Hawkwind, currently touring Britain with their now one and a half hour show, flew into Dunstable Civic Hall last week and drew the largest crowd ever. More people than for Genesis, Floyd or Bowie.
But first there was Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers. Featuring three guitars, sax and drums, they blew their way through a medley of happy blues numbers and a lovely fifties revival song complete with “Coo coo ca choo” vocals.
Then, as the lights faded, Hawkwind stumbled on stage. Behind them, the Earth spun, even faster and liquid lights soon began bubbling across the back screen. Through ethereal sounds came that now familiar voice: “We are standing on the edge of time” before the Hawkwind machine began pulsating, almost flying around the oval hall. The synthesizer sound from Del Dettmar seemed to reverberate an echo in the Civic as strobes, spots and a beautiful light show combined to make this the best show Hawkwind have ever conceived. Their sound is far more melodic these days, especially in numbers such as “You Know You’re Only Dreaming” and a super version of “Brainstorm”. Snatches of sci-fi dialogue interspersed their continuous set which included new numbers “Brainbox Pollution”, “It’s So Easy”, “Paradox” and “You’d Better Believe It”.
But perhaps their best number of the whole evening was Michael Moorcock’s “Sonic Attack”, with flashing blue lights, strobes, and an evil sound that really was quite terrifying. It led straight into “You Are Welcome” which climaxed in three ear-splitting explosions, and Hawkwind left the stage to tremendous cheers.
-John Sivyer
Just The Job (unknown publication, February 1974):
Seeing as how we’d just heard about Hawkwind getting a new drummer to perform alongside the semi-legendary Simon King -and also seeing how bassist Lemmy had stumbled into the officeit seemed not inappropriate to seek information on the above topic.
According to Lemmy, the drummer in question, one Alan Powell, “used to be in the Myaks while I was in the Motown Set. He also used to be in Ivan’s Meads. Not to mention the Chicken Shack.”
Lemmy further claims that the allegations made by a spokesman (who described himself as “Richard Ogden”) were “absolute rubbish”. According to S.Pokesman, Powell would be playing in relay with Simon King.
Lemmy’s parting shot was “Alan is a fantastic drummer.” We breathlessly await further dynamic revelations. After all, for an ex-Del Shannon drummer to end up in Hawkwind is…quite natural, really.
Hawkwind -Dave Brock, Alan Davey and whoever they’ve nailed to the drumstool this week- are surprisingly nimble creatures for their advanced years. They’ve proven to be the hardiest branch of the progressive rock species: nowadays they share their environment with a diffuse progeny, supporting the theory of evolution that all musical life stems from these Jurassic beasts.
Ozric Tentacles bear the strongest blood resemblance, but family traits abound in the likes of Verve (scope and fluidity), The Orb (inability to knock it on the head after less than 15 minutes) and most of the Megadog mates they invite to play at their annual Brixton Academy bash (eclectisicm).
There are, of course, few surprises: they throw titles like ‘Quark, Strangeness and Charm’ and ‘Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear In Smoke)’ at unsuspecting passers-by, and drop the statutory drum solo (which is kind of aboriginal, fashionably enough) into the middle of ‘The Assassins of Allah’. It’s the track with the cryptic narcotic references –the chorus that goes Hashish, Hashish, Hashish”. They play ‘LSD” too, because they like to dive into ironic transparency as well as opening the doors of perception. Just like The Shamen and ‘Ebenezer Goode’. Probably.
Hawkwind, in essence, are an easy and obvious trip up the Multi-Coloured Brick Road to Dayglo City (their vivid stage set confirms as much) but their appeal is, frankly, irresistible. The sense of comedown after Hawkwind’s teeming set is like dancing to the sound of your vacuum cleaner after you’ve worn out your favourite party tape.
-Fiona Shepherd
Lincoln to have free concert after all (Lincolnshire Chronicle, 10/09/1970):
Lincoln is after all going to get its free concert. Not only that, but three nationally known acts are appearing, and by kind permission of the City Parks Department at that.
Adrian Henri, Liverpool poet and ex-member of Liverpool Scene, is the star attraction, along with Hawkwind, National Head Band, Shape Of The Rain, Forward Line, Whispering Dwarfs and Roadband. There will be no entrance fee as all groups have kindly offered to play for expenses.
They don’t rely on pure heaviness and sex to create excitement, but are constantly searching for interesting new sounds. In their act they make electronic noises played on an audio generator and they would very much like to incorporate a Moog synthesizer, but they say they haven’t the money at present.
