Hawkwindforum

Hi,
I'm new to this forum but i've been a huge hawkwind fan for a long time now...longer than i can rememeber.

I just wanted to post something that i hope doesn't prove too contentious and that won't anger so many people that i get 'run out of towm'.

I, like many people, was looking forward to the 'Anniversary' gigs with so much excitement at the prospect of seeing Hawkwind playing on the exact day that they played their first ever gig 40 years ago, with special guests and happenings throughout the day, that as soon as tickets were on sale i bought two, for myself and my husband.

And here's where the problems started...

Firstly, upon enquiring as to if there were any Anniversary T-shirts in black in Xtra Large for my hubby i was told that they had all sold out the night before!!!
Not a huge gripe but once again i feel that getting in there late to get a ticket has had a benefit. Surely some should've been carried over for the second, and original , date. Why should someone who didn't bother to get a ticket early, wothout knowing that there would even be a second date, get the benefit? If anything we, as original ticket holders should've got the better deal.

Secondly, who exactly was/were the special guest/s? Apart from Capt. Rizz, who did virtually nothing and added even less to the proceedings?
What were the happenings throughout the day? I was there all day and there was nothing. It was just a Hawkwind concert.
Don't get me wrong, i LOVE hawkwind and any chance to see them is a pleasure but i was expecting something more on such an auspicious day.
Maybe some of the original members turning up for a run through of the first album...now that would've been something special.
Perhaps the fact that most of them play with or have played with Space Ritual put an end to this before it could even have got off the ground.
So, could someone tell me what were the special happenings and such that were supposed to have happened because i must've been at the bar when they happened.

And thirdly, Tarantism. Please, Hawkwind do we have to endure another set of the same tunes from a band that is starting to get boring. Ok, so to see them a few times is good fun but at every Hawkwind appearance gets a little much.
Couldn't we have had Omnia Opera, Tribe of Cro, Litmus, Here & Now, Gong, Any number of British/European Space Rock bands etc etc...do you see where i'm going with this? There are OTHER bands that fit in more neatly than Tarantism.
You want to put on a Space Rock spectacular...LEAVE TARANTISM AT HOME!!! I'm sure 99% of the audience would rather watch a storming set by a decent space rock band than have to endure another painful, sweaty Tarantism set.

As for the Hawkwind Holidays that were once again mentioned. The Aurora Borealis trip sounds great!! For those that can afford such a thing. That sounds like a middle class jolly if ever there was one.
Remember your roots and remember that not all your fans have such large amounts of disposable income or is that where you're at now...a peoples band for the middle class people?


As i said, i know that some people will take issue wiuth what i've said but i spoke to a lot of people last night (Saturday) and they feel the same way as i do...about everything i've written.

Thanks for reading.....

Hello,
I must agree with you on a few points there. Used to watch Hawkwind all the time in the late 70's / early 80's then got out of it. Saw them last year at the Astoria and thought it was great. So like yourself got tickets as soon as they appeared for sale.

Special Guests, would that be Matthew Wrightjavascript:emoticon(':?:') as far as I was concerned there was a complete lack of special guests.

Tarantism, never seem them before, were not too bad, partner liked them (she's not a hawkwind fan, she was hoping Duran Duran would be the special guests so she disappointed like us all) but Bob Kerr and his whoopee band is just not my taste in music.

TOSH started well but seemed to loose there way after being hijacked by HLL.

Wasn't enough ale and no choice and the bar upstairs wasn't selling draught.

Well that's my bitching over with. It was amusing to see everybody with the goodie bags it looked like a middle aged mens shopping / man-bag convention. javascript:emoticon(':lol:')

Crap just sent an hour typing me reply only for it to be eaten by cyber space - arse!

Fantastic two days. Fabulous people, beautifull venue, great set,fab dancers,
Thanks Hawkwind and team. Lets do it again very soon.

Right short version - not tpying that all out again. Grrrrrr.

Good:

The walk. Jimski many, many, many thanks. Best part of the day. Hello to all Message Board People Jimski, Dazzy B & Mrs, Ashman (Fag Ash?) & Mrs, Starfarer Steve, Witchwood and everyone else who name I forgot (sorry but I did warn you).

Goody bag: CD, replica ticket and signed post card - great.

Venue: Friendly, helpful staff. Met lots more people off here. Hello to all! Especially Stevie K & Mrs (Yes, that was the right room for an arguement!) and all the others that said "Hello Pedal Bin off the message board!" Well it helped having my name on my back.

The Bad:

No special guests. Unless you try and count Huw playing the same old same old, Rizz shouting "Spirit of the age" and "Hawklords" and Matthew, well er...yeah thanks Matthew.

The set list. Nothing from the first album - what were we celebrating again? I know they did Mirror of Illusion earlier in the day but nothing for late arrivals.

Merchandise. Only T-Shirts? I've never liked the design of the 40th Anniversary so wasn't that fussed, plus I'd never wear a light blue or purple shirt. There was a black one design but it wasn't for sale when I went there. No fleeces, mugs, badges, key rings, baseball caps, Spaced Out In London CD (only as a raffle prize ). You had a audience willing to snap up loads of stuff but it was not available.

The food. Over priced and tasteless (but at least I didn't wait long for mine). I was warned but thought I'd give it a go. No one I spoke was impressed and judging by the number going to the take aways and supermarkets there was no repeat business going on.

Support Acts: Hmmm. Same old, same old. The Whopee Band, were lost on me.

