Thursday 26 March 2015

DAEVID ALLEN TRIBUTE: in the Byron Shire News (Courtesy Thom the World Poet)

Just for the record… I was asked to write a tribute for the Byron Shire News and this is it x
(a 300 word limit was very limiting! ... I wanted to acknowledge his life as a byron shire local)
blessings v smile emoticon

BON VOYAGE DAEVID ALLEN
POET, MUSICIAN, ARTIST AND DEAR FRIEND
13th Jan 1938 - Friday 13th March 2015 aged 77.

Born in Melbourne, Daevid Allen was an original fifties beatnik, a rarity in Australia, frequenting underground jazz clubs before spreading his interplanetary wings to create pioneering experimental bands Soft Machine and Gong in Europe whose consciousness expanding music became integral to the age of psychedelia and still resonates worldwide today.


In the early 80s, disillusioned by the corporate music industry, Daevid hung up his jester’s hat and tights, eschewed international rock star status and headed home to Oz. He lived and recorded in “Bananamoon Observatory”, a banana shack in Main Arm and regular local jams yielded a series of drones on glissando guitar and keyboards, one of many projects guided by the healing, transformative power of harmonics and sound.

A prolific creative artist, he continued to tour overseas  as workshop facilitator and musician, returning from his wild adventures to perform his anarchic lyrical poetry in the Northern Rivers. His stylistic breadth extended from tender love poems to biting critique of society, addressing fear and corruption (“I am a Terrorist”), materialism (“Shopping will not save us”) honoring the earth and the feminine (“Mullumbimby Mother”), acknowledging indigenous culture (“Cleverwoman”), media influence (“Trial by Headline”) busting stereotypes (“Dirty Old Man”), and love “(When you kiss me like that”).

Inspirational and influential in the rise of spoken word, he took poetry to the streets of Byron, Lismore and Nimbin, to cafes, pubs, markets and festivals. Unapologetically controversial and deeply compassionate, he encouraged many others to express themselves poetically.

One of Australia’s greatest poets,  his last gig was on St David’s day Byron Bay 1st March 2015.

Daevid lived his last 22 years in New Brighton  and is survived by his four sons Tali, Orlando, Toby and Ynys, his grandchildren and extended family.
For more see daevidallen.net
Hasta Manana Banana Moon Man!

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