Hawkwindforum

I remember Silver Machine on TOTP in 1972 and my older cousin buying Doremi about the same time. I followed suit with purchases as soon as I had the means to do so, and had the good fortune to see them in Cardiff in January 1975, a mindblowing experience for a 13 year old, and one from which I probably haven't recovered.

Ian

In my mis-spent youth, I used to go to Neil Kay's soundhouse in the early 80's. Basically 3-4 hours of loud rock and metal, and me and my mates used to spend the whole evening in front of the speakers. Just about anything would be played, and it was there that I had my first encounter with Hawkwind. Never looked back from there.

Very similar to Graham. I was motivated to find another plane and the person who facilitated that lent me 'Roadhawks' which I loved. Then they played me 'Space Ritual'. I went out and bought both albums. WOTEOT, HOTMG, Doremi quickly followed and then I found both ISOS and the first album in a second hand shop and I had the lot.

Heard about them first time in 72, and got home from sea in 73' a friend had Space Ritual. Was on acidtrip and listened to that amazing album, and I got blown away, far out. After that Hawkwind has been number one for about 36 years.
It just was my kind of musicstyle nr.1 and still are and will be forever

I was about 10 when my brother bought HW's first album in 1972. I thought Hurry on Sundown was a catchy little number then I heard Be Yourself and thought, ooh. He bought Roadhawks next and finally Warrior. Not a bad intro to Hawkwind for what was then a 13 year old. Better still in 1976 he took to my first ever gig which was the Astounding Sounds Tour, Edinburgh Usher Hall. I've seen them nearly every year since. What a nice brother.

Was round a random house having a bit of a smoking session when one of my mates said "Put this on, its brilliant!" to the host, who put on the offered cassette. About 90 seconds later we were all singing along to 'Needle Gun'. The following Monday I went to Our Price Covent Garden and ordered The Chronicle Of The Black Sword on CD and started reading Moorcock's Elric books; that was the summer of 1989 one of the best summer's of my life.

I was reading Hawkmoon, Volume 4 (I think) of Michael Moorcock's The Eternal Champion series that White Wolf published, in the US.

The front end pages had a bibliography/discography of Mr. M's works, and listed the four Hawkwind LPs he appears on.

I wrote down the list and took it to my local music store: ''How many of these are available?'

The only one they could get was the Griffin issue of Warrior On the Edge of Time.

Dude! We're clearly ages with each other and Usher Hall was my first Hawkwind gig too. We must know each other - at least by sight. If you'd mentioned SR I'd be asking if your brother was a pot dealer

I first heard Hawkwind at a basement gathering in a buddies place one friday night in 1973.
Everyone was smoking and I had taken too much acid earlier on in the night.
As I sat encased in my own private tomb a song started playing on the radio that had a soothing effect on me.
This song had such a profound sound that I could see waves coming out of the stereo speakers which were immediately
followed by musical notes.
Sitting alone in a room full of people with waves of music floating randomly about in the air, had a very
calming effect on me.
That was the first time HW rescued me from the throes of madness.
The song was Space Is Deep from Space Ritual.

i was 13 hadden't had my hair cut since i went to big school and was really into yes(still am) and i went into the only record shop in swanley.everybody in the shop knew me and the bloke behind the counter said "paul have a listen to this,it just came in today"that was in june/july 1972 "what the hell was that"i asked 4.37 later and the rest is history

Nice one, did you go to the Usher Hall for the Quark and Hawklords gigs, then progress to the Odeon up Clerk Street? Did you live in Edinburgh?
No, my brother wasn't a dealer. Might have saved me a lot of trouble if he was, lol.

I first chanced upon Hawkwind in 1979. My friend Geoff found a slightly battered copy of Hall of the Mountain Grill in the bargain bin in 'Beanos' in Croydon for the princely sum of 25p and, being vaguely aware of 'Silver Machine' and rather liking the album cover, he bought it. He did me a tape of it and the rest is history

Original vinyl, singles, foreign imports, bootlegs, solo albums, obscure releases featuring ex HW members making a pot of tea, tour programmes, old magazine interviews etc etc - you name it, we collected it. And still do. Sort of.

HW were the first band that made me realise there was more to music than spandex, dodgy perms and flying'V's I've learnt so much about so many things - and not just musical things) and met so many interesting people through being a Hawkwind fan

Yep, saw those gigs at the Usher Hall then onto the Odeon in '79 as you rightly surmise. I recall one of my mates got bounced out of the Odeon that night for getting over excited at the start of Spirit Of the Age. Ahh, those were the days

I think the Usher Hall and the Odeon were both excellent venues in their own way although the Usher Hall had/has superior acoustics and was way nicer to look at. Saw a lot of gigs by various bands at the Odeon and always liked it. I've often thought it was real pity the Odeon got carved up into 3 seperate cinemas.

Yeah, I did live in Edinburgh; was born, raised, went to school and even University there. Had to move away after that to find work though.

I take it you lived there? If so, what side of the town are you from?

I got into Hawkwind through my brother in law - a hairy biker. The first track I heard was Sonic Attack (The Space ritual version). I wa sonly eleven and it scared the s*** out of me! -Strangely fascinated by it I then got into the other poetic tracks ."The black Corridor welcome to the future etc."It took me a while to appreciate the music I couldn't work out what it was all about having heard nothing like it before.This would have been about 1978 the space ritual copy was allready old,the original open out sleeve it smelled of joss sticks.I started going to second hand record shops and bought some other albums and my journey began...I ddin't particullarly like my brother in law- He was aggresive and immpossible - (Now a brother outlaw) but he did listen to some wierd,inspiring music.

Hey Scptty, I agree about the Usher Hall, beautiful venue and great acoustics. Do you remember when the power went during the Hawklords gig and Calvert went walkabout in the audience? The Odeon wasn't as pretty but like you I saw a lot of bands there - AC/DC (Bon Scott), DEVO (front row), Dr Feelgood, Motorhead, The Kinks, The Clash, Judas Priest, The Tubes and on and on. I wasn't fussy!!!!! A gig was a gig.

Yup I lived in Edinburgh for a good few years, moved there from about 10 miles down the coast. First lived up Gorgie way, handy for Tyncastle, then lived down Easter Road, handy for er .. Easter Road. I moved down south many moons ago (about 25 years).

Did you see Hawkwind played The Picture House in Edinburgh this year? That would be the Caley to you and me. Funny thing is my brother saw them play The Caley in about 1972.

Which part of town did you live?