HW: how long, how many, and why

[Doug Pearson]

>*Hawkwind fan:
Since autumn 1984.

>*how many CD's:
Something in the area of slightly over 50 CD's.  Plus a roughly equal
number of 12" vinyl albums/EP's, about a dozen 7" singles, and one 10"EP (I
believe the *only* Hawkwind 10").  This doesn't include any of the
solo/related stuff.  Nor tapes/CD-R's (see next question!).

>*collects live recordings and other Hawkwind junk:
Oh yeah!  Mostly 1970-78 (the "classic" years), 1982-84 (with Nik), 1989-90
(with Simon and/or Bridget), 1995-1999 (with Ron), 2000-present (with
Simon).  Some 20-30 shows in my collection, I think.

>*why a Hawkwind fan:
Heard "Psychedelic Warlords" on the radio late one night and never looked
back.  Very few others have done such a good job of combining driving high-
energy rock and spaced electronics.

>*First album you picked up:
'Space Ritual', 'Roadhawks' and 'Live 79', all on the same day.

>*Seen live how many times:
Dave's - 7 times (2x'89, 2x'90, 1x'95, 2x'97)
Nik's - 7 times (2x'94, 1x'95, 2x'97, 1x'99, 1x'00)
Rizz's - once (SD98)

>*Nik or Dave
BOTH!  I like beer AND pizza, peanut butter AND jelly, raw fish AND
rice/ginger/wasabi, oil AND vinegar, chocolate AND vanilla, yin AND yang,
etc. etc. etc.  I like viewing things with both eyes and listening with
both ears.
Nik's performances are much more interesting and appealing when there's
someone (like a Trev Thoms or Tommy Grenas, in Dave's absence) to make him
rehearse and keep his jamming in line, so that Nik can concentrate on being
the wildly-compelling frontman; Dave's performances are much more
interesting and appealing when there's someone else in the band (like a Bob
Calvert or Ron Tree, in Nik's absence) going off and getting crazy and
jamming and saying wacky things, so that Dave can concentrate on being the
bandleader keeping things together.  Their strengths complement one
another, which is a good part of what made Hawkwind such a great band in
the first place.

    -Doug
     jasret at mindspring.com