HW 40th Anniversary Show

[Jonathan Jarrett]

On Wed, Feb 18, 2009 at 09:08:23AM +0100, SHLL (Scott Heller) typed out:
> I have been tossing some mails back and forth with a few about the
> Portchester Hall gigs in August and I now, really curious what
> ex-hawkwind members could actually show up and play. I wonder if they
> have announced this without actually signing anyone on board. If we
> make a list of the ex-members, besides Huw Lloyd Langton (who I am not
> really sure can play electric space rock anymore as he was a disaster
> the last two times I saw him), who else is there:
> 
> These people will not play with Dave and Co (at least I don't think):
> 
> Nik, dave anderson, simon house, alan davey, lemmy, jerry richards,
> ron tree, terry ollis, Thomas Crimble, michael moorcock (probably too
> ill), adrian shaw, Mick Slattery, Steve Swindells, Harvey Bainbridge,
> Bridget Wishart, Danny Thompson..

	This looks like a game for the cynics to play! I think there are 
two different sets here, those who won't play with Dave & Co. and those 
with whom Dave won't play, for example Nik in the former camp and Ron in 
the latter. If Dave was prepared to relax a bit about the exiles (and 
you know, pay in advance) I think this number could be reduced.

> Maybe:
> 
> Crum, dik mik, del dettmar, Stacia, martin Griffiths, alan powell,
> Paul Rudolph (haven't heard of him in years...), Ginger Baker, Andy
> Anderson, Arthur Brown, Steve Hale, John Harrison
>
> I probably have missed a few but it seems to me that Dave only has a
> few pretty obscure Hawkwind members to choose from...
> 
> What do people think or predict??

	Well, let's have a go:

Dave himself is obviously in
Mick Slattery possibly not out of solidarity with the Ritual but who 
	knows?
John Harrison lost in showbiz and probably not `match-fit'
Nik, yes, well I don't think so, nor do I think it would be a good gig 
	if it could be arranged
Terry Ollis, as Mr Slattery really
Dik Mik, don't see why not to be honest though I may not know enough
Huw, almost without doubt
Thomas Crimble, as Mick Slattery but personally I hope he stays clear
Dave Anderson, I can't imagine he's welcome in the fold
Del, has worked more with Nik than anyone in recent years but might be 
	willing if paid for transport
Lemmy, despite what Scott says I think would be in if paid
Twink, ha ha please no
Simon King, no personal grief as far as I know but wasn't in shape to 
	play for Hawkestra and I don't suppose he'd do it for this less, 
	even if he still can (but if he could it would be ace)
Simon House, I guess might but he doesn't seem to be well enough to play 
	with anyone live at the moment
Alan Powell has been a Nikwind drummer in the USA and played Hawkestra 
	II so I guess is Nik's before Dave's but I don't see why he 
	shouldn't
Moorcock would at least do telephone vocals again I'm sure
Paul Rudolph seems no longer to be on the map for anyone
Adrian Shaw wouldn't, and that's that
Harvey I guess also wouldn't, which is sad, at least not without a lot 
	of back wages
Martin Griffin keeps turning up at Hawkfest and therefore I guess is in
Steve Swindells is clearly Nik's friend but does anyone know that he 
        wouldn't play with the genuine Hawks if asked? Don't see why not 
	myself
Tim Blake obviously yes
Ginger Baker well never mind
Keith Hale is out there and I can't see why he wouldn't if asked
Dead Fred won't play live for anyone these days
Andy Anderson isn't playing any more, is he?
Rik Martinez, unknown
Clive Deamer probably has better things to do but would if offered money 
	I'm sure
Alan Davey, oh come on, if Lemmy was on and Dave apologised he'd be back 
	for it
Danny Thompson, Scott seems to know of bad blood that I don't, I would 
	have thought he'd be in
Richard Chadwick, yes
Bridget, I would have thought might do it for the one gig given as she 
	seems to be making music again
Steve Bemand, don't know anything here
Ron Tree is I guess not welcome but Dave should get over it and let him 
	front, it would be brilliant one more time
Jerry Richards probably won't come back
Crum might well
Captain Rizz could probably not be kept away
Dibs is in
Steve Taylor and Steve Hayes presumably never again
Keith Kniveton, well I have no idea what happened there
Jeremy Huggett, as far as is known available, right?
Arthur Brown, no
Keith Barton, I don't know here either
Matthew Wright, obviously would
Niall Hone, is in

So that gives us, well the regular line-up plus Huw, Martin Griffin, 
Keith Hale, Bridget, Crum, Rizz and Matthew Wright as likelies, which 
starts to look like a dual-drummer _Choose Your Masques_ sort of 
line-up with guest vocalists and lots of keyboard. Not exactly a 40th 
anniversary gig in and of itself but probably worth seeing. Then if we 
add possibles, guest appearances from Lemmy, if Lemmy Alan, Steve 
Swindells, Del, Dik Mik...

	I mean I think the problem here is that because Hawkwind's 
greatest through-put has been in drummers and keyboardists it would be 
very easy to completely crowd out a stage, and indeed a setlist, with 
keyboard and percussion. To make it a viable *performance* I think Dave 
either needs to stick to that core above or whatever is really viable, 
or else apologise enough or pay enough to get Ron, Jerry and Alan back 
on for the gig, in an ideal world Simon House and Keith Kniveton too, 
and basically play like it was 2001 again. I know I keep harking back to 
that year but it was a brilliant line-up. What I *don't* think he should 
do is try to get as many ex-members on stage at once as all they could 
really do is a chorus sing-along of `Silver Machine'. Nik's Hawkestra II 
was as close as anyone should ever get to that and I was amazed that 
worked as well as it did. Yours,
				 Jon

-- 
"When fortune wanes, of what assistance are quantities of elephants?"
	    (Juvaini, Afghan Muslim chronicler, c. 1206)
 Jon Jarrett, Fitzwilliam Museum, jjarrett at chiark.greenend.org.uk