HW:OPEN FORUM WITH DAVE 2

[Tim Gadd]

Hi, Dave

Do you think the internet (or any other factor) has 'globalised' Hawkwind?
I'm not sure exactly how to explain what I mean, but back in the 70's and
80's, HW were just an almost purely English/European phenomenon. In 1984,
out of about 25 HW penfriends, I knew _one_ person in the USA, and he got
into HW because he found a HW cassette lying in the middle of the street,
and didn't even know who it was for years. Now the majority of this list
seems to be American. I know to a certain extent this is a reflection of
internet demographics, but it has to be more than that. 15 or 20 years ago I
just never heard of HW fans in America, now there seem to be at least as
many American as British. I'm supposing this isn't just some delusion on my
part, because you didn't tour there all through the 80's either. Is that to
do with increased popularity in the US, or changes in venues/touring
styles,economies of scale, etc?

On a related theme, North American native content has seemingly been present
to some extent in HW ever since In Search of Space, and with 'Ghost Dance'
in the 80's, but has also become more noticeable in later years. The covers
of both Space Bandits and Electric Teepee have helped add to this
Americanized image I have of HW, as compared with say, the Stonehenge cover
back in 84.

So I guess I'm asking, do you feel more international than you used to? :)
It feels to me that, rather than having what verged on a mainstream
following in commercial sales terms in the 70's, but quite geographically
restricted, you now have more of a niche market, but much more widely
distributed (I have no idea how many albums you sell now, compared with
1985, but does that seem like a halfway fair statement?)

To all in general: I'm going overseas for 6 weeks as of Sunday, so I'll be
logging off in 3 days so as not to have the mailbox choked when I come back.
I'll re-sub and see you then.
--
Tim Gadd
Hobart, Tasmania