FAO Hawkwind Band: NikWar Spam

[M Holmes]

I received this rather depressing mail 9/8/2002.  The gist of it is that
Nik seems to be suing to prevent Dave from using the name Hawkwind or
any of the songs featuring various ex-members including Moorcock,
Calvert and Lemmy.  I guess the war isn't survived quite yet.  Could Nik
really prevent Hawkwind from playing classic numbers? That's be quite
depressing to me.  Also I guess Moorcock is off the latest project.

Note that the text I received was rather badly formatted, punctuated,
and CAPITALISED. I've tidied it up to save the sensibilities of delicate
souls here but have been careful not to alter the language lest any
lawyers need to feed on it.

FoFP



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Press Release 08/08/2002 "without prejudice".

Original Hawkwind members including Lemmy from Motorhead,
science-fiction writer Mike Moorcock[see message from mike moorcock to
hawkwind fans further down], Nik Turner and a score of others line up in
court case against Dave Brock - About Brock's Destruction of the
Hawkwind Reputation and Brock's issuing of cd albums featuring early
members of Hawkwind and not paying royalties to or seeking permission of
those "Golden Years Of Hawkwind" members.

It started at Glastonbury Festival 2002- Thursday 27th June 2002 Nik
Turner and his eight month old band Xhawkwind.com [now had to change it
temporarily to spaceritual.net] (Featuring original members from the
1970's: - Mick Slattery - Guitar, Thomas Crimble - Bass, Terry Ollis -
Drums,[the band also often features other original 70s members Del
Dettmar noise generators/synths, Dave Anderson - Bass + Guitar and Ron
Tree- 90's Hawkwind member - Bass + Poetry/Vocals) are just sound
checking as the first band to play on a stage at Glastonbury 2002[they
played in a big top crammed with around 1000 people and more were
listening outside the big top] and Nik receives an injunction from Dave
Brock trying to force Nik not to use any variation of the word Hawkwind
- Niks original Nickname from before the band was called that!!!!!.

Dave Brock also bombarded the internet asking people to ask for their
ticket money back if they had bought tickets thinking it was Hawkwind at
Guildford Festival and not Nik Turner's XHawkwind.com-after the
Guildford Festival had finished a journalist rang up Guildford Festival
and asked how many people had asked for refunds because XHawkwind.com
had been substituted for Hawkwind [owing to Dave Brock insisting on more
costs to the Festival as the event drew nearer]THE TOTAL NUMBER OF
PEOPLE WHO ASKED GUILFORD FESTIVAL FOR A REFUND ON THEIR TICKETS AS PER
DAVE BROCK'S MASSIVE INTERNET CAMPAIGN WAS -NONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By the 5th of August 2002 this had turned into a legal battle between
all the Hawkwind 70's Stalwarts on one side and Dave Brock (Who had
registered Hawkwind as a trade mark without telling all the golden years
members of the band) so the following ex- Hawkwind members are now
pursuing Dave Brock about "Dave Brock "Related" Bootlegs" and
non-payments of royalties:

Lemmy, Michael Moorcock, Nik Turner, the estate of the Late Barney
Bubbles, the estate of the late Robert Calvert, Terry Ollis, Steve
Swindells, Harvey Bainbridge, Paul Rudolph, Alan Powell, Adrian Shaw,
Dave Anderson, Thomas Crimble, Mick Slattery, Dik Mik and Del Dettmar.

Space Ritual.Net Featuring Original Ex-Hawkwind members

Nik Turner-sax,flute,vocals, Terry Ollis-drums,Thomas Crimble-bass
guitar,Dave Anderson-bass guitar and guitar,Mick Slattery-guitar plus
various special guests appear at Canterbury
Festival[www.canterburyfayre.com] on Friday 23rd August 5pm also on that
day are Ozric Tentacles ,Fish,and Kevin Ayers

For those of you who missed this band at Glastonbury or Guildford
Festivals in the last month or two or who are disappointed at Dave
Brock's Hawkwind pulling their gig at War Of The Worlds Heaton Park
Manchester here is an opportunity to see a band of Ex-Hawkwind members
performing classic Hawkwind material at a great festival.  For more info
on Canterbury Fayre visit their website at www.canterburyfayre.com
Please note the band "Space Ritual.Net" is not Dave Brock's Hawkwind but
does create on stage the spirit of the 70's Hawkwind ethos and invokes
the spirit of Barney Bubbles and Robert Calvert.

Also a fund raising benefit for the legal action by Nik Turner is to be
held on Friday 8th November at the Mean Fiddler Charing Cross Road
London. Doors open at 7pm and will feature Space Ritual.Net and ex
members of Hawkwind and members of the Hawkestra and Inner City Unit and
Tractor plus compere mothership control Andy Dunkley and other special
guests to be announced .the event is to be known as one of the legendary
Greasy Truckers Party. In fact it is the 30th anniversary Greasy Truckers
Party.

>> Messages from Michael Moorcock about the dispute with Dave Brock
>> [said"without prejudice"]:

>> This is to confirm that I have not received any royalties or payments
>> from any of the Hawkwind albums issued by Dave Brock.  It has been
>> very obvious for some years that Dave has, wherever possible, removed
>> the work of writers like myself and Bob Calvert from reissued albums
>> and has generally behaved in a an unethical way.  While I have been
>> generally silent on these matters, since I have respected the idealism
>> of the fans, for instance, it has been obvious for many years that
>> Dave has been as it were feathering his own nest at the expense of the
>> other members of the band, especially the best known members of
>> Hawkwind.  He has continued to put bands together which he has called
>> 'Hawkwind' which are in fact only him and various new musicians
>> (though I know this has not always been the case) and has clearly run
>> the band as his own property, without reference to other founder
>> members or, indeed, holders of copyright material.  The reason I am
>> speaking now is because I believe Dave has behaved unethically in
>> bringing an injunction against you for using the name xhawkwind --
>> which, it is well known, is not an attempt to pose as Hawkwind but to
>> let audiences know that a band comprised of many ex-members of the
>> band, several of whom I have worked with, is making an appearance.
>> Given Dave's own behaviour in these matters, I write to assure that
>> any kind words I might have used many years ago about Dave Brock are
>> no longer verified by his more recent actions.  Please use this letter
>> however it suits you and, should you need further help or confirmation
>> in this matter, please let me know how I can help.

>> With all best wishes,

>> Mike Moorcock


>> 2nd message from Mike Moorcock "Without Prejudice"To Nik Turner and
>> The Xhawkwind members:

>> Fuck Dave, then.  He'd sent me something to do with him, a record for
>> some lyrics, but he can fuck himself.  You know that I'll always side
>> with you when things get to this point.  If you want to include me in
>> the band formerly known as xhawkwind.com/spaceritual.net as some sort
>> of member.  Whatever you think, pard.  I have not just extolled Dave's
>> virtues.  I've said elsewhere that he was manipulative and greedy.  So
>> you can always pull those references, should it go that way.  Sod the
>> bastard.  He has also, of course, removed almost everything by me and
>> Calvert from reissues, Seems wicked to pull Calvert, Bottom line is
>> pard, if it's between you[Nik Turner] and Dave Brock- Mr Greed, I'm on
>> your side Nik.

>> Mike Moorcock

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