Hawkwind

Biography

Hawkwind are an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including hard rock, progressive rock and psychedelic rock. They are regarded as an influential proto-punk band. Their lyrics often cover themes of urban life and science fiction.
Many musicians, dancers and writers have worked with the band since their inception. Key members of Hawkwind have included Nik Turner, Huw Lloyd-Langton, Del Dettmar, Lemmy, Simon King, Robert Calvert, Michael Moorcock, Simon House and Ginger Baker, but the band are most closely associated with their singer, songwriter and guitarist Dave Brock, who is the only remaining original member.
Hawkwind are best known for the song "Silver Machine×Silver Machine9 June 1972 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksASilver Machine4:35BSeven by Seven5:20", which became a number-three UK hit single in 1972, and they had further chart singles with "Urban Guerrilla" (another top 40 hit) and "Shot Down in the Night". The band had a run of twenty-two of their albums charting in the UK from 1971 to 1993, and another nine between 2012 and 2024.

1969: Formation

Dave Brock and guitarist Mick Slattery had been in the London-based psychedelic band Famous Cure, and a meeting with bassist John Harrison revealed a mutual interest in electronic music, which led the trio to embark upon a new musical venture together. Seventeen-year-old drummer Terry Ollis replied to an advert in a music weekly; Nik Turner and Michael "Dik Mik" Davies, old acquaintances of Brock, offered help with transport and gear, but were soon pulled into the band.
Slattery and Ollis were flatting in Talbot Road near All Saints Notting Hill, where bands performed in the church hall on Friday nights. On 29 August 1969 Slattery called in as the stage was being set up and asked someone if they could play a couple of numbers later. The band did not have a name yet and the best they could come up with on the night was Group X. They were given a 10 or 15 minute spot and played a 15 or 20 minute improvisation based on (by differing accounts) either the Byrds' "Eight Miles High" or John Coltrane's "India". BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel was in the audience, and was impressed enough to tell event organiser Douglas Smith to keep an eye on them. Smith signed them up and got them a deal with Liberty Records on the back of a deal he was setting up for Cochise.
A recording session took place at Abbey Road Studios late in the year to record demos of "Hurry on Sundown×Hurry On Sundown26 July 1970 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAHurry On Sundown4:50BMirror of Illusion6:58" and other tracks (which were eventually included on the remastered version of the group's debut album Hawkwind). Slattery left the band after the session, and they auditioned guitarists to replace him. One of the candidates was Huw Lloyd-Langton, who had earlier worked at the Ivor Mairants Musicentre and knew Brock, who used bought guitar strings at the Musicentre. Another candidate was a guitarist from Switzerland who happened to know Lloyd-Langton's girlfriend. The job went to Lloyd-Langton.

