An absolutely incredible show as usual from Hawkwind, only this one was so much better.
For starters I’d scored a great seat on the balcony in the best large venue I’ve known: from the great sound, the spacious layout on the concourses, clean and accessible facilities, a decent IPA on offer at the bar, bars on all levels and therefore a lack of long queues, and last but by no means least the always friendly and helpful staff, the Beacon is miles ahead of any other venue of similar size.
I’d absolutely anticipated an older crowd, but the amount of walking aids on show really brought home where we all are now. Hawkwind, albeit playing with eighteen year old drummer Dylan Clarke, who was absolutely bang on (pun thoroughly intended), has never been a band to gain a steady stream of younger fans the longer they go on.
I started listening to Hawkwind in the 80s, something that made me one of the younger fans there. I normally wouldn’t make a point of counting ages at shows, especially given how these days age ranges at grassroots gigs go from one end of the scale to the other and no one cares a fig, but it was literally the subject on every ones lips. When getting drinks, in the loo (where everyone needed to go quite frequently) or chatting to strangers in the next seat, the talk was all about when Dave (Brock) and Co had first been seen and whether this, given the band’s founder is now 84, would be one of Hawkwind’s last gigs.
And it was so much more too. When the chap sat next to me, who’d made a hundred-and-eighty mile round trip to be there, brought the subject-up, I replied with a nod of the head and the sad fact I’d seen Nik Turner in Toronto on what turned out to be his last tour before passing. Though it wasn’t Brock this chap was worried about, but himself; something that to know made the show somewhat more poignant to me too.
Hawkwind didn’t disappoint, they never do, as they delivered an incredible set including the likes of ‘Levitation’ and ‘Sprit of the Age’ (though they only did that as we all promised to sing along).
I grabbed some footage (vid below). Most of the bands I see are punk and/or some off-shoot of metal. Songs are done in a couple of minutes. I hadn’t factored how long Hawkwind songs are, and even though I could rest my hand on the balcony it soon become a serious endurance test to keep it there, something not helped by my shielding the view side of the phone with the other hand so there was no light pollution for those sat behind. It’s a bit wobbly in places, and a finger does appear for a bit, haha.
Another amazing aspect of the evening took place before the event when I found a guy called Ian Ashman outside selling self-funded CDs all in the name of raising the profile of local underground bands.
Euthanasia 4 A Different Kind Of Pandemic, featuring twenty bands and thirty-four tracks, is neatly put together, a lot of time has clearly gone in, yet Ian was only charging two quid. More so there doesn’t appear to be an internet presence for the releases, or indeed Ian’s own music, Shirley Shirley Shirley, a CD of twelve life-learned tracks featuring some intricate guitar work.
It was an incredible thing to see, especially at a Hawkwind gig; a band with a deep history of a DIY ethos, helping the underground and good causes. Indeed, pre gig posts from a stolen dog Facebook page were shown on the big screen behind the stage. All were sad and some harrowing as some of the details mentioned extreme circumstances, and for many it might’ve seemed a strange thing to encounter when stood/sat waiting for what will hopefully be an enjoyable experience to start. But a Hawkwind fan, for better or worse, would expect nothing less.
Euthanasia 4 A Different Kind Of Pandemic is a mixed back of punk genres that goes from the heartfelt to hardcore and even features a couple of tracks from all female Ramones tribute act The Ramonas.
Highlights for me:
- Bad Blood’s rampaging ‘Alternative’ and ‘Bored’
- Pizza Tramp’s absolutely manic ‘Hope You Fucking Die’ and ‘Blowing Chunks’
- Cockwomble’s grungy and very Hawkwind-esque ‘All of the Money None of the Style’ and very easy to sing-along to ‘Gammon’
- N.V.S.’s surely Motorhead influenced ‘Howz Harvey’ and highly catchy ‘Where Is She?’
- The Migraines’ ‘What We Do Is Still A Secret’ – guaranteed to cause a mosh pit frenzy!
- Screaming Dead’s somewhat Clash sounding ‘20th Century Vampire’
Where someone reading this post might go to find a copy is another question entirely, though I did find some for sale via Disogs, even one from as far afield as Vancouver, Canada!
Thanks for reading 🙂