HW: Support bands #1 - a general approach

[Nick Medford]

In message <000301c04736$30e69dc0$9036883e at default>, david hall
<dave at PARMA29.FREESERVE.CO.UK> writes

>    79 Doll By Doll    -   shite

I actually saw a reformed version of this band supporting Pere Ubu at the
QEH about 3 years ago (anyone else here like Ubu??) Didn't think much of
them, have never understood why they have such critical acclaim. Can't
imagine them playing their reflective pop ditties in front of a Hawkwind
crowd, must've been ugly.

>    80 Vardis  - average metal
>    81? Baron Rojo  - dear o dear
>    82? Mama's Boys - they were good (in the Thin Lizzy tradition, the guitarist
>    whipped out a violin bow and played the guitar Jimmy Page style, which resulted
>    in abuse from the audience; gobs were rapidly shut when he whipped out the
>    violin and let it rip...probably the best reaction to a HW support band I've seen
>    ...apart from Daevid Allen)
>    83     ?
>    84 Bronz -  crap (I met Nik during this tour, of the support he said "they're
>    beginning to sound like us"- which is probably the most bizarre thing the Thunder
>    Rider has said or done).

!! Sometimes I worry about Nik!

>    85    ?

Wasn't it Dumpy's Rusty Nuts? Sort of good-time biker r'n'r with the
occasional psychedelic interlude. Went down quite well as I recall. He also
popped up again as a special guest the next couple of times I saw Hawkwind.
Once read an interview with him in The Organ (does that still exist?) where
he announced himself as a major Gong fan, much to my surprise. His music
wasn't bad although he apparently pissed off the audience at a subsequent
festival by making loads of moronic comments about gays.

>    86? Tubulah Dog (average free-festival fare; until blinding version of the UFO
>    theme tune complete with back projection of the opening credits of the TV series-
>    hurrah)

Yeah that's how I remember it too. And didn't they do a cover of Hillage's
Electrick Gypsies?

>    88/87? Krel (average prog (now preparing to duck the incoming post from Andy
>    G))
>    89/90?

'89 was a reggae outfit called Connecting Routes. Hardly anyone bothered to
watch them, I did 'cos I was hugely into dub reggae at the time, but even so
I didn't think much of them.

>    91? Daevid Allen and the Magick Brothers

YOU ARE KIDDING! Missed that completely! Still I've seen Daevid plenty
of times, including a couple with Magick Brothers.

>(bloody brilliant mate Strong and
>    Steaming stuff from the Dingo Virgin aka Divided Alien - Gong and Hawkwind
>    were supposed to do a combined US tour after this.....I met Trev Hughes again at
>    the Glasgow gig and said "Daevid Allen has had too much dope"

What was the reason for saying this? I've often wondered about D.A's
mental state, although he seems to have kept it together over about 35 years
in the music biz which would be enough to stretch anybody's sanity.

> Trev said this,
>    Trev!) Dave Brock picks up the gliss guitar from the Alien.
>    93? Twitch and Brainstrom DJ Set excellent. HW remixes. Anyone got a tape!
>    The Aphex Twin was at this too - I seem to recall
>    94 Salt Tank - okay, a pity but we were all expecting the Orb
>
>    Dave

I will admit I lost interest in the Hawks for a while and in fact didn't see
them live after '89, until Croydon last year. When the support band was of
course Harvey.

Can anyone give a bit more detail on the support band at the Hawkestra as
like most people I was still standing in the bloody queue while they were on.
--
Nick Medford