1970–1975: United Artists era

By 1970, the band was called Hawkwind Zoo. "Hawkwind" started as Turner's nickname, as he had habits of noisy throat-clearing and spitting ("hawking") and flatulence ("wind"). According to Brock, they added "Zoo" to the name because "all of us acted like animals". The name was soon shortened to "Hawkwind".
The Pretty Things guitarist Dick Taylor was brought in to produce the 1970 debut album Hawkwind. Although it was not a commercial success, it did bring them to the attention of the UK underground scene, which found them playing free concerts, benefit gigs, and festivals. Playing free outside the Bath Festival, they encountered another Ladbroke Grove–based band, the Pink Fairies, who shared similar interests in music and drugs; a friendship developed which led to the two bands becoming running partners and performing as "Pinkwind". Their use of drugs, however, led to the departure of Harrison, who did not voluntarily partake, but had someone spike his drink with mescaline, to be replaced briefly by Thomas Crimble (about July 1970 – March 1971). Crimble played on a few BBC sessions (which were eventually collected on the album The Text of Festival) before leaving to help organise the Glastonbury Free Festival 1971; he sat in during the band's performance there. Lloyd-Langton also quit, after someone spiked his drink with LSD at the Isle of Wight Festival and he had a bad trip, followed by a nervous breakdown a while later.
Their follow-up album, 1971's In Search of Space×In Search of Space8 October 1971 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracksA1You Shouldn’t Do That15:41A2You Know You’re Only Dreaming6:39B1Master of the Universe6:16B2We Took the Wrong Step Years Ago4:51B3Adjust Me5:46B4Children of the Sun3:13, brought greater commercial success, reaching number 18 on the UK album charts. This album offered a refinement of the band's image and philosophy courtesy of graphic artist Barney Bubbles and underground press writer Robert Calvert, as depicted in the accompanying Hawklog booklet, which would be further developed into the Space Ritual stage show. Science fiction author Michael Moorcock and dancer Stacia also started contributing to the band. Dik Mik had left the band, replaced by sound engineer Del Dettmar, but chose to return for this album, thus giving the band two electronics players. Bass player Dave Anderson, who had been in the German band Amon Düül II, had also joined and played on the album, but departed before its release because of personal tensions with some other members of the band. Anderson and Lloyd-Langton then formed the short-lived band Amon Din. Meanwhile, Ollis quit, unhappy with the commercial direction in which the band were heading.
The addition of bassist Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister and drummer Simon King propelled the band to greater heights. One of the early gigs the band played was a benefit for the Greasy Truckers at The Roundhouse on 13 February 1972. A live album of the concert, Greasy Truckers Party, was released; from this, a single (with overdubbed vocal), "Silver Machine×Silver Machine9 June 1972 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksASilver Machine4:35BSeven by Seven5:20", was also released, reaching number three in the UK charts. This generated sufficient funds for the subsequent album Doremi Fasol Latido×Doremi Fasol Latido24 November 1972 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracksA1Brainstorm11:35A2Space Is Deep6:21A3One Change0:49B1Lord of Light6:59B2Down Through the Night3:06B3Time We Left This World Today8:44B4The Watcher4:08 and Space Ritual×Space Ritual11 May 1973 · Album · LiveSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks · 2 discsDisc 1A1Earth Calling1:46A2Born to Go9:56A3Down Through the Night6:16A4The Awakening1:32B1Lord of Light7:21B2The Black Corridor1:51B3Space Is Deep8:13B4Electronic No. 12:26Disc 2C1Orgone Accumulator9:59C2Upside Down2:43C310 Seconds of Forever2:05C4Brainstorm9:20D17 by 76:13D2Sonic Attack2:54D3Time We Left This World Today5:47D4Master of the Universe7:37D5Welcome to the Future2:03 tour. The show featured costumes, dancers Stacia and Miss Renee – typically performing either topless or wearing only body paint – mime artist Tony Carrera, and a light show by Liquid Len. The songs in the show were connected by electronic and spoken word segues and the show was recorded on the elaborate package Space Ritual. At the height of their success, in 1973, the band released the single "Urban Guerrilla", which coincided with an IRA bombing campaign in London, so the BBC refused to play it and the band's management reluctantly decided to withdraw it fearing accusations of opportunism, despite the disc having already climbed to number 39 in the UK chart.

Dik Mik departed during 1973, and Calvert ended his association with the band to concentrate on solo projects. Dettmar also indicated that he was to leave the band, so Simon House was recruited as keyboardist and violinist playing live shows, a North America tour and recording the 1974 album Hall of the Mountain Grill×Hall of the Mountain Grill6 September 1974 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracksA1The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke)7:20A2Wind of Change4:36A3D-Rider6:14A4Web Weaver3:10B1You’d Better Believe It7:15B2Hall of the Mountain Grill2:24B3Lost Johnny3:28B4Goat Willow1:37B5Paradox5:24. Dettmar left after a European tour and emigrated to Canada, whilst Alan Powell deputised for an incapacitated King on that European tour, but remained, giving the band two drummers.
At the beginning of 1975, the band recorded the album Warrior on the Edge of Time×Warrior on the Edge of Time9 May 1975 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1Assault and Battery, Part I5:37A2The Golden Void, Part II4:38A3The Wizard Blew His Horn1:57A4Opa-Loka5:13A5The Demented Man3:58B1Magnu8:22B2Standing at the Edge2:40B3Spiral Galaxy 289483:46B4Warriors1:59B5Dying Seas3:05B6Kings of Speed3:32 in collaboration with Michael Moorcock, loosely based on his Eternal Champion figure. However, during a North American tour in May, Lemmy was caught in possession of amphetamine crossing the border from the US into Canada. The border police mistook the powder for cocaine and he was jailed, forcing the band to cancel some shows. Fed up with his erratic behaviour, the band dismissed the bass player replacing him with their long-standing friend and former Pink Fairies guitarist Paul Rudolph. Lemmy then teamed up with another Pink Fairies guitarist, Larry Wallis, to form Motörhead, named after the last song he had written for Hawkwind.

