Back Street Heroes

Back Street Heroes

This article was retyped from a digital photo of a press clipping, from a 1985 UK custom bike magazine called Back Street Heroes - many thanks to Wilfried Schuesler for sending it to me. (There may be some inaccuracies due to the small size of the text in the photo.)

If ever a band deserved the title "The Biker's Band", then Hawkwind must come pretty close. Never ones to conform, they did, and still do, just want the space to do their own thing. They are without exception the biggest cult band in Britain, or Europe for that matter. How many other groups, cult or otherwise, sit on a back catalogue of seventeen albums? This doesn't include any compilations and legal bootlegs - these bring the total to a staggering thirty-three (at the last count). Not good news for would-be collectors, and don't I know it. Of course, Hawkwind are mostly remembered because of a freak hit single, way back in 1972, which is a shame really. Silver Machine has remained in the ranks of the all-time top ten most over-played tracks at a rock disco. I think if I hear it once more I'll scream.

The story didn't start in '72, though. In 1969 Dave Brock was a busker in London, with an idea for a band. Then, getting a record deal was somewhat easier than it is today. On the strength of a ten minute gig the band acquired a deal with UA Records. At that time the band had no name but one of its members, Nik Turner, had an unusual nickname. Nik cleared his throat and passed wind a lot, and so the band was christened, and there's you thinking it had some deep mysterious meaning.

At this point I'd better mention that I don't intend listing every member of the band, as there have been so many. In fact a count-up comes to thirty and no doubt I missed someone along the way.

'Hawkwind' was released in 1970: a much more acoustic guitar orientated album than later works. The band had begun to gather a following and get a reputation for their drug consumption. This in turn attracted the druggies, drop-outs and weirdos. The police took an interest as well. Their next album set the stage for much of their future work. In Search of Space also gave their music its name - Space Rock: screeching synthesizers, chopping guitar chords and out-of-this-world lyrics. Three important characters enter the plot just after the album's release. Bob Calvert, who described himself as wanting to be "a true space age oral poet"...Bob would recite his poetry at selected gigs, and soon a gig without him wasn't the same. Stacia met the band on the Isle of Wight at the festival and some time later they met up again and she asked if she could dance for them. The band accepted. Stacia promptly took all her clothes off, much to the delight of everyone. She stayed with the band for four years and is now a happily married housewife. Her act is caught perfectly on the back of In Search Of Space, but only on the original sleeve. The third member of the group needs no introduction: Lemmy Kilmister joined the group in 1971. In spite of their own reputation, the band were wary of Lemmy's alleged renown as an uncontrollable speed freak!

After their unexpected hit with Silver Machine than band enjoyed its most successful period, commercially speaking, that is. The next album Doremi Fasol Latido was described as a collection of 'space chants, battle hymns and stellar songs of praise', or so the sleeve reckoned. This album and the hit single gave rise to what is generally acknowledged as Hawkwind's finest hour - the Space Ritual.

Conceived as a show and album it was a mixture of music, electronics, mime, dance, lighting and stage effects. The live album it spawned was released in a most elaborate sleeve, as were most of the albums on UA records. These now command quite high prices. From all accounts, Space Ritual was one of the events of 1972, and certainly the album is their best so far. The space age poetry of Bob Calvert got a good airing on the album: it has to be heard to be believed. Another writer had become involved around then: Michael Moorcock, who over the years has given the group various themes and ideas. His most startling contribution must be Sonic Attack on the Ritual LP, as read by Bob Calvert. Do not attempt to rescue friends, relatives, loved ones - you have only a few seconds to escape! Think only of yourself! It's an imaginary instruction on 'sonic attacks', more of a parody of the nuclear attack advice. Performed live, it is arresting, even scary.

The band released two more albums on UA - Hall of the Mountain Grill and Warriors On The Edge of Time; the latter ended an era for Hawkwind. Lemmy was fired while the band were on tour in America - a drugs bust started it all. He, of course, went on to other things. The band's musical direction started to change. Lemmy said of it: "'m glad I left, they were beginning to sound like Roxy Music."