The played at both the Bath and the Isle Of Wight festivals and so have a fair knowledge of open-air gigs. They have an album out at the moment, called ‘Space Rock’. Hawkwind are presently on tour with Pink Fairies and Alexis Korner. They are traveling all the way from Swansea.
-Mike Cartwright
Greeted like old friends (Sounds, 21/12/74):
It was their first gig in Britain for some time, but you would hardly have believed it. Newcastle City Hall on Thursday – and Hawkwind were greeted like old friends with a tumultuous roar. And the set they played, although brimful with cosmic clichés, was endured and eventually enjoyed by everyone.
At first ‘Wind exchanged greetings with the crowd like any other rock band, but soon enough they donned their guise of the Psychedelic Warlords, the stage lights grew dim, the lightshow went straight into top gear and Nik Turner began one of his interminable narrative passages (“it’s so … cold at the edge of time”).
It was some time before the band bludgeoned forth, but when they did there was no let-up. Hawkwind still adhere to a proven, albeit less disciplined, Space Ritual formula. They include most numbers from most of their albums, interspersed with “Sonic Attack” and other extraterrestrial narrative ditties.
On the night, however, the aforementioned “Sonic Attack” sadly fell apart at the seams, largely due to diff monitors. Echoes on Turner’s voice made him indistinguishable and lemmy missed his cues on a number of occasions. The audience, however, shouted out “do not panic” at the appropriate places to compensate.
Of course, the two new additions to the band were on show – drummer Alan Powell (making two) and mellotron player Simon House. The extra drummer gives some extra driving power, but often seems superfluous: Simon House, although he was sometimes lost in the mix, made his presence felt, particularly on violin.
“Master Of The Universe” and “Brainstorm” went down exceptionally well, and such was the crowd’s enthusiasm, that the bouncers eventually had to shrug their shoulders and give up trying to keep people in their seats.
By the 40 minute encore the band had gone into stellar overdrive. Nik Turner smiled and even Stacia began to boogie, so it must have been good. In all, a promising start to H’s huge British tour. If Newcastle is anything to go by, Hawkwind will have decimated the country by the time it ends.
-Geoff Barton
Stacia stages space-age strip (unknown publication, September 1974):
Stacia, Hawkwind’s curvaceous space-rock terpsichore, wants to get her hands on some journalists. Especially, she says contemptuously, “the ones who start rumours about my sordid past. They must lead such boring lives.”
The six foot former gas station attendant, in town to promote Hawkwind’s latest album Hall Of The Mountain Grill, first shook her tail feathers to the band’s Venusian monster mash nearly five years ago. “I’d never done anything like that at all” the self-taught dancer confided to Raves. “I’d never even undressed in front of anyone before. And then there I was in front of all these people with no clothes on.” Stacia’s involvement with the group rapidly evolved into a total lifestyle, notwithstanding a brief, blissful interlude as inamorata of Doll’s bassist Arthur Kane. “I love Hawkwind and never want to work with anyone else, especially with any other chicks.”
Besides recording some of the songs she’s written over the years, Stacia harbours one secret ambition. “I’d love to get together with Lou Reed” says the abundantly overendowed beauty, shaking out her raven tresses, “because he hates everybody and I hate him.”
Currently in the midst of their first major British tour, Hawkwind have been attracting capacity crowds so regularly this year that it’s no longer worth mentioning. But their present tow months on the road is something else. No more supporting acts. Hawkwind are the whole works, and their show ‘The Space Ritual’ is a powerful, spectacular experience with pulsating rock sounds, weird lighting effects and vibrations, and Stacia the dancer who made her debut with Hawkwind after the Glastonbury Fayre in April ’71. She has been delighting rock audiences ever since with her free-form dancing in which she claims she was influenced by Isadora Duncan. She believes in complete freedom of expression even to taking her clothes off on-stage if and when she feels like it.