1976–1978: Charisma era

Calvert made a guest appearance with the band for their headline set at the Reading Festival in August 1975, after which he chose to rejoin the band as a full-time lead vocalist. Stacia chose to relinquish her dancing duties and settle down to family life. The band changed record company to Tony Stratton-Smith's Charisma Records and, on Stratton-Smith's suggestion, band management from Douglas Smith to Tony Howard.
Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music is the first album of this era. On the eve of recording the follow-up "Back on the Streets" single, Turner was dismissed for his erratic live playing and Powell was deemed surplus to requirements. After a tour to promote the single and during the recording of the next album, Rudolph was also dismissed, for allegedly trying to steer the band into a musical direction at odds with Calvert and Brock's vision.
Adrian "Ade" Shaw, who, as bass player for Magic Muscle, had supported Hawkwind on the Space Ritual tour, came in for the 1977 album Quark, Strangeness and Charm×Quark, Strangeness and Charm17 June 1977 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracksA1Spirit of the Age7:19A2Damnation Alley9:08A3Fable of a Failed Race3:18B1Quark, Strangeness and Charm3:42B2Hassan I Sahba5:22B3The Forge of Vulcan3:06B4Days of the Underground3:10B5The Iron Dream1:50. The band continued to enjoy moderate commercial success, but Calvert's mental illness often caused problems. A manic phase saw the band abandon a European tour in France, while a depression phase during a 1978 North American tour convinced Brock to disband the group. In between these two tours, the band had recorded the album PXR5 in January 1978, but its release was delayed until 1979.
On 23 December 1977 in Barnstaple, Brock and Calvert had performed a one-off gig with Devon band Ark as the Sonic Assassins, and looking for a new project in 1978, bassist Harvey Bainbridge and drummer Martin Griffin were recruited from this event. Steve Swindells was recruited as keyboard player. The band was named Hawklords, (probably for legal reasons, the band having recently split from their management), and recording took place on a farm in Devon using a mobile studio, resulting in the album 25 Years On×25 Years OnOctober 1978 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracksA1Psi Power6:07A2Free Fall5:14A3Automotion1:12A425 Years4:31B1Flying Doctor5:42B2The Only Ones4:13B3(Only) The Dead Dreams of the Cold War Kid3:50B4The Age of the Micro Man3:30. King had originally been the drummer for the project but quit during recording sessions to return to London, while House, who had temporarily left the band to join a David Bowie tour, elected to remain with Bowie full-time, but nevertheless contributed violin to these sessions. At the end of the band's UK tour, Calvert, wanting King back in the band, dismissed Griffin, then promptly resigned himself, choosing to pursue a career in literature. Swindells left to record a solo album after an offer had been made to him by the record company ATCO.