Present exchange: Did I miss this? I know I popped out in between bands and events. I thought it would be before/after the raffle? Unless it was when I nipped to the tiolet between the end of Hawkind set and the ensore (Assassins of Allah - again, again, again, again. ) ot at the end. I left as Assasins finished as I was racing for my last train.

Sorry if I sound a bit grumpy but I was hoping for something special along the likes of the 30th Anniversary show. I guess with the Hawklords/Space Ritual split it was never going to happen. However as it was advertised as "A special all day 'Happening'" with "very special guests" and to "expect a few surprises" I was expect something a bit more than just a standard Hawkwind show.

Overall:

A good gig - yes. Did it feel like a special show - no.

Hi Rimbaud,

Well if you're being run out of town I'll be right with you

For the last 30+ years any Hawkwind gig has left me energised for weeks afterwards, this morning I feel disappointed with a hint of paranoia from somewhere - and certainly not from hearing the first album.

Positives were the good venue and good bar, but I had to drive a long way and pay £13 to park, give me a field in Devon any time. The food was nothing special and sarcastic unhelpful comments from the people on the door don't help set the mood. Forget that though, a lot of people worked hard and I thank them for that.

The event itself - Tarantism yet again, take it or leave it, Bob Kerr?? great muscians probably, but this was meant to be a space rock extravaganza. Huw - does anyone find the same set, getting progressively more dis-jointed an edifying spectacle? I can stay at home and watch the x factor for that sort of thing. Hawkwind did sound good, but there was something missing,maybe I've being corrupted by "hernia bay". I agree entirely concerning the so called special guests that added nothing, and probably devalued the spectacle. As has been said, this hardly seemed a special event. Hoping for better on the winter tour.

Pass me the valium.

Eventhough I was grinding my teeth with envy all weekend for not being there because of work, I am glad with the extra's we got at Beautiful Days: we got Gong too and many other bands.

all of the above and it was sooooooooooooooo.booring,COME BACK NICK

Edit: There's a post on another forum linking to this thread that I think misrepresents what people are saying. So I've "redacted" my post because I saw this as comments from fans to fans on how a good weekend could have been great and not support of someone else's agenda.

The Good

Jimski's walk and booklet, there was some work in that. Thanks. (There's a link to a pdf somewhere on this forum. Worth a read.)

The people, apologies if I miss you or get your name wrong, bad memory when sober, and I did drink a bit fri/sat Huw (thanks for the ticket), Steve, Pete, Jim, Jimski, Starfarer (i think) real name escape me, Dazzy B, Alan and those I'll remember when I press submit. Oh and I know what Pedal Bin looks like now.

Porchester hall, I'd go again.

The "good vibe"

Hawkwind

My new shoulder bag Reminds me must give the CD a spin in a bit.

The Bad

The ale ran out and I had to drink something else.


Wants

Lasers !! , more light show, more screens

Overall

Apart from wanting to kill my neighbours in the hotel I had a good weekend nice people and atmosphere.

See you all at then next one then

Oh and if you're still reading, due to being a muppet I have a spare purple 40th anniversary shirt going for the original price(£15, I'll pay postage). "Large" it says but I'd say its more a medium. I got an XL Saturday but forgot to take the L with me to exchange. Chaos - situation normal.

Care to send that one to Holland please ? If you have PayPal I'll take care of p&p gladly !

I'm curious, what's that gift CD about ?

No problem, I'll PM you.

Sorry to have hijacked this thread Rimbaud, but thanks in advance Rod !
Am at work at the mo and have to move on, will catch you later.

I thought it was good, but not having seen them for what must be 20 years I had no pre-cocnceptions about it really.

I think what a lot of you might be missing here is money - it cost's money & more money to make something special and at £25.00 per ticket there couldn't have been too much left after running costs to make it "special"

On the T-shirts/merch issue - for a band that's built up a reputation on not really joining in on the lets rip everydody off for as much as we can.

Is it really that much of a surprise that there wasn't a professional set up to shift it?

Lastly, I went to see Hawkwind - the rest of it, not bothered, I got what I wanted. but it does seem silly to say it's going to be all the things that they said it would be but then not really deliver the goods!!

Another first time poster, but lifelong Hawkwind fan, with a bit of a whinge about Porchester

I went on friday and had a great time, but have one minor niggle and one major one too

Minor niggle out of the way first, I was disappointed to find that the merch stall only had t-shirts in XL size or lower, I had the money and would have purchased a complete set if there had been XXL sizes available too

Major niggle is Matthew bloody Wright !

OK, he may be a Hawkwind fan and a mate of Daves too and I had no prob with him conducting the Hawkwind Q&A session in the afternoon, in fact it was entertaining but I was pretty horrified and upset to see him doing lead vocals on Spirit of the Age

I was well "in the zone" after a few bits of space cake eyes closed and enjoying the whole thing and probably wouldn't have noticed if somebody hadn't of bumped into me causing me to open my eyes and seeing that smug faced z list tv presenter bopping around and totally killing one of my all time fave Hawkwind tracks spoiled it for me

If Hawkwind wanted to let a fan sing the track for them as part of the birthday celebrations then maybe it should have been one of the raffle prizes ?

i don't get it. we all new what to expect band wise and the standard was excellent imho and it's great to see dave giving it full throttle for a guy who's 67. £25 and free to come and go from the venue as we pleased. i had a great one anyway. peace! you can't go foward and you can't go back.....