HW: Ron and Jerry

IAN ABRAHAMS mail at ABRAHAMSI.FREESERVE.CO.UK
Sun Dec 30 03:51:14 EST 2001


----- Original Message -----
From: "Kirsten Procter" <kprocter at CHIARK.GREENEND.ORG.UK>
> > Thanks, Michael. I think that all DB owes us is the best possible music
by
> > gathering together the best possible line-up: 2001 Winter Tour...Mission
> > Achieved!
>
>
>  Really? I've heard (and read) a number of people expressing that this
> year's Christmas Party was the best gig they've ever been to. I miss
> Ron. If I were old enough, I'd miss Bob. YES, the current line-up  is
> great, it's nice to imagine the band playing together, writing new
> material and [perhaps gelling in a way you can;'t quite if you're
> changing line-ups all the time. But it's not my fantasy Hawkwind, and
> I'd be surprised if it were many others <shrug>

Well, <shrug> also...but I wasn't playing fantasy line-ups. I was talking
about DB's pulling together the best line-up he possibly could. IMHO, and of
course only IMHO, this was pretty much achieved on the winter tour: the two
longest serving members aside from Brock and, arguably, the two best
musicians (SH, H-LL) that have played in Hawkwind.

Your fantasy line-up might well include Bob Calvert, it might also include
Lemmy. But for obviously differing reasons, a tour with these x-members is
unachievable. Read my point again: "best possible line-up" - it's got to be
achievable: logistically, financially etc.

Thinking back to the general reaction of regarding the 1999 mini-tour, where
Ron was playing bass and doing most vocals compared to the reaction for Ron
now..seems the more low-key his performance, the more he is missed. But I
can't believe the band can afford (fiscal terms) to employ somebody to sing
on three or four tracks, unfortunately. Very talented guy, though.
>
>  This last gig in particular, well, it was good, but there was still
> time I spent standing around thinking 'What's going on, when's
> something going to happen?' Now, that may be me, it might not be the
> band at all. Spacebrock, for example, to me, sounds like a ground bass
> with no melody. It doesn't seem to have a purpose - with ron's
> Moneytree words, well, it got somewhere. It wasn't a boatless
> anchor. <shrug> I don't understand Dave's solo work, and maybe that's
> my fault and maybe because I can't reach it is no reason why it should
> all be regarded as bad. No, not maybe, definitely. However, counting
> those bits aside, I've heard better Levitations, for example. Or
> Brainbox Pollutions. I've never heard Sonic Attack performed even half
> as well, otoh. What I'm getting at is, yes, I enjoy Hawkwind
> gigs. That's why I go to them, in preference to other things, other
> bands, whatever, *BUT* I don';t see why the last was so special <shrug>
> People are differnet, I guess.

I don't really go for Dave's solo stuff either. But he's in a great position
of being able to gather around him a great support team and after 30+years
of  *being*  Hawkwind sort of pick and choose who he works with. I thought
the winter tour was pretty special (I have a hunch that I enjoyed Space
Bandits 1990 a bit more but that might have been circumstances) and the
line-up near perfect...I really treasure that night in Swindon. I realise
that's just my opinion but it seems to be shared around quite a bit.

Ian



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