture that was taken at one of the many concerts he did during 2012:
It's true that he is not here anymore, but is also true the fact that, thanks to his music, he will never die.
His son, the drummer Orlando Allen, is still touring with Gong, keeping Daevid's dream alive. If you want to watch them on stage, have a look at their website, maybe they are coming to your city soon!
https://www.planetgong.co.uk/in-brief.shtml
Thanks everyone for reading. I have told this story with all the affection and admiration towards its great protagonist, I did it the best I could.
Here's one of my favorite Gong songs, "Master builder":
And here's some 70's rare video footage from French TV:
Bye Daevid, you will always be my hero!!
Keep on rocking my friend.
Happy day to all steemians.
Best wishes.