GONG, support Cashgrab

Legendary psychedelic collective Gong continues to change, evolve and defy all expectations. As an explosive live force, today's bearers of the legacy – Kavus Torabi, Dave Sturt, Ian East, Cheb Nettles and Fabio Golfetti – ambitiously deliver a new architecture for eternity, blowing minds across the universe.

Gong's universe began in 1969, when Daevid Allen was inspired by a profound, psychedelic vision. As the founder of Soft Machine, Allen integrated his spiritual and metaphysical leanings into an ever-evolving collective. More of a mythology than a band in the traditional sense, Gong established itself as one of the most unique, innovative and experimental rock groups of the seventies – through an exploratory blend of rock, jazz and psychedelics, with touches of mysticism and surrealism, and unafraid to convey its messages directly, indirectly or playfully.

The current edition, compiled by Daevid Allen ahead of his swan song with Gong, the album I See You, honours his wish that Gong would not die with him, urging the band to " take it to new, unknown heights and depths far beyond anything I could even imagine" .

The collective of Kavus Torabi, Dave Sturt, Fabio Golfetti, Ian East and Cheb Nettles is the most stable line-up in Gong's glittering history. They have been writing, recording and touring together for eight years since Allen's passing. As a dynamic, powerful and explosive live band, they draw inspiration from the spirit of the original Gong, while remaining true to their goal of constantly pushing both composition and performance forward.

Cashgrab is a brand new prog band from Porsgunn/Siljan with the goal of making music with the same philosophy as prog bands in the seventies, but with different references.

Within classical music, Cashgrab draws inspiration from several people from different eras, and this is the case with the bands from the seventies, but where Cashgrab goes in a different direction than the classic prog bands is in the rock elements. Cashgrab replaces the more bluesy elements of seventies prog with elements of prog metal, Djent/Thall, death metal and many of the subgenres of death metal such as Tech-Death and blackend death metal. Within jazz, they have elements of a more modern sound originating from Allan Holdsworth. The lyrics are socially critical, even though they believe that society is only a mirror of the human psyche.

Crew:

Hans Kongsro Hauggrav – guitar, keyboards and vocals
Ivo Seip Sandersen – guitar, keyboards and vocals
Levi Strandgård Mizidy – bass, keyboards and vocals
Benjamin Hansen – drums and melodic percussion

The concert is a collaboration between Ibsenhuset , Skiensjazzdraget and Grenland Jazzforum 

Ticket prices:
Ordinary: 450
Members of Skiensjazzdraget and Grenland Jazzforum: 350