HW: Hawkfest - one to celebrate

[Michael Crook]

Jill,

Many thanks for your review - sadly I couldn't make
the event this year :(

Mick


--- Jill Strobridge <jill.strobridge at BLUEYONDER.CO.UK>
wrote:

> Rumours that "Brainstorm" was to be renamed
> "Rainstorm" proved unfounded as the weather slowly
> cleared over the weekend.   
> 
> First the most important bit - congratulations to
> Dave and Kris!   And very many thanks to them and
> their family for staging a memorable event which I
> thoroughly enjoyed.   Also to all Hawkwind related
> players, crew, technicians, bands and everyone else
> who kept things running despite some truly aw(e)ful
> weather on Thursday and Friday, which thankfully I
> missed.   Stories of tents being lifted off the
> ground by gusts of wind and rivers of rain make me
> relieved I only turned up on Saturday lunchtime to
> find a sea of mud around the main tent, very wet
> fields and several deep puddles to negotiate.     
> 
> Next important bit is the set list compiled on
> Saturday.   Unfortunately my pen didn't write too
> well on damp paper and there are bits where I
> stopped writing / forgot / got confused so if anyone
> can add or amend I'd be grateful!  :
> 
> A longish sound check on stage (understandable
> considering the weather)  
> Warriors on the Edge of Time
> Assault & Battery
> Golden Void
> Where Are They Now (Richard did vocals on this?)
> Lighthouse (Dave vocals?) with (I think) a long
> guitar filler
> Right Stuff (in two halves split - again, I think I
> remember here - by a rather nice instrumental piece)
> The Awakening (poem)
> Orgone Accumulator
> Paradox (superb - I loved this)
> <?something here - ?Master of the Universe?>
> Robot
> Steppenwolf <I've heard it done better>
> Flying Doctor <for the Australians who came over -
> hi Bill>
> Utopia (I really enjoy this one)
> Infinity (ditto - though I know some people who
> don't)
> Images <?my notes say this was here but I can't
> remember it!>
> Only the Dead Dreams of a Cold War Kid (suddenly
> relevant again in today's news - but needs some more
> work)
> Sonic Attack
> <encore> ?Assassins of Allah?
> Shouldn't Do That
> 
> I'm told that we missed out on a planned Spirit of
> the Age encore because the midnight hour arrived
> when (by decree) walls of live sound turn into the
> thud of a sound system and hundreds of people
> gathered together in a huge blue marquee tent
> disperse into a myriad multicoloured nylon domes
> leaving only memories of the music and a stunning
> light show with images and colours flowing all
> across the tent.
> 
> Comments: yes - I missed Alan - I missed especially
> the apparently effortlessly easy linking between
> riffs from one guitar player to another born out of
> years of practice between musicians who know each
> other's music style and can create a seamless drift
> through the set list when everyone is performing
> well.   But this is something that will return.  
> Dibs played a splendid set (I understand he was
> rather nervous before the show!) and there were
> moments of great pleasure in the above set.    
> Perhaps a larger problem is who will share the
> vocals - it will be hard work if Dave has to keep
> carrying the majority of the songs.
> 
> The wedding was a wonderful occasion and I feel
> honoured to have been able to see it.    A relaxed
> laughter-filled ceremony in a large high raftered
> medieval threshing barn gorgeously lit at one end by
> orange light.  Silver grey and royal blue were the
> wedding colours.   Beautiful.    Afterwards, in a
> courtyard, family and friends in formal wedding
> clothes mingled and shared a cake along with fans
> wearing a variety of robot and alien forms, with
> silver cloaks, green suits, medieval dresses and
> false tuxedo t-shirts followed by a more formal
> reception and cake cutting ceremony in a marquee
> tent nearby.      It was, dare I say it, almost
> magical.   
> 
> Other memories - sitting in Mike and Lucy's
> net-curtained gazebo in the campsite listening to
> the music drifting up from the main tent and
> chatting to other Hawkfriends.     Lovely to see
> Arin and Rich and Steve and Rob and Keith and Julie
> and - everyone!    
> 
> TOSH later that evening was an excellent way to end
> the day (and though I could have wished that the
> hour and a half spent setting up the stage was done
> rather earlier than while we were all standing there
> waiting for Huw's acoustic set to start this is
> perhaps a bit unfair given the fact that there had
> just been a wedding party beforehand!).   A nicely
> blanga set of mostly older tracks and everyone got a
> chance to do something - from reading Ten Seconds of
> Forever to playing guitar frontstage.  Good fun.   
> Sadly though I seem to have missed the Tim Blake
> tape later in the barn!   Ah well.   
> 
> A real shame the rain made everything so muddy but
> the site facilities were excellent -  especially the
> shop which never seemed to close.  Very good
> service.    Congratulations to all and thank you!  
> 
> jill
> 
> ==============================================
> Jill Strobridge <jill.strobridge at blueyonder.co.uk>
> ==============================================
> 



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