HW 40th Anniversay Show

[Colin Allen]

Hi Paul,

"Nuanced" was supposed to be a positive comment as your post was one of the most thoughtful that I have read on this subject.

The September 2002 request concerning Alan and Bedouin taping came about as a result of a specific incident.  Looking back on it after some six and a half years and with a much deeper knowledge of the people involved, I have my own view of the sequence of events, and the role of people in them, that led up to my request made on Alan's behalf.

I do agree with you about the level of contradiction and confusion; I have learned to take much of what is said with a pinch of salt.  I am sure that I played my own part in sowing some of that confusion during the time that I worked with HW; the owner of a record label with whom I once negotiated, who is now a friend, described me during my time with them as being an example of Sir Edward Wotton's definition of an ambassador: "Legatus est vir bonus peregre missus ad mentiendum reipublicae causa".  If I did help to sow part of that confusion, I apologise for it.

Colin

--- On Wed, 25/2/09, Paul Mather <paul at GROMIT.DLIB.VT.EDU> wrote:
From: Paul Mather <paul at GROMIT.DLIB.VT.EDU>
Subject: Re: HW 40th Anniversay Show
To: BOC-L at LISTSERV.ISPNETINC.NET
Date: Wednesday, 25 February, 2009, 8:32 PM

On 25 Feb 2009, at 12:04 PM, Colin Allen wrote:

> Paul,
> 
> That is a nicely nuanced commentary.  Just to clarify one point, it was
not Alan who instigated the taping/trading ban.  I was asked to make the
announcement about the ban by Kris, who was very angry about the taping.

I might have been unclear in my original message regarding the taping/trading
ban.  I don't know whether Alan was behind it, just that he had been
*portrayed* as the instigator.  That is why I found his denial in that interview
interesting.  It sort of came out of the blue, so to speak.  Not to muddy the
waters, but here is a message you sent to Neo-Quark, re: Bedouin, on 14th
September 2002, about two or so months before Hawkwind announced their ban:

=====
Hi all,

I think that all of us here are interested in the survival and
success of Hawkind and the related bands. It has come to my notice
that Alan Davey is very unhappy with the recording and trading of
Bedouin concerts. I would like to think that we would respect his
views and cease audience recording and trading of Bedouin gigs.

I am not trying to be heavy but I feel that we should respect the
views of someone like Alan.

Colin
=====

How this unhappiness came to your notice you don't say, but obviously it
means there is some pre-existing publicity for the notion that Alan is
anti-taping/trading.  That's why I was surprised to read in that interview
that, according to him, the Hawkwind ban didn't stem from him.

> The ban came about because, on the 2002 tour, there had been a couple of
instances where people were found recording shows.  In one case, someone who was
caught one night was caught again the following night, despite promising not to
do it again.

I remember at the time you passing on the ban message (and being the
unfortunate messenger who subsequently got shot at), and clearly saying it was
official and from Dave and Kris.  I do also have a recollection that, although
we never seemed to get a straight answer as to why the ban was in effect, that a
large part of the blame came subsequently to rest on Alan's (alleged)
anti-taping/trading views.  Certainly, this is how the authorised history came
to be written, if this news announcement (reproduced from the Hawkwind Museum)
is anything to go by:

=====
22.12.07 - More photos and a very special Christmas message

In case you missed it on the main index page (picture details at the bottom) -

Hawkwind are happy to let you know, (and we are sure that some of you will
already have noticed :-), that since the departure of Alan Davey, we have been
able to dispense with the computer, which was really Alan's domain and only
used on his numbers…………. and we will also be able to lift the ban on
trading!

Since AD’s trading embargo has been lifted, we are going to endeavour to
release live cds or downloads of each new show, not each gig, but hopefully
every major set-list change. Aiming for one show from each major set of dates,
so that all of you who are unable to attend the actual shows will not miss out.
The first of these releases will be of the Dec 2007 Astoria show which we will
make available as soon as possible.

We have to be realistic and accept that many venues will not allow taping; we
cannot overrule the individual venues.
Also trading does not mean bootlegging………but we are sure that you are all
aware of the lines not to be crossed, just spread the word and keep the
faith…..
[[...]]
=====

Describing the Hawkwind ban as "AD’s trading embargo" appears to
lay the blame for it firmly at Alan's door.  That is completely at odds with
what Alan says in that recent interview.

It's not my wish to rehash the unfortunate episode of the taping/trading
ban, because that was a very unpleasant affair at the time.  I am glad, as
Hawkwind fans, it is behind us.  I was just pointing out that the news coming
out of the "Hawkwind family," be it from the "official"
Hawkwind (i.e., Brock) or ex-members (i.e., Turner, Davey, etc.) is extremely
contradictory and confusing.  (Do I win the prize for Understatement of the
Year, 2009?)  I don't know about you, but as for me, I take it all with a
massive lorry load of salt.  Just when you think you've got something
straight, along comes another Hawkwind source that completely undermines it,
basically leaving you disbelieving it all in the end, and not knowing what to
believe.

It wasn't my intention to take sides or be "nuanced."  I just
found Alan's interview interesting because it contradicted a lot of the
prevailing orthodoxy (including what I thought was his own).

Cheers,

Paul.

e-mail: paul at gromit.dlib.vt.edu

"Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production
 deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid."
        --- Frank Vincent Zappa