1979–1986: Bronze, RCA and independents

In late 1979, Hawkwind reformed with Brock, Bainbridge and King being joined by Huw Lloyd-Langton (who had played on the debut album) and Tim Blake (formerly of Gong), debuting at the first Futurama (The World's First Science Fiction Music Festival) on 9 September in Leeds, and then embarking upon a UK tour despite not having a record deal or any product to promote. Some shows were recorded and a deal was made with Bronze Records, resulting in the Live Seventy Nine album, quickly followed by the studio album Levitation×Levitation27 October 1980 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracksA1Levitation5:49A2Motorway City6:47A3Psychosis2:23A4World of Tiers3:19B1Prelude1:41B2Who's Gonna Win the War4:45B3Space Chase3:10B4The Fifth Second of Forever3:27B5Dust of Time6:19. However, during the recording of Levitation King quit and Ginger Baker was drafted in for the sessions, but he chose to stay with the band for the tour, during which Blake left to be replaced by Keith Hale.
In 1981 Baker and Hale left after their insistence that Bainbridge should be dismissed was ignored, and Brock and Bainbridge elected to handle synthesisers and sequencers themselves, with drummer Griffin from the Hawklords rejoining. Three albums, which again saw Moorcock contributing lyrics and vocals, were recorded for RCA/Active: Sonic Attack, the electronic Church of Hawkwind and Choose Your Masques. This band headlined the 1981 Glastonbury Festival and made an appearance at the 1982 Donington Monsters of Rock Festival, as well as continuing to play the summer solstice at Stonehenge Free Festival.
In the early 1980s, Brock had started using drum machines for his home demos and became increasingly frustrated at the inability of drummers to keep perfect time, leading to a succession of drummers coming and going. First, Griffin was ousted and the band tried King again, but, unhappy with his playing at that time, he was rejected. Andy Anderson briefly joined while he was also playing for the Cure, and Robert Heaton also filled the spot briefly prior to the rise of New Model Army. Lloyd Langton Group drummer John Clark did some recording sessions, and in late 1983 Rick Martinez joined the band to play drums on the Earth Ritual tour in February and March 1984, later replaced by Clive Deamer.
Turner had returned as a guest for the 1982 Choose Your Masques tour and was invited back permanently. Further tours ensued with Phil "Dead Fred" Reeves augmenting the line-up on keyboards and violin, but neither Turner nor Reeves would appear on the only recording of 1983–84, The Earth Ritual Preview; however, there was a guest spot for Lemmy. The Earth Ritual tour was filmed for Hawkwind's first video release, Night of the Hawk.
Alan Davey was a young fan of the band who had sent a tape of his playing to Brock, and Brock chose to oust Reeves moving Bainbridge from bass to keyboards to accommodate Davey. This experimental line-up played at the Stonehenge Free Festival in 1984, which was filmed and release as Stonehenge 84. Subsequent personal and professional tensions between Brock and Turner led to the latter's expulsion at the beginning of 1985. Clive Deamer, who was deemed "too professional" for the band, was eventually replaced in 1985 by Danny Thompson Jr (son of folk-rock bassist Danny Thompson), a friend of Alan Davey, and remained almost to the end of the decade.
Hawkwind's association with Moorcock climaxed in their most ambitious project, The Chronicle of the Black Sword, based loosely around the Elric series of books and theatrically staged with Tony Crerar as the central character. Moorcock contributed lyrics, but only performed some spoken pieces on some live dates. The tour was recorded and issued as an album Live Chronicles×Live Chronicles1986 · Album · LiveSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 24 tracks · 2 discsDisc 1A1Song of the Swords3:09A2Dragons and Fables3:10A3Narration0:47A4The Sea King3:49A5Angels of Death4:37B1Shade Gate3:58B2Rocky Paths2:52B3Narration0:38B4The Pulsing Cavern2:34B5Master of the Universe3:58B6Dreaming City6:05Disc 2C1Choose Your Masques4:15C2Fight Sequence4:00C3Needle Gun4:15C4Zarozinia4:15C5Lords of Chaos1:01C6The Dark Lords1:36C7Wizard of Pan Tang1:51D1Moonglum4:46D2Elric the Enchanter2:31D3Conjuration of Magnu1:52D4Magnu3:15D5Dust of Time2:31D6Horn of Fate5:54 and video The Chronicle of the Black Sword×The Chronicle of the Black Sword11 November 1985 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1Song of the Swords3:28A2Shade Gate3:01A3The Sea King3:24A4The Pulsing Cavern2:33A5Elric the Enchanter4:50B1Needle Gun4:13B2Zarozinia3:21B3The Demise1:03B4Sleep of a Thousand Tears4:10B5Chaos Army0:52B6Horn of Destiny6:20. The band also performed at the Worldcon (World Science Fiction Convention) in Brighton.

In August 1985, The band performed at Crystal Palace Bowl, with several other rock bands, for a benefit concert for Pete Townshend's Double-O anti-heroin charity. Lemmy and Stacia were reunited with the band for this event. Vera Lynn preceded Hawkwinds set.

1986–1999: GWR through to EBS

A headline appearance at the 1986 Reading Festival was followed by a UK tour to promote the Live Chronicles album which was filmed and released as Chaos. In 1988 the band recorded the album The Xenon Codex×The Xenon Codex25 April 1988 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1The War I Survived5:252Wastelands of Sleep4:193Neon Skyline / Lost Chronicles7:414Tides2:565Heads5:026Mutation Zone3:577E.M.C.4:548Sword of the East5:269Good Evening4:37 with Guy Bidmead, but all was not well in the band and soon after, both Lloyd-Langton and Thompson departed.
Drummer Richard Chadwick, who joined in the summer of 1988, had been playing in small alternative free festival bands, most notably Bath's Smart Pils, for a decade and had frequently crossed paths with Hawkwind and Brock. He was initially invited simply to play with the band, but eventually replaced stand in drummer Mick Kirton to become the band's drummer to the present day.
To fill in the gap of lead sound, lost when Lloyd-Langton left, violinist House was re-instated into the line-up in 1989 (having previously been a member from 1974 until 1978), and, notably, Hawkwind embarked on their first North American visit in eleven years (since the somewhat disastrous 1978 tour), in which House did not partake. The successfully received tour was the first of several over the coming years, in an effort by the band to re-introduce themselves to the American market.
Bridget Wishart, an