Famed space rockers Hawkwind have announced a 15-date UK this November in celebration of the bands 50th anniversary and the tour starts right here in Brighton. They will be appearing on Sunday 10th November at the Theatre Royal, New Road, Brighton. Purchase your tickets HERE.
Prior to the tour Hawkwind will be releasing their 32nd studio album, entitled ‘All Aboard The Skylark’ which sparks a storming return to their space rock roots. It is released on 25th October 2019 on vinyl, digital and CD (along with a second bonus disc) ‘Acoustic Daze’. Collectors should note that ‘Acoustic Daze’ will be released as part of the CD set of ‘All Aboard The Skylark’ and as a stand alone vinyl edition – limited to 1000 copies worldwide!
The nine track ‘All Aboard The Skylark’ album picks up effortlessly from their conceptual Top 40 charting albums ‘The Machine Stops’ (2016) and ‘Into The Woods’ (2017).
Musically the solid quartet of Dave Brock (guitar, vocals, keyboards), Richard Chadwick (drums), Niall Hone (bass, keyboards) and Magnus Martin (guitar, vocals) have created a tight, psychedelic groove that runs through the spine of the album, but embraces each musician’s individual talents along the way.
Opener ‘Flesh Fondue’ is a classic Hawkwind space rock number; alien creatures feeding on the inhabitants of planets, carried by Brock’s characteristic guitar and vocals and underpinned by Chadwick’s superb rhythm and hypnotic drum fills. ‘Nets Of Space’ is a bass driven trip, complemented by swirling guitar loops and rhythmic drumming while the conceptual ‘Last Man On Earth’ and ‘We Are Not Dead…Only Sleeping’ lead us headlong into the free-spirited psychedelic groove of ‘All Aboard The Skylark’. The contemplative ‘65 Million Years Ago’, with haunting Brock vocals is followed by the melodic lament, ‘In The Beginning’, which leads to the expansive and multi-layered ‘The Road To…’, and closes with ‘The Fantasy Of Faldum’, (based on a Hermann Hesse fairytale). This is an exciting and unmissable addition to the Hawkwind canon.
Order the new CD album HERE and the vinyl album HERE.
So what has been happening in the world of Hawkwind over the past 50 years? Here are some of the milestones:
1969 – Hawkwind were formed by former London busker Dave Brock who remains at the helm today.
1970 – The band appeared outside the perimeter fence of the Isle of Wight Festival and the first Glastonbury Festival. Hawkwind’s first single, ‘Hurry On Sundown’, was also released followed by the self titled debut album, ‘Hawkwind’
1972 – Band record and release their trademark single ‘Silver Machine’, featuring Lemmy on vocals, a huge hit that brings band to the attention of the wider public and has since been used in commercials for Mazda cars and Red Square vodka drink. Around the same time various contributors became involved in the creative process, these included sci-fi author Michael Moorcock, poet and visionary Bob Calvert, designer ‘Barney Bubbles’ and lighting engineer ‘Liquid Len. Band tour the USA for the first time.
1975 – After a drugs bust in USA, Lemmy leaves the band and goes on to form ‘Motörhead’.
1980 – Release 2 top 10 albums, ‘Live 79’ and ‘Levitation’, the latter sees former Cream member Ginger Baker on drumming duties.
1979 – 1985 the band’s singles and albums make regular inroads into the national, independent and heavy metal charts.
1985 – The band performed the ambitious ‘Chronicle Of The Black Sword’, as a spectacular live show inspired heavily by Michael Moorcock’s epic saga, ‘Elric’.
1986 – Headline the Reading Rock Festival, with a guest appearance from Lemmy.
Late 80’s – Early 90’s – Band become more electronic in approach, especially in the studio and are a huge influence on the emerging dance and rave scene.
