Here & Now (band)
Encyclopedia
Here & Now are an English psychedelic
/space rock
band formed in early 1974. They have close connections with the band Gong
and in 1977/1978 worked with Gong's Daevid Allen
and Gilli Smyth
under the name Planet Gong
Guitarist Steffy Sharpstrings' highly individual sound was influenced by Jimi Hendrix , Frank Zappa, Both Steffy and bassist Keith the Bass have featured in later incarnations of Gong.
squatter
community in 1974. They were known for jamming
.
Synth
player Paul Noble aka Twink (not the same Twink
from the Pink Fairies) and drummer Keith "Kif-kif" Dobson formed the foundation of the band. When guitarist Stephan Lewry and Keith Bailey the bass player joined them to perform at the Watchfield
free festival of August 1975, it led to what is considered to be the definitive Here & Now line-up. They were often joined by two female singers Ano and Suze de Blooze. Another essential member was soundman Grant Showbiz
who went on to work with The Fall, The Smiths
, and Billy Bragg
. Twink was replaced on synthesizer by Gavin da Blitz in 1977.
In 1977 Daevid Allen and Gilli Smyth recruited the band to tour with them under the name Planet Gong, and this combination released a live album Floating Anarchy 1977 and a single "Opium for the People".
The band also forged a strong relationshp with punk pundit Mark P.
's group Alternative TV
, touring together and, in 1978, releasing a joint live album What You See Is What You Are.
In 1980 Kif Kif left, starting his own recording studio Street Level and forming a cassette label Fuck Off Records that is a recognized pioneer in the DIY lo-fi movement. He also formed a new trio World Domination Enterprises
.
The band toured extensively in 1980 and 1981 living on their converted bus. This included the free summer festivals of Deeply Vale, Stonehenge and Glastonbury. The hallmark of the gigs was a that they were always free entrance and funds were helped with a collection.
In 1981 Steffe left due to dissatisfaction with the direction and vibe of the band, he became deeply involved in reggae/world music and played with Inner Force, formed Nomadiks and also worked with Addis rockers, The band continued under the leadership of Keith the Bass with Dino Ferrari ( a long time roadie with the band ) and a variety of drummers, recording albums: Fantasy Shift; Coaxed out from Oxford; Theatre and Been and Gone amongst others. This incarnation split in 1986 due to record company troubles and the Stonehenge Free festival getting trashed by police. They reformed a year later in 1987 with Keith on bass, Gavin on keyboards, guitarist Dino Ferrari, saxophonist Jonathan 'JC' Lambert and ex-UK Subs drummer Pete Davis. Gavin left Here & Now finally in 1990 to be replaced by Andy Roid. Steffe returned along with Drummer Steve Cassidy in 1990 after playing with Keith in a televised performance of Gong for central t.v. . This line-up recorded the UFOasis album.
In the early 2000's Keith the Bass and Steffe continued the band, with Joie Hinton from Ozric Tentacles
/Eat Static
on keyboards and Steve Cassidy on drums.
In the late 2000s a line-up featuring Kif Kif, Twink and Steffe occasionally performed improvised music, a la mid-seventies Here & Now, under the name "Ici Maintenants". Steffe left Here and Now in early summer of 2009 after concluding he could no long work with Keith. He has continued to work with Steve Cassidy on various fusion projects and contributed to Joie Hinton projects.
He is now concentrating on solo work and his long time involvement in Visitation Arena with Cher Newsam http://Visitation-Arena.soundawesome.com/ , http://soundcloud.com/visitation-arena , http://www.myspace.com/visitationarena , In September 2009 a new line-up was announced: Gwyo ZePix (ex Zorch and Gong); Slim Verhoef (ex Giant Eyes); Nik Nimbus); Drumbiz (ex Mandragora
, Giant Eyes);
and Keith the Bass.
September 2010 sees Esoteric Recordings
release remastered versions of both Give & Take and All Over The Show.
In 2011 Mark Robson of Kangaroo Moon and Magick Brothers took the helm of Keyboard Meister and Vocals.
