Gong

Daevid Allen co-founded Gong after leaving Soft Machine in 1967. He and co-conspirator Gilli Smyth built a tribe of talented and eccentric musicians as colourful and anarchic as themselves. Early albums were full of exploration and whimsy, crazy lyrics colliding with paisley space grooves, and while the music gained a little more structure over time, it never lost a beguiling playfulness and that rare thing in rock: a sense of joy.

A trilogy of 1970s albums known as the Radio Gnome Invisible trilogy form the basis of their enduring reputation, with Angel’s Egg (1973) being a highlight. After Allen and Smyth left, drummer/percussionist Pierre Moelen took over leadership, steering the band towards a tight and inventive jazz-rock style. Daevid Allen returned/re-formed Gong in 1990 and played with them until his death in 2015. With their spiritual leader’s blessing, the band continued after his final departure, releasing further albums.