GONG & HENGE

Attention Humans! This is HENGE.
We are not from this world.
We bring you music from distant planets.
We offer this gift for the edification of humankind… so that eventually your species may put an end to war and set up new homes in space.

Extra-terrestrial joymongers – HENGE – have been delighting audiences in the UK and Europe since they landed on Planet Earth a decade ago. Their scintillating live performances earned them ‘Best Live Act’ at the Independent Festival Awards and they have since cemented their reputation with four acclaimed albums, numerous tours and regular main-stage festival appearances.

Their music escapes definition, but occupies a space between rave and prog rock that nobody knew existed. It is energetic, subversive and invigoratingly playful, jovially breaking new ground. Ultimately, these intrepid creatures are spreading a message of hope which leaves audiences feeling amused and uplifted in equal measures.

The universe of Gong began in 1969 when Daevid Allen was inspired by a profound psychedelic vision. A founder member of Soft Machine, Allen incorporated his spiritual and metaphysical leanings into an evolving collective. More a mythology than a band in the conventional sense, Gong established itself as one of the most unique, innovative and experimental rock groups of the seventies, through an exploratory mix of rock, jazz and psychedelia with elements of mysticism and surrealism, unafraid to deliver its messages directly, obliquely or whimsically.

The current incarnation, who were put together by Daevid before his swansong album with Gong, ‘I See You’, honour his intention that Gong do not die with him, urging the band to “carry it on into new unknown heights and depths far beyond anything I could ever imagine myself”. The collective of Kavus Torabi, Dave Sturt, Fabio Golfetti, Ian East and Cheb Nettles is the most stable in Gong/s illustrious history, having written, recorded and toured together for eight years since Allen/s passing. A dynamic, powerful and explosive live band, their music draws from the credo of the original Gong while remaining committed to pushing the composition, performance and message into new realms, paying no mind to nostalgia. Gong in 2023 continue the ethics, attitude and lifestyle that was always woven into the fabric of the band.

Find out more on the Henge website

Find out more on the Gong website

Go to all music on the Princess Pavilion website