HW: The Tour Continues - Torquay

[Jill Strobridge]

----- Original Message -----
From: ANDREW GARIBALDI <andygee at DIAL.PIPEX.COM>

> well - the Turner camp has gone to ground, the Brock camp is on tour,
the UK
> fans are still recovering from the expense of the gigs& the
merchandise
> while a lot of people are getting into four new albums
> (Hawkwind/Brock/Davey/ Bedouin) virtually all out at the same time -
phew!!!
> no wonder it's quiet; everyone's out or listening!!!???!!!
> Andy G.(in humour mode)

nope
we're all trying to catch up on 500 unread mesages and wondering where
to get the cash and tickets together to make the trip to Walthamstow to
catch the Hawks as they finish this tour - cos they are just amazing at
the moment.   Seven people on stage at Torquay.  Simon House in green
shorts, white tights and and long, long black wig...........  ?eh.
the haute-coiture (coiffeure?) of the fashion scene ...I dunno!.
Otherwise hats are the Hawk scene just now (hat-coiture?) - Capt.
Black's was a Russian one.   It was great to have the background synth
spacey swoosh sounds again and Jez Huggett (spelling?) brought a
saxaphone and (something else!) to enhance the sound.   It really is
worth while hearing several shows - as different people join it makes a
huge difference to the more impromptu sections in tracks like Angels of
Death, Hassan I Sahba.

Thanks to Arin I got in to hear the sound check - which was a
revelation!    There's a suggestion, there's a comment, then each person
briefly tries out a version of the new idea, two people play it
together, someone else adds something in the background, everyone looks
satisfied and when you hear it an hour or so later it's as if the whole
thing has been rehearsed for months!    How do they do that??!

No dancers (mercifully).   No fire-eating either.   Kris Tain gave
herself quite a nasty burn at Newcastle so she was backstage at Torquay
but is not performing at the moment.    I hope you are feeling ok Kris.

Only a very small audience arrived to see the support - a competent
group of 3 whose lead (lady) singer has a style reminiscent of Debbie
Harry (I think) but very polite - she thanked Dave Brock for letting
them join the tour - but there was a surge from the bars after the
interval and the stalls filled up fairly well.     Stunning Golden Void
in the encore.    My brother-in-law who came along was very impressed
(and he doesn't usually admit to that).   He last saw Hawkwind in the
1980s and I think is now wishing he'd seen them rather more often since
then.

I strongly recommend that if anyone can get to Walthamstow on Saturday
you should do so.     Arin and some of the others are staying at the
Eccleston Quality Hotel near Victoria (where we all were for the
Hawkwind Astoria gig).   Not sure if the band are staying there or not
though.    It's all a bit vague now!    But everyone should come!

jill
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Jill Strobridge <jill at theta-orionis.freeserve.co.uk>
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