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
/space rock
Space rock
Space rock is a subgenre of rock music; the term originally referred to a group of early, mostly British, 1970s progressive and psychedelic rock bands such as Hawkwind and Pink Floyd, characterised by slow, lengthy instrumental passages dominated by electric organs, synthesizers, experimental...
band formed in early 1974. They have close connections with the band Gong
Gong (band)
Gong is a Franco-British progressive/psychedelic rock band formed by Australian musician Daevid Allen. Their music has also been described as space rock. Other notable band members include Allan Holdsworth, Tim Blake, Didier Malherbe, Pip Pyle, Gilli Smyth, Steve Hillage, Francis Moze, Mike Howlett...
and in 1977/1978 worked with Gong's Daevid Allen
Daevid Allen
Daevid Allen , sometimes credited as Divided Alien, an Australian poet, guitarist, singer, composer and performance artist is co-founder of psychedelic rock groups Soft Machine and Gong .-Biography:In 1960, inspired by the Beat Generation writers he had discovered...
and Gilli Smyth
Gilli Smyth
Gilli Smyth is a musician who performed with the bands Gong, Mother Gong and Planet Gong as well as several solo albums and albums in collaborations other members of Gong...
under the name Planet Gong
Guitarist Steffy Sharpstrings' highly individual sound was influenced by Jimi Hendrix , Frank Zappa, Both Steffy and bassist Keith the Bass have featured in later incarnations of Gong.
History
The band formed in the West London Ladbroke GroveLadbroke Grove
Ladbroke Grove is a road in west London, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is also sometimes the name given informally to the immediate area surrounding the road. Running from Notting Hill in the south to Kensal Green in the north, it is located in North Kensington and straddles...
squatter
Squatting
Squatting consists of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have permission to use....
community in 1974. They were known for jamming
Jam session
Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...
.
Synth
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
player Paul Noble aka Twink (not the same Twink
Twink (musician)
John Charles Alder , better known as Twink, is an English drummer, singer and songwriter who was a central figure in the English psychedelic movement, and an actor.-Early life and career:...
from the Pink Fairies) and drummer Keith "Kif-kif" Dobson formed the foundation of the band. When guitarist Stephan Lewry and Keith Bailey the bass player joined them to perform at the Watchfield
Watchfield
Watchfield is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse, about southeast of Highworth in neighbouring Wiltshire. Watchfield is about north of the village of Shrivenham. Both villages used to be on the main road between Oxford and Swindon, which is now the A420 road...
free festival of August 1975, it led to what is considered to be the definitive Here & Now line-up. They were often joined by two female singers Ano and Suze de Blooze. Another essential member was soundman Grant Showbiz
Grant Showbiz
Grant Showbiz is a British record producer principally known for his work with The Fall, The Smiths, and Billy Bragg plus as an artist in his own right with Moodswings. He continues his work with both Billy Bragg & The Fall to this day, having worked on more albums by both The Fall & Billy Bragg...
who went on to work with The Fall, The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
, and Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg
Stephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...
. Twink was replaced on synthesizer by Gavin da Blitz in 1977.
In 1977 Daevid Allen and Gilli Smyth recruited the band to tour with them under the name Planet Gong, and this combination released a live album Floating Anarchy 1977 and a single "Opium for the People".
The band also forged a strong relationshp with punk pundit Mark P.
Mark Perry (musician)
Mark Perry, also known as Mark P, was a British fanzine publisher and is a writer and musician.Perry was a bank clerk when, inspired by The Ramones, he founded the punk fanzine Sniffin' Glue in 1976...
's group Alternative TV
Alternative TV
Alternative TV were an English rock band, formed in London in 1976. Their punk rock and post-punk sound was influential for several musical artists.-History:...
, touring together and, in 1978, releasing a joint live album What You See Is What You Are.
In 1980 Kif Kif left, starting his own recording studio Street Level and forming a cassette label Fuck Off Records that is a recognized pioneer in the DIY lo-fi movement. He also formed a new trio World Domination Enterprises
World Domination Enterprises
World Domination Enterprises were an English indie rock band, who were active in the 1980s. The band mixed elements of indie rock, post-hardcore , and dub.World Domination Enterprises' sound was defined by their atonal guitar...
.
The band toured extensively in 1980 and 1981 living on their converted bus. This included the free summer festivals of Deeply Vale, Stonehenge and Glastonbury. The hallmark of the gigs was a that they were always free entrance and funds were helped with a collection.
