Audience
tapes exist of Hawkwind's performance . Around 5,000 attended despite very
bad weather .
HAWKWIND August 10 1974,
Harlow Festival, U.K. 60 minutes
Here's a vintage performance
by a band who redefined the term "acid rock" and dragged it into
the seventies. It is difficult to determine the band lineup on any given
Hawkwind live tape since this changed from night to night, depending on
who was capable of playing. This concert took place before Lemmy left to
form Motorhead. This tape was listed as a soundboard, but I suspect it is
one of those rare audience tapes of Hawkwind which isn't too distorted to
recognize. This tape still distorts but it is apparently one of very few
listenable Hawkwind tapes.
Once they take the stage, they keep playing without stopping. They start
with a spacey jam which metamorphosizes into songs which keep sliding in
and out of similar jamming. Various instruments can be heard dropping out
and coming back on so one can only assume people are walking on and off
stage.
The playing is pretty
sloppy and alternates from sounding intense to droning tediously. The instrumental
passages improve through the course of the concert and they even play recognizable
songs (such as "The Awakening" from the Space Ritual album). This
has been listed as one of the better quality early Hawkwind tapes floating
around, which is disappointing since this one isn't great. I would recommend
sticking with the officially released live albums "Space Ritual"
and the later released B.B.C. concert, unless you are very curious to hear
more.
(Erik Twight)
It's still raining when
Magic Michael takes to the stage just after six o'clock. They're a three
piece who are mates of Hawkwind. Their music is undisciplined to say the
least and when the audience doesn't applaud too loud they shout back obscenities.
It's a toss up between sheltering or watching them and the shelters win.
Besides I didn't bring my brolly.
After a set by another
of Hawkwind's pals, Al Matthews - okay I was still underneath the shelter
but I wasn't in the nearby pub, that was too full, Hawkwind took the stage
minus Nick Turner who hadn't yet arrived.
They said it was the first time they'd played in six months and would start
with a jam.
I didn't brave the storm but elected to view the band from a corner of the
stage just behind one of the PA banks which was like some of the audience,
covered in polythene. Yeh it was still raining, but it hadn't stopped the
kids flowing in as there was now about five thousand.
Hawkwind eventually got stuck into "Warriors On The Edge Of Time"
augmented by Al Matthews on conga and a lunk of a fella wearing a smock
and a hat decorated with all manner of things including a feather. This
guy recited 'poetry' every now and again in one of those doom-laden tones.
You know the kind of thing - "we're all seated on the edge of time/
We need you, it's dark on the edge of time."
It wasn't until I was informed by Stacia that I realised the guy was Michael
Moorcock, respected sci-fi writer. Surely he could have afforded better
clothes than that. But then I suppose he was trying to be a hippy.
Saturday's was Hawkwind's
with the newly recruited Simon King which now means they have two drummers,
and emphasises the rhythmic barrage of the group even more.
Nick Turner eventually turned up on stage clad in a vivid green cosmic jump
suit and preceded to dance around with Stacia.
Now I really admired Stacia who kept going out front and dancing in the
rain. Bare-footed and all. She told me she can only dance bare footed. At
least Turner had the sense to wear knee-high boots.
"It's too cold" she complained. "The water on your feet makes
the whole body cold."
Eventually the rain did stop and the umbrellas came down. "It looks
just like Bickershaw", one of the band observed.
Hi
I stumbled across the
site and would like to add my very few memories of the Harlow gigs, I saw
Hawkwind in ’74 and remember very little except the guy in front of
me being very stoned thrashing his flag on the ground whilst his trousers
were around his ankles! I remember enjoying the event and it overran so
I was late back for my lift home.
I also recall seeing Eddie And The Hot Rods and Darts, may have been on
the same bill but probably not. Anyone recall?
Bun
Nice
set of photos on Flickr from this gig, although labelled 1973, its a wet
gig, so its probably 1974