The band had moved to Charisma Records and issued Astounding Sounds and Amazing Music. Just after the album's release Nik Turner was fired. "His playing had become rather irksome" said Calvert, who was doing much of the vocals by then. This left Dave Brock as the sole original member. It would be take pages and pages to detail all the comings and goings, but Nik's departure was an important one. The next three years saw more line-up changes, more albums and a change of name. Due to legal hassle they became The Hawklords. The albums were Quark Strangeness and Charm, 25 Years On and PXR5. Ah yes, then they changed the name back to Hawkwind. As you may have guessed by now, this was no easy ride. The band had also shaken off its drugs reputation, their audience had changed, and the band moved with them.

The start of the Eighties saw only Dave Brock surviving from all the earlier outfits. He was joined by an ex-Hawklord -Harvey Bainbridge- and the guitarist of the first album - Huw Lloyd Langton. Their biggest problem since then has been filling the drummer's stool. From 1980 to date they've had five (or is it six?) skin beaters. They also started the decade without a record contract, but Bronze stepped in and released Live 79 and Levitation. Hawkwind's stay at Bronze lasted eighteen months and at that time the famous drummer Ginger Baker came and went. Meanwhile, a small independent company called Flicknife started issuing EP's and a series of albums entitled Friends and Relations, with obscure live tracks and contributions by ex-members.

Yet another record company loomed on the horizon - RCA signed the band and an LP, Sonic Attack, was issued. Since their stay at Bronze, the line-up of the group had remained amazingly stable, drummers apart. They've toured every year to sell-out houses, always bringing a different and imaginative lightshow with them. Dave finally got a solo LP, of sorts, and in 1982, he used a Mike Moorcock idea and called it Church of Hawkwind. The band itself recorded Choose Your Masques.

Things became strained at RCA: the doorman refused Dave entry saying he looked like a tramp! Then they refused to issue a live album, and they wouldn't let Flicknife either. Exit record company number four, stage left. Since then all of Hawkwind's official output has been on Flicknife. For a time Nik Turner rejoined and he appeared on the next two LPs, both live; Zones and This Is Hawkwind Do Not Panic (great title, eh?) Then in the summer of 1985 the world held its breath. Talk spread of the band being in the studio, then in the autumn a new album emerged, The Chronicle Of The Black Sword was released, the first 'new' LP in three years. It is much more mainstream than previous stuff, more accessible than other recent releases. Another spectacular stage show hit the road last November and went down well. The whole thing got good reviews - the first time in years.

I spoke to Dave Brock in the summer of '85. He seemed to think things were looking up: I asked Dave about Stonehenge and the festival, the band have played there every year since the early Seventies. Not surprisingly, he was less than impressed with the official attitude.

"We got followed by the police all the way from home. They know where we live, we got quite worried. We thought they might pull us up, but they didn't - they just left us. It's enough to give you paranoia." The band did get to play though, with no PA and the rain threatening to electrocute them. "I'm glad we played, it was a show of solidarity," Dave commented.

Hawkwind has never been in fashion, perhaps that's why they've lasted, always wanting to do their own thing and sod you if you don't like it. From the heady days when they got so wasted that the roadies had to hold them up on stage, to their present stand over Stonehenge, they've never done things in half measures. The same can be said about the music, never pandering to commerciality.

Are they still relevant? Dave Brock says, by way of reply: "I don't think we ever lost touch. It would be different if only a few hundred came to the gigs, we'd know then to call it a day."

Being in touch has cost the band dearly - major record companies won't sign them. Another big headache has been all the bootlegs being released. "They pay copyright and we can't stop them. If I was a fan I wouldn't buy them, it's really crap stuff." (The recordings, that is, not the music.)

If looking after number one and doing your own thing are the most important things in life then Hawkwind must be the biker's band. Some of the ex-members may not agree.

"Hawkwind is a domination, Brock over everyone": Bob Calvert

"Everyone who left the band disagreed with Dave": Nik Turner

I'll leave the last word to Dave. "I need five clones of me in the band."

-Chris Taplow