HW mentioned mostly off: Ozrics at Brixton

[Jon Browne]

In message <E0uXX3n-0001BD-00 at ursa.cus.cam.ac.uk>, "Carl E. Anderson"
<cea20 at CUS.CAM.AC.UK> writes
>
>        To an extent, I agree.  I like the Ozrics a lot, but they don't
>carry the interest for me of Hawkwind.  I mean, I was absolutely
>grooving through the OT set, and there were some amazing moments.
>In some ways, I can see how it was better than HW, though overall for
>me Hawkwind was more exciting.
>        I've heard a fair bit of Gong and Hillage--I actually have
>_Fish Rising_ on CD, and that's a great album.  Although ultimately,
>I think I like OT better than Gong/Hillage.
>
Well, I guess I must just be prejudiced after spending so many nights
waiting to go onstage while they did a two-hour version of the OM riff!
(A Gong Cover - I might add) It's just that every time, I wandered over
to see them at some festival or rather, they were *always* playing the
OM riff - interminably, for years and years. So after a while I stopped
listening. Then suddenly, there's this "bigger than Hawkwind" feeling,
even on this list. That's when I started thinking "Hang on a minute!"
Where's their Lemmy or Nik or Bob or Dave or anyone with that kind of
talent. I mean sure Ed is a good guitarist, good as Huw for instance but
where's the songs, then? Name one OT tune that's as good as Living On A
Knife-Edge, Dying Seas, Ejection, Space is Deep or _even_ Secret Agent.
OK, you say, there not like that, it's slightly different music. But the
Hawks could jam like that for 48 hours and walk away straight :)

>> I doubt if there were many US Ozrics fans who flew in for the show last
>> night!
>
>        Actually, I wouldn't be _utterly_ surprised.  The Ozrics have
>a dedicated following in the States, many of whom have joined since the
>last tour, or who couldn't make the previous tours.  Since no one knows
>if/when the Ozrics will hit the States again I could see it happening.

I stand corrected, then! Perhaps you could tell me what's their best
Album, as I've only ever seen them live. I'll give them
_one_more_chance_!

>        Even so, I don't think it would have the pilgramage aspects that
>it does for our listmembers.  Even counting OT's origins in the early
>80s,
stop me if you've heard it.. I saw them at this party in some disused
riding stables about 15 years ago. Went around for a couple of years
correcting people " No, no. It's _Osiris Testicle_!" Actually, if I ever
get another band together I'm gonna call us Osiris Testicle. ;)

> they're still a young band compared to HW, and the never played the
>States at all until a couple of years back.
Wonder why?
> Not the same as coming to
>England all these years after the SR tour to the States in 73!
>
>        I believe I heard Ron announce a thanks to our listmembers who
>came from the States at the end of the show :)

Did he really? Very gratifying. I must have been shouting in someone's
ear, then, as well. I actually lost my voice all weekend after that 10
hour-shout-a-thon! It *was* loud !

>
>
>> >HW were scheduled for 90 minutes and as best I can estimate
>> >played around 110 or so.  More than 90, anyway ;)
>>
>> It seemed like 10. ;(
>
>        Man, you better be glad you weren't at the NYC show last year.
>What was that?  65? 75 minutes?  There were nearly riots :P

I'm not at all surprised. Were the tickets nearly 30 bucks that night,
too?

--
Jon Browne