HW: Nik thoughts

[Jon Jarrett]

On Fri, 27 Apr 2001, Doug Bates wrote:

> It disappoints me to see Nik have these perceptions attached to him,
> although I certainly understand how/why. Nik is the spirit of HW, but
> Dave is THE MAN I think we all agree. In that context, my take is
> this.

        I think the spirit of Hawkwind has changed, though. I think since
maybe '78 or so Dave's been a lot more interested in running it as a
professional band that does the professional band thing. Without selling
out of course. But I don't think, well he's said as much, that Dave would
play for free any more, which Nik certainly would.

> But Nik eventually grew out of that "phase", by '95 when he did the
> Space Ritual 95 tour with Helios Creed and Tommy Greanas some
> punk elements were left, but the space/psych was coming back. The
> US tour the next year was even better, the punkish attitude was gone
> and some great space rock was created. In '97 when Nik played with
> Farflung at Strange Daze I though they were awesome. If you've never
> heard this show, you should. For me, on that night, I enjoyed them as
> much as any HW show of the '97 US tour (I saw them all). It seemed
> to me Nik had come full circle, recognizing his true home (spacerock)
> and left the "fuck it shtick" behind. I do think he cares if the fans are
> entertained and is willing to work hard to pull it off. Some of these
> recent gigs with ex-hawks sound more like an informal jam at a
> party, than a professional concert. I don't judge Nik or anybody
> at those gig as an indication of what they can do musically. Nik
> seems to be stuck in "one off" purgatory at the present. I wish he
> would get in a real band full time (you know *practice*, puts out CDs,
> tour). Its my impression he's back to his old self (like when he was
> young in the early '70's). :-) He seems to be a born-again space rocker.

        Well, there *was* the All Stars, for a year or so that looked as
if it was going to last and get an album out; still no news on that I
assume. But Nik seems to need a preformed backing group. The small swathe
of Cleopatra albums seem to me to have emerged largely because Grenas,
possibly the world's hardest-working space-rocker, was willing to knuckle
down and basically do the work and let Nik carry the credit. The
Scandinavian bands he's worked with, with possibly the exception of 5:15,
seem to have discovered the way he works and decided it not to their
taste.

        I can't say I blame Nik, he's indubitably doing just what he wants
to do. Someone who speaks to him every now and then described him to me as
getting up to find his van's broken and going and busking for the money to
fix it and considering this a perfectly fine way of spending a day. And,
well, it is isn't it? But it won't get us any more albums.

> Nik has done most of this to himself, but it seems he has been sent out
> into the dessert for good. I wish Dave would reconsider. Didn't Lemmy
> say some crack about Nik during the Brixton gig? Whats the deal, is
> he still pissed about being sacked all those years ago?

        Well, one of the interviews I've seen with Lemmy (I think in the
Ask Lemmy section of <http://www.imotorhead.com> seems to suggest that Nik
only bothered to get in touch and apologise for the sacking whilst trying
to set up the Hawkestra thing. I can quite believe Lemmy would hold a
grudge that long, half his lyrics are based on long-held grudges after
all. But I also think Lemmy doesn't really consider Nik a "serious
musician". Fine, he isn't, that's what he adds.

        I don't really do the whole fantasy line-up thing; you have to
fantasise so much in the way of people getting on and liking each other as
well otherwise you know, putting these people on stage won't necessarily
net you the goods. It just can't happen. What I would like, and which
seems to be nearly as much of a fantasy, is *this* line-up, with Nik,
Harvey, Tim or whoever else might consider guesting, crammed into a studio
somehwere for a month until they have some material and then releasing
it. I can't belive the band can produce much worth listening to in the
studio while they operate apart like this. But that would mean a record
deal because they have to eat for that month, don't they, and ah, it's
just not gonna happen. Depressedly, yours,
                                           Jon

ObCassette: Ozric Tentacles - _Become The Other_
--
       Jon Jarrett (01223 514989)     jjarrett at chiark.greenend.org.uk
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  "There is a certain pleasure in being mad, which none but madmen know"