HW: Re: Whitby gig

[J Strobridge]

langner timothy writes:

> Can nay one tell me if the set lsit for the whitby gig changed much tot he USA
> ones? And if poss. set list.
>
> Thanks
>
> Timmy Langner

Set list for Whitby is the same (so far as I can tell) as the US except
that they played only Reptoid Vision as the encore.

So where was everybody?   Wimps!   Just because Whitby is the most
impossible place in the country to reach and even more difficult to get
out of on a Sunday is no excuse for not turning up to see Hawkwind
playing on a windy cliff top in North Yorkshire beneath a steel grey
cloud covered sky.

But it was a good gig - their first, since Redcar was cancelled as well,
and the venue was impressive.   A loooonnnggg white marquee tent with
open sides meant that everyone was protected from the weather and,
unlike Langtree, you didn't have to dodge cowpats to find a place to sit
down.   Good beer too - John Smiths.   Yum.

Sound system wasn't that good, sadly - at least none of the vocals came
across at all and it might have helped (IMO) if they'd done a sound
check before setting up on stage.   But then again....     There was no
light show except for a very intense strobe which was used to excellent
effect during Sonic Attack and Brainstorm.   I suspect that since this
show was a one-off in effect (everything else round about having been
cancelled) they may not have brought much equipment with them and simply
used lights and speakers supplied by the Festival organisers.   I can't
be sure about this tho' so could be wrong here.

It was not, I'd say, one of their outstanding performances - the best
tracks were Aerospaceage Inferno (by heck that's got some speed and
power guitar work in it!) and Brainstorm - an excellent version
which was spoiled by a rather too abrupt break in tempo as the reggae
filler bit started but it built up excellently to the conclusion.   It's
also surprising how little they play from the Alien album - Blue Skin
is the only track I think and unfortunately the stage was a bit too deep
to allow the interplay between Kris Tait's fire eating bit and Ron Tree's
dramatics to really be seen fully by the audience.

Anyhow, the audience enjoyed it and although the 3 young kids in front
of me were probably expecting a rather more rave oriented set - which is
what their last venture into live Hawkwind would have been - they were
enthralled enough throughout.

I should admit however that although Hawkwind played as the headline
and last band there is no question that they were totally and
comprehensively eclipsed in their presentation by The Crazy World of
Arthur Brown who was on stage just before them (believe it or not
Lena Lovitch attired in a wedding dress preceded him!).    In all
honesty Hawkwind would have needed their finest playing and a full
light show to come anywhere near the performance that he produced.

What an amazing showman he is.    From the moment when he appeared
dressed in a black and gold shining robe carried onto the stage by
his band of 'acolytes' dressed in monks' robes to the sound of a single
drum beat and launched into 'Time Captains' up until the astonishing
performance of "Fire" with flames leaping out of his headdress he
utterly mesmerised everyone.    Nik Turner may be a stage performer but
Arthur Brown has Class and the most powerful presence I have ever seen
on a stage.    I don't think I shall ever see its like again - he was
everything from Jehovah's Witness being vamped by a lady in, well.....
not a lot! up to Arab wearing a costume that metamorphosed into a
Pharoah-style robe and then opened out into a huge sun image finally
becoming the Sun God.   He was utterly brilliant.   He even had the
audience (and we are talking serious Goth - punk rock here!) doing
gospel chants!   It was quite breathtaking.

I reckon Hawkwind did well even to come anywhere close to that!

What an amazing night....

jill

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J.D.Strobridge at ed.ac.uk                         eset08 at holyrood.ed.ac.uk
                                                ELIJSA at srv0.arts.ed.ac.uk
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