HAWKWIND HAWKWIND HAWKWIND

[Doug Alan <nessus@athena.mit.edu>]

I just saw Hawkwind last night and they were incredible.  For those
who have never heard of Hawkwind, in the 70's they were the definitive
pioneers of psychedelic drone space metal.  They were *the* band to
see at Stonehenge.  They also had some New Wavy touches before New
Wave was heard of.  They haven't forged any new territory in the
'80's, but they can still perform their material with a vengence.

They played material from all their periods from their oldest to their
most recent.  It was good to hear so much old material because it was
in the early and mid 70's when they were at their best in songwriting.
The sound system was pristine and the musicianship was perfect.  The
band was as tight as on a studio album.

The light show they put on was fantastic.  They had seven projectors:
a film projector and six other sorts of projectors.  They had a
colored oil drop projector.  They had a moire pattern projector.  They
had a slide projector that could spin the slide.  They had a disk
projector that could project a continuously moving panarama.  Some of
the projectors could also double as strobe lights -- strobing whatever
image they projected.  And they usually had them all going at the same
time.  The movie projector constantly projected some low-budget but
really neat animation.  Whoever did the animation must have used a
truck-load of magic markers to make an hour and a half's worth.  This
was a psychedelic experience that required no drugs for the trip.  The
lights and music were plenty to send you wherever you wanted to go.

I previously saw Hawkwind in London in '85.  That show was a very big
production -- they had an incredible stage set.  They all dressed in
black hooded cloaks.  They had actors acting out the saga of Elric and
topless dancers.  Michael Moorcock gave readings.  In some ways the
performance last night was better, however.  Instead of being in the
Hammersmith Odeon, it was in Johhny D's, a small club.  They had no
costumes or actors or topless dancers or incredible stage set, but the
light show made up for it all.

Architectural Metaphor opened for Hawkwind.  They were space music in
the vein of Meddle-era Pink Floyd or Tangerine Dream.  In fact, they
even performed a Tangerine Dream cover, "Ricochet"  They were not
particularly unique as far as space rock goes, but what they did they
did very well, and it was quite an enjoyable performance.

"Golden Void speaks to me, denying my reality,"

|>oug