If Brighton had a house band, who would be best suited to the job?

My money would be on Gong. They’re not local but they epitomise the city at its best – anarchic, free-spirited, warm-hearted, tolerant and slightly mad. Actually, make that very mad.

The uninitiated might assume the 1970s space-rock, prog-jazz pioneers were on day release from a care home for acid casualties.

Head man Daevid Allen, variously dressed in a wizard’s outfit and psychedelic pyjamas, pranced around singing about flying teapots and pothead pixies.

And Gong co-founder Gilli Smyth, playing Yoko to his Lennon, sang a lot of unintelligible stuff about witches.

But there is a method in all this madness. Sure, much of the daft dope humour of Camembert Electrique etc has dated but the music hasn’t.

Gong’s mix of complex melodies and monster riffs, all underpinned by very funky rhythm work is stunning. Much of this is down to brilliant guitarist Steve Hillage, back in the band after many years and giving them muscle.

His terrific solo set kicked off the evening and versions of Octave Doctors and Salmon Song showed what an unsung hero he is.

But ultimately you have to take your (wizard’s) hat off to 71-year-old Allen’s unique vision. May he never return to his own planet.