When Gong release their album Bright Spirit in March 2026, it’ll be their fourth since mastermind Daevid Allen’s death in 2015. Soon after his passing the band revealed his final message to them, in which he wished them well for the future.
Gong founder Daevid Allen sent a message to 2015 line-up of the band just before his death, telling them he was sure he’d left his creation in safe hands.
The Australian artist, also known for co-founding Soft Machine in 1966, started the project in France the following year as a result of not being allowed back into the UK.
The Canterbury scene stalwart left his mark with groundbreaking Gong albums including 1971’s Camembert Electrique and the 1973-4 Radio Gnome Invisible trilogy – Flying Teapot, Angel’s Egg and You.
While membership ebbed and flowed over the decades, and didn’t always include Allen, contributions came from respected musicians including Steve Hillage, Bill Bruford and Theo Travis.
Allen passed away from cancer, aged 77, in March 2015, and was later remembered at a memorial concert featuring members of the group that outlived him, including lead vocalist Kavus Torabi, sax player Ian East and bassist Dave Sturt Seven months later they went on tour in support of I See You, the 2014 album that became their leader’s swansong.
Ahead of the live events, Torabi told Prog he hadn’t been enthused by the idea of continuing without Allen. He said: “The cancer was spotted after some Brazilian gigs in early 2014, while we were completing I See You.
“Daevid made it clear he wouldn’t be performing any more, but wanted the band to carry on. I was pretty reluctant – partly because one of the reasons I joined was to be in a band with Daevid. I didn’t have 100% confidence it would work.”
That changed after Torabi went on to front Gong for a short run of shows. “We knew we had something incredibly special,” he confirmed. The band kept in constant touch with Allen during that tour. “We were emailing him after every gig, sending photos and YouTube links, and he’d respond pretty much every day.
“Shortly afterwards the cancer became far more aggressive – he knew he wasn’t going to beat it. But I’m so glad he got to hear what had happened to his band before that. His son Orlando told us it had made it easier for Daevid to let go.”
Before his death, Allen sent his colleagues an email, saying how delighted he was that the band worked without him. “I feel you are all equally on the brink of a whole new era of Gong, musically, lyrically and spiritually and that pretty much all you have each done until now has been a preparation for this time,” he wrote.
“I want you to know I am 100% behind you with this project and I wish you huge success in every way you decide to measure that success. I am really proud of laying the foundation for the Gong tradition and have done my best to make it as multi layered, wide ranging and open ended as I possibly could so that almost anything was possible as a result.
At last I am free to let go of it, so now it is up to you guys to carry it on into new unknown heights and depths far beyond anything I could ever imagine myself. Thank you for being there and going for it and may the rewards be unimaginably powerful for each! Love and massive soulful hugs.
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Torabi reflected: “He was the most enlightened guy I ever met. He was the real deal – no bullshit whatsoever. Funny, smart, antagonistic, free from any mind-forged manacles, constantly searching, learning while operating completely independently of the straight world.
“The guy hardly had a penny. It wasn’t about money – it was about life, experience, love and creating. He was an enormous inspiration to so many people, myself included. His worldview had an enormous impact on me. Actually becoming friends and making music together has been indescribable.”
