Words: Zane A Khan
Hawkwind – it is not a name that will be familiar to many. Yet, they are a band that revolutionised the ‘space rock’ genre, and during the fifty years of their existence, they have garnered an intensely loyal fanbase. To have been able to conjure up a concert in the seminal Royal Albert Hall, for their 50th anniversary gig, is testament to their notoriety. True to their passion for science-fiction, their concert felt like a step into a magical realm that makes our plane of existence mundane in comparison.
Hawkwind were accompanied by The Blackheart Orchestra, who established the ethereal atmosphere later exploited by the main act. The Blackheart Orchestra were not appreciated by a large amount of the audience – with many preoccupied with their phone screens. I instantly felt I was the youngest in the crowd – these were dedicated fans who had followed their musical beloved for decades, and clearly had little interest in the opening act. I, on the other hand, was mesmerised by The Blackheart Orchestra’s performance. Chrissy Mostyn’s vocal ability shocked me to the core; her performance of ‘Ennikur and Wolves’ reminded me of the ancient pagan traditions of Britain. It conjured images of the vast British countryside and the deep-rooted Celtic history that belongs there.
Their performance was followed by a thirty-minute interval, in which time I began to listen to the Hawkwind fans that were all around me. The excitement within the arena was electric. I overheard one fan talking about his experience with witchcraft in the Philippines; he advised his friend how to avoid being cursed through the ingestion of food. Some talked about their previous relationships, with one speaking of a toxic girlfriend he had many years ago. The audience seemed plagued with nostalgia.
Hawkwind’s arrival to the stage was met with an enthusiasm I had never experienced before. The energy in the room was incredible and made the concert more memorable. Hawkwind’s use of strobe lights, as well as the large projector screen presenting images of a high science-fiction landscape, infused the performance with vigour. The first track played was ‘Motorway City’, a classic from their album Leviathan (1980). After the excitement had faded, one found that the vocals of Dave Brock during the piece were rather dull, and did not enthuse the crowd with the vivacity that one expected from such an event. This feeling pervaded the venue – loyal fans did not stand up and cheer their band as one would have expected. The renditions of two songs from their latest album – ‘Flesh Fondue’ and ‘Last Man on Earth’ – were better performed. Yet, I watched as there was a growing atmosphere of apathy that clouded the Royal Albert Hall.
The first half of their two-hour performance was lacklustre and devoid of the electricity one expected from such a historical band. However, the second half soon turned the tide as Hawkwind returned to their beloved classics that made the audience ecstatic. Their performance of ‘The Watcher’ and ‘Silver Machine’ was accompanied with excellent special effects, and suddenly the energy returned with rigour. ‘Hurry on Sundown’ from their eponymous debut album was a marvel to behold. The close relationship between each member on stage was incredible to witness. At that moment, Hawkwind commanded the audience, and the audience danced to their ethereal rhythms.
It must be said that Hawkwind’s performance was not great. The vocals were lacklustre, and the first half of their performance did not enthral the audience as one would have expected. However, that has little relevance to the importance of this concert. Here is a band that has graced the musical world with their ‘space rock’ for fifty years; a band that has achieved a cult following from the children of the psychedelic age. The audience, regardless of the quality of the work, were there to see their beloved band and escape the mundanity of the real world. Hawkwind offers an avenue to enter a world of endless possibility through numerous galaxies. In that sense, the concert was a charming experience, and one that will be treasured by many who attended on that cold Tuesday evening.
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