#space punk

HAWKWIND 1972.

THE QUEEN MOTHER NEVER KNEW WHAT HIT HER IN '73 -- THE BRITISH COUNTERCULTURE WAS IN FULL SWING.

PIC(S) INFO: Mega spotlight on assorted colour slides from the 1973 Windsor Free Festival, where a reported 8,000 ultimately attended, c. August 25, 1973 -- included are some raw, live shots of legendary English space rock/"heavy metal space punk" group, HAWKWIND. Colour slides courtesy of/📸: Roger Hutchinson.

"PEOPLE COME UP TO US AFTER GIGS AND SAY OUR MUSIC TERRIFIED THEM. BECAUSE THEY CAN'T COPE WITH IT, THEY GET FRIGHTENED…"

PIC INFO: Spotlight on the mighty David Anthony "Dave" (b. 20 August 1941), English musician, multi-instrumentalist, and founder/sole constant member of space rock group, HAWKWIND, performing live c. early to mid '70s (I think), photo credit & location unknown.

"While also a big fan of sci-fi and fantasy, bandleader Dave Brock was more concerned at this point with the latter sentiment, HAWKWIND having definitively progressed from wanting to “levitate minds in a nice way” (as the sleeve notes to their first album stated) to becoming the sonic equivalent of “a black fucking nightmare” (as Lemmy memorably put it). In the same NME piece, Brock said, “People come up to us after gigs and say our music terrified them. Because they can’t cope with it, they get frightened… I think if we had more time to get it together, we could induce mass hypnosis in an audience. I’d certainly like to experiment with that.”

However, time to get things together was at a premium as 1972 dawned, with the "Space Ritual" concept put on the back burner as HAWKWIND prepared to take on their busiest year yet. It would eventually see them playing more than 150 gigs, their commitment to bringing their unique brand of countercultural ramalama to every corner of the country (not to mention mainland Europe) undimmed."

-- LOUDER SOUND, “People came up to us after gigs and said our music terrified them," -- "The saga of HAWKWIND's "Space Ritual,"" by Joe Banks, published 12 May 2023

"WE FLEW HAWKWIND POSTER BOY, LITTLE JOHNNY KAYE, ALL THE WAY FROM LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA..."

"...to London, England so he could witness a HAWKWIND Space Ritual performance firsthand. The results were positive: Permanent brain damage. Now, we're flying HAWKWIND all the way from London, England to the U.S.A., to perform their incredible "Space Ritual" for you. Be like little Johnny Kaye: A little mixed up, feeling fine. Brain damage to go. HAWKWIND's: A Space Ritual. On United Artists Records and Tapes."

-- UNITED ARTISTS (Records and Tapes), c. winter 1973

PIC INFO: Spotlight on a record advert for English space rock/progressive rock/proto-punk band, HAWKWIND, titled "Victim of Sonic Attack!," promoting the band's crucial and pivotal live double album, "Space Ritual," printed in "Rolling Stone," December 6, 1973, uploaded by "Jamie" c. December 2012.

COSMIC COUNTDOWN TO THE STAR-FARING SPACE RITUAL ACROSS THE SUPER-SEVENTIES.

PIC INFO: Spotlight on a concert tour poster design for English space rock/progressive rock/proto-punk band, HAWKWIND, promoting the band's then upcoming "Space Ritual" Tour, starting on November 8, 1972 and ending on December 30, 1972.

"It’s November 1972, and something extraordinary is happening in the sleepy Norfolk market town of King’s Lynn. The Corn Exchange venue is packed to the rafters with East Anglian heads and freaks, along with the local chapter of Hells Angels and a smattering of terrified teenyboppers.

It’s the first night of HAWKWIND’s "Space Ritual" tour, an event that’s been trailed by the band for more than a year now. It’s the culmination of three years of intense gigging around Britain and Europe, a multimedia sci-fi spectacular featuring dancers, space-age poetry, the most ambitious lights and visuals show on the circuit, and more than two hours of continuous, mind-expanding music."

-- LOUDER SOUND/PROG, “People came up to us after gigs and said our music terrified them" -- "The saga of Hawkwind's "Space Ritual," by Joe Banks, published 12 May 2023