Hawkwind at Exeter

Thu Apr 13 02:38:19 EDT 2006

Thanks for a great review Jill !!!!

Bernhard

-----Original Message-----
From: BOC/Hawkwind Discussion List [mailto:BOC-L at LISTSERV.ISPNETINC.NET] On
Behalf Of Jill Strobridge
Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2006 1:18 AM
To: BOC-L at LISTSERV.ISPNETINC.NET
Subject: HW: Hawkwind at Exeter

Well the best decision I made that evening was not to wait for a drink
before the show but to go straight in and bag a place at the back of the 
hall.  Ideal!   Far enough back that the balcony protected me from the worst

of the high-pitched fuzz - well away from the heat of the centre of the hall

and in a corner where I could move around.   From that spot I thought the 
mix was excellent - the flute came across well, the guitar sounds wove
around each other, the vocals were clear, and the drums carried the beat so
fluently I forgot to listen for them.

But to begin at the beginning - the journey down - which was kind of wierd. 
Scotland is totally non-smoking now and trains have been non-smoking for
years but on the one down to London at just about Stevenage a strangely 
recognisable smell drifted its way through the airconditioning.    It was so

out of context that I didn't pay it much attention except to register its
existence until the train stopped at the station and two policemen got on. 
"That's an interesting smell" one said to the other as they walked passed my

seat "yes" said the other "and I think I know where it's coming from".   And

they passed down the carriage - vanished through the doors at the end - then
the train moved off - and absolutely nothing else happened!!  I found an
excuse to lurk around the King's Cross platform exit (ok - I'd booked a
hotel in London but had forgotten to bring the address of the place with me
and had to phone it to find out where it was!) but apart from a tight
cluster of police in bright dayglo jackets nothing untoward seemed to be
happening so - I dunno - maybe I was just day dreaming!

Anyhow made it to Exeter - found a nice pub (once frequented by Sir Francis
Drake it says) that served decent food but in typical Devon fashion couldn't

decide exactly who was actually doing the serving.   "Can't eat down 'ere 
luv - but go opstairs and ye'll get a meal and a nice place to sit" "Dunno
why they told you to come opstairs we're nort open yet - ye'll get some food
downstairs" "What do you mean they say they're not open yet.  They should 
be - I'll go an sort them out - just you wait here".    No - please - all I 
want is a quiet corner + some food + some of your excellent Real Ale.  No 
fuss please!!  Dearie me.   But the food was good and the table was fine and

I was greeted by Rob Dreamworker who was also there - which was nice

And then when I reached the hall there was Kris and Marie and everyone
gathered by the door and I had a thoroughly enjoyable chat with them
catching up with news and discussing Hawkwind t-shirt fashions - but it was
much too short 'cos I'd left it a bit late and suddenly there was only ten 
minutes to go!   Everyone suddenly scattered and I found my niche and 
settled in with time to admire the stage.    It's a simple but well-dressed 
stage - tall androids flank either side and long silver wings extend across
the top - I like those wings there's a definite air of distinction about
them.

Rob's done a set list and Criz has relevant track comments on the Other List
(this divide is a bit like the House of Commons / House of Lords!) but Dibbs
immediately hit the right tone and atmosphere with Abducted - very clear
vocals and with the band diving straight into "The Right Stuff" backed by
early footage of jet aircraft and their pilots the set started immediately 
with a fast, well balanced, solid heavy driving sound.    It's a sound I 
think that will be excellent in the open air at a Festival - forceful, 
powerful, fast and creatiing, I thought, a very well structured set.   Even 
the quieter tracks have something intense about them and I thought this was
excellent - no-one had a chance to lose attention or drift away and start
chattering to the person next door - each track demanded your full attention
- maybe not always to dance to but certainly to listen.  As an indoors gig
though it was VERY VERY LOUD with loads of fizz up the high end. 
The only unintegrated bit was an odd interlude in the middle of The Right
Stuff which didn't seem to fit too well but things picked up again as the
track went along - it was, for me, the only unstructured moment.

Jez Hugget played a melodic flute overlay during Sword of the East - perhaps
more Moody Blues than ethereal - but the sound came through beautifully
while Greenback Massacre (which I confess is not musically my favourite) was
out and out metal rock - but it reminds me just how versatile Hawkwind are! 
Very efficient, very powerful - other bands get old and plod pedantically
along - by contrast Hawkwind craft and create a track of ripping intensity
and play it so efficiently you wonder if they have left all thought of space
rock behind them for ever.

But they haven't.  7x7 slows it down again - cleverly starting with a steady
chunky beat to bring the previous track into this one matching the words
match perfectly to the rhythm but merge into a more fluid elegant sound as
the track progresses.  This is much more relaxing and drifts into Out Here 
We Are with lots of saxophone.    Angela Android keeps the harder rhythm 
going and contains some very sharp almost vicious knife-edged guitar sounds
- very uncomfortable in an enclosed environment but probably very 
effective in an open festival arena.     Love in Space was elegant - as it 
always is - smooth and nicely extended while Lord of Light was accompanied
by some stunningly beautiful galaxy images and Paradox was just fantastic -
I dunno why - and maybe I shouldn't admit it! - but it almost moves me to
tears whenever I hear it and along with Golden Void has to get my vote for
track of the 20th century!

Anyhow - at this point I should mention that there were dancers on stage. 
Being where I was I saw little of them but during Spirit of the Age I was
aware that she was wearing a truly impressive set of wings - though I'm not 
entirely sure why.    Psi Power kept the rhythm moving steadily along as 
well as being stunningly well organised, rhythmic and controlled - it
actually got me dancing around nicely - the first track to do so! 
Assassins on the other hand has matured into something quite dark and 
sinister - admirably contemporary it seems judging by the news.   The 
Arabian melody and beat is still there but it's a hard, fierce, angry almost
regimented beat now - you can almost imagine armies marching out to it - it
forms a menacing interlude in the middle of the track but integrates well -
however the wierd thing was that in the midst of all this I got a call on my
mobile - Mike Holmes up in Edinburgh was inviting me to the pub for a 
drink!!   Sorry Mike -couldn't make it but I hope you were impressed by the 
live Hawkwind background! 8-)

Brainstorm and Upside Down integrate well - both are more or less in the
same key so although the tempo slows there's no shifting around musically
which makes the transition a really easy one to listen to and they merge 
nicely.   And that finished the set at 10.30.   Excellent.

The encore was Psychedelic Warlords and a thoroughly enjoyable Brainbox
Pollution with thermal images of naked dancers then the band went off and
came back again!  Hooray.  I don't know who was messing around with the 
keyboard/piano sound - but they were good!    Nice bit of classical that 
was - excellent stuff!   The chords steadily merged into something I 
recognised and slowly but surely Lighthouse was created - and what an 
excellently sung track it was.   Richard (I understand did this one) suited 
it perfectly and the accompanying images were some of the most beautiful
I've seen - perhaps they've been around before and I've not noticed them
properly but here was a drive through the galaxy starting with earth,
zooming around past the planets and swooping low over their moons - almost
grazing the surface before flying on again out into deep space and far out 
to the galaxies and beyond.   The instrument bit that finished off the track

was, possibly I felt, still not fully developed and didn't seem to go 
anywhere.   But when it does.  Wow.   It was such a good end to the show.

I was very impressed.   I hope you all will be.
Good night and Thank you Hawkwind!
jill

==============================================
Jill Strobridge <jill.strobridge at blueyonder.co.uk>
============================================== 