Hawkwind was formed by Dave Brock (guitar, vocals), John Harrison and Mick Slattery in the summer of ’69. Of the original trio only Dave remains and has been joined by nik Turner (flute, sax, vocals), Lemmy (bass guitar), Simon King (drums), Bob Calvert (vocals, words, breathing, some flute and percussion), Del Dettmar (VCS3 synthesizer plus keyboard, two 50W stacks in stereo, one Binson echo unit) and DikMik (audio generators, percussion, oscillators, vocals). The effects are as
Now there’s a new incredible album on release. Titled “Doremi Fasol Latido”, it’s on United Artists U.A.G. 29364, and if you’re lucky enough to catch the Space Opera on tour, you’ll recognize these numbers. Side 1 – “Brainstorm”, “Space Is Deep”, “One Change”, Side 2 – “Lord Of Light”, :”Down Through The Night”, “Time We Left This World Today”, “The Watcher”. Certain to repeat the success of Hawkwind’s second L.P. “In Search Of Space”, which is still in the album charts after a year. Write to Hawkwind c/o United Artists Records, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1. [...don't!]
Hawkwind are a much maligned, much criticised band - their extra-terrestrial meanderings, their out of date hippy ideals, even their album covers (this current one folds out into the shape of a shield - far out, eh?) are, to some, their least endearing qualities. Yet 'Warrior At The Edge Of Time', while being an album for all Hawkwind space cadets to savour and enjoy, is also one to make critics sit up a little and perhaps wonder if there's some hope for the band after all.
This is 'Wind's sixth album, and probably their best to date. It includes most of their traditional characteristics (leaden guitar, ritualistic chanting, wailing moogs, SF lyrics) but in a much more mature and varied setting. Relatively new member, moog, mellotron, violin player Simon House's influence is strongly felt - to archetypal numbers like 'The Golden Void Part-II' he adds frantic violin, even American Indian, Smokey Robinson type sounds, and overall it's all rather fuller, more interesting than usual. Old-timers Dave Brock (or perhaps not as he does contribute three or four numbers) and Nik Turner seem to have stepped into the background a little, and so numbers like 'Opa Loka', an eerie pummelling Simon House / Alan Powell co-composition, and 'Spiral Galaxy 28948' by Simon House and named after his birthday (28-9-48, geddit?), a substantial effort pushing his violin and keyboard talents to the fore with many clever touches, can be smoothly slotted in. Michael Moorcock narrates some 'Space Ritual' type stories; 'The Demented Man' features Brock's oft-strummed acoustic guitar; 'Kings Of Speed' rollicks along nicely and should really have been another 'Silver Machine'.
A rave Hawkwind review is a rare enough thing, even the band's publicist admits that you can't really expect too many people to enjoy the band's albums. But I do. I think. -Geoff Barton
Then beams of light hit the sky, "Life Supply" and "Functional" are flashed on to the back of the stage. Strange sounds whistle around, slowly building up into an insistent thudding riff. We're on Spaceship Earth, we're told, and there's a malfunction. Who else but Hawkwind, time travellers extraordinaire? They take us on a trip to musical galaxies previously the preserve of the BBC Radiophonics Workshop. Their mind-bending lightshow provides the backdrop for this remarkable journey; colours, flashing strobes, pictures and designs disturb the senses already distraught through the unearthly sounds that soar above the steady throb of the Silver Machine's engines.
The astonishing Stacla's on-stage writhings set the pace for numerous urban spacemen dotted around the ground, their feet dance on the turf but their minds are far away in the universe. Eventually Hawkwind bring them back to earth, leaving them to worry about more earthly problems, like how to get home. The ultimate trip?
-Michael Oldfield
Review of "Medication Time" (***) by Pre-Med, from Record Collector, February 2007:
Psychedelic Rock cut with surgical precision
Former Bedouin and Starfield vocalist Danny Faulkner has been working on his latest project, Pre-Med, since 2004. He has been working alongside guitarist Lewis Turner (now departed for pastures new) and bassist/producer Alan Davey. They, in turn, have enjoyed assistance from drummer Danny Thompson (son of the Pentangle double-bass player) and one-time Landmarq keyboardist Steve Leigh.
Medication Time has previously been made available for promotional purposes under the title Invisible Spies, but it gets its first commerical release here. Pre-Med are drum- and bass-led purveyors of highly tuneful and immediately accessible Space Rock and are travelling at the 'speed' of light. In fact, they like to hint that there's quite a bit of substance in their playing. Once Upon A Line is a bright, sparkly and slightly New-Age piece overlaid with Faulkner's vaguely Jaz Coleman-like vocals. Up All Night [is] a pounding and grinding thrash, and Medication Time has some urgent guitars peppered with some electronic backgrounds.
With another album in the pipeline, though no sign of live dates at the time of writing, Pre-med sound like they certainly have som mileage in them. On the basis of this release, they shouldn't be reserved for medical purposes only.
-Ian Abrahams
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