In 1981 Steffe left due to dissatisfaction with the direction and vibe of the band, he became deeply involved in reggae/world music and played with Inner Force, formed Nomadiks and also worked with Addis rockers, The band continued under the leadership of Keith the Bass with Dino Ferrari ( a long time roadie with the band ) and a variety of drummers, recording albums: Fantasy Shift; Coaxed out from Oxford; Theatre and Been and Gone amongst others. This incarnation split in 1986 due to record company troubles and the Stonehenge Free festival getting trashed by police. They reformed a year later in 1987 with Keith on bass, Gavin on keyboards, guitarist Dino Ferrari, saxophonist Jonathan 'JC' Lambert and ex-UK Subs drummer Pete Davis. Gavin left Here & Now finally in 1990 to be replaced by Andy Roid. Steffe returned along with Drummer Steve Cassidy in 1990 after playing with Keith in a televised performance of Gong for central t.v. . This line-up recorded the UFOasis album.
In the early 2000's Keith the Bass and Steffe continued the band, with Joie Hinton from Ozric Tentacles
Ozric Tentacles
Ozric Tentacles are an instrumental rock band from Somerset, England, whose music can loosely be described as psychedelic or space rock. Formed in 1983, the band has released 28 albums as of 2011, and become a cottage industry selling over a million albums worldwide despite never having major...
/Eat Static
Eat Static
Eat Static is an electronic music project from Frome, Somerset, England formed in 1989 by Merv Pepler and Joie Hinton. Hinton left the group in February 2008 after 18 years to spend more time with his family.-History:...
on keyboards and Steve Cassidy on drums.
In the late 2000s a line-up featuring Kif Kif, Twink and Steffe occasionally performed improvised music, a la mid-seventies Here & Now, under the name "Ici Maintenants". Steffe left Here and Now in early summer of 2009 after concluding he could no long work with Keith. He has continued to work with Steve Cassidy on various fusion projects and contributed to Joie Hinton projects.
He is now concentrating on solo work and his long time involvement in Visitation Arena with Cher Newsam http://Visitation-Arena.soundawesome.com/ , http://soundcloud.com/visitation-arena , http://www.myspace.com/visitationarena , In September 2009 a new line-up was announced: Gwyo ZePix (ex Zorch and Gong); Slim Verhoef (ex Giant Eyes); Nik Nimbus); Drumbiz (ex Mandragora
Mandragora (band)
Mandragora are a space-rock/world dance-music band from Brighton, England, whose formative output can be described as psychedelic rock with ethnic sounds and tribal rhythms. Formed in 1983, the band have released 5 albums of their own, and a collaborative album with Phil Thornton...
, Giant Eyes);
and Keith the Bass.
September 2010 sees Esoteric Recordings
Esoteric Recordings
Established in 2007, Esoteric Recordings is a UK independent record label specialising in 70s progressive rock, folk, psychedelic and jazz-rock reissues as part of the Cherry Red Records umbrella of imprints...
release remastered versions of both Give & Take and All Over The Show.
In 2011 Mark Robson of Kangaroo Moon and Magick Brothers took the helm of Keyboard Meister and Vocals.
Discography
- Planet Gong Live Floating Anarchy 1977 (as "Planet Gong")(1977)
- Give and Take 1978
- Dog in Hell (EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
) 1978 - What You See... Is What You Are (LP shared with Alternative TVAlternative TVAlternative TV were an English rock band, formed in London in 1976. Their punk rock and post-punk sound was influential for several musical artists.-History:...
) (Deptford Fun City, DLP 02 1978) - All Over the Show
- Off The Cuff (1979 Live Recordings - cassette only)
- Stolen Moments (early 80's - cassette only)
- Fantasy Shift
- Theatre
- Been & Gone
- Standing Forever (EP)
- UFOasis
- Gospel of Free (1976 to 1978. Released in 1999)
- "Space and Time" (as "Ici Maintenants") (2001/2003)
- "Coaxed out from Oxford" originally on tape, CD from 2009
External links
- http://www.myspace.com/steffelewry *
- Planet Gong website
- BeHereNow website archive maintained by Kif Kif
- Here & Now / Planet Gong Discography by Dave Weller, comprehensive, includes pictures.
- http://Visitation-Arena.soundawesome.com Category:English rock music groups