HW: Official Post From Hawkwind.

[Ted Jackson]

On 11 Dec 2002 at 15:38, Doug Pearson wrote:

> There's NO WAY that "forbidding" the making & trading of live
> recordings is going to help the band get a major label contract as
> long as the band *themselves* are still selling tons of competing
> material via Voiceprint!

That's certainly a bigger stumbling block than the circ. of live stuff, eh?

(Unless, perhaps, 'Canterbury 2001' is to be
> the last Voiceprint release.) I stand by my firm belief that the only
> chance they have to get a major label contract is to pony up the cash
> to that guy with the same first name as me (although I'd certainly
> love to be proven wrong).
>
But HW doesn't have that kind of cash on hand, and even if they did, what label is
going to take a chance on a bunch of 60-ish guys with a dubious track record? I
mean, if the punters won't buy new Stones albums, what hope does a label have
trying to peddle product by a band that was always on the commercial periphery
from day 1?

> My best guess, however, is probably seriously-wishful thinking:
> Perhaps they're about to (finally!) start performing material from the
> upcoming album, and don't want to new material to be distributed until
> the album actually comes out.  If that is, indeed the reason, I *can*
> sympathize with that, since the reason is on artistic, rather than
> economic grounds.
>
Absolutely!  And if this is the case, why not make it clear to fans, rather than invite
the kind of wanking speculation that I and others have been providing this
afternoon?

> However, that still doesn't change the fact that audience
> recording/trading is the only way I can get a copy of the 'Yule
> Ritual' show that I can stand to listen to the bass guitar on.
>
Nor does it gainsay the fact that taper-friendly bands almost always flourish because
they inspire fan loyalty.  Geez, if there was ever a band that should realize this, it's
HW!

theo