Gong Gong Gong Touches Down in Montreal

Gong Gong Gong's "phantom rhythm” is a sound that emerged as the name of the band’s critically acclaimed debut. The duo will be performing in Montreal for the first time—here's the full scoop.

Daniel Bromberg

May 15, 2023- Read time: 3 min

Image credit: Jia Li

Ahead of their upcoming live set at La Sala Rossa, we had a chance to catch up with Gong Gong Gong (工工工) – an unlikely pair of musicians featuring Montreal-born bassist Joshua Frank and Hong Kong guitarist and vocalist Tom Ng.

The duo first met in 2015 in Beijing’s underground music scene (their earliest shows were in underpass tunnels and DIY spaces) and has since used its minimalistic tools and idiosyncratic playing style to strip rock n’ roll down to its bare essentials: rhythm, melody, and grit.

Tapping into a wavelength uniting musical cultures and drawing on inspirations ranging from Bo Diddley to Cantonese opera and West African desert blues, Ng’s guitar has a noticeable type of locomotive chug and banjo twang, while Frank’s thumping bass harmonics provides an aura of ghostly snare hits and timpani overtones.

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