MONTSERRAT 1973 AND OTHER STORIES

An unexpected ultra rare document. Gong heads were waiting for a long time a 70's document from the band and here it is! Actually it's just an extract of a 1973 concert performed in a Church in Spain. It's legitimate to wonder how such a musical event been allowed, given Spain's political context at the time. The beginning of the video shows our heroes frolicking in the mountains near the church, with Flying teapot (studio version) in the background. It's already incredible as it's colour picture, Gong are wearing cosmic costumes with propelled hats. A very acid introduction.

Then comes the concert. Decent picture quality, average sound but excellent performance. Very psychedelic and acid, and the gap is very funny with the audience composed of old people who look quite amaze by such blasphemous show.

The song sounds like some alternate material from Angel's egg. The show itself last about ten minutes.

The DVD is filled with Daevid Allen's minor spot films, ranging from lightly funny to bad taste.

The other good surprise is an "AcidmotherGong" recent concert featuring Acid mother temple members. An impressive set, very acid as well.

The last element is a 1967 minor short Soft machine performance: Daevid Allen is declaiming a poem while Soft machine is providing a musical background.

To sum up, the 1973 Gong movie alone makes the DVD worth for serious Gong fans.

Having been pleasantly surprised with my previous Voiceprint DVD (Soft Machine Live In Paris), I then decided to see what this wxas about knowing it was a pot-pourri of old stuff and much more recent Daevid-ian delirium. Obviously we"d all bee,n waiting for these Montseerat tapes to finally get a legit release, but we were hoping that these would've been a little extra with them or even alternative pictuires or footage.

Starting on the hilarious appearance of the PHP in the Montserrat mountains (where the monastery was built atop a small mountain peak by Cathars) with those pointed hats, resembling much those of the Catholic Easter processions in Spain, the original footage gats an airing without any of the wished-for improvements stated above. So we get some 25 minutes of music in a much too dark setting, but it is highly enjoyable. Then comes a weird Zero The Hero meets Snow White sketch that is reminiscent of Monty Python, but accessible only on computer, not on a DVD player >> most likely a screw up from VP.

Next comes a bunch of Daevid-ean poems put delicately to picture by himself in no less delicate positions (such as the loo), most of this humour is not expected to reach the majority of the progheads, but admittedly will probably strike the right chords with the more psychedelic heads. Of major interest are the too-short Allen-era Soft Machine, even if it is one sole camera filming.

Well, I suppose it was unrealistic to expect another SM LIP quality-type of DVD from Voiceprint about GonG; but then again old habits die hardf and maximum effort is not amongst the quality of the label. But given the low price and the rarity of some of the footage, it's nice of VP to hazve reissued them legitimately. Hardd to call this essential, but fans will certainly love it for what it is.... a nice unessential tidbit worth having if you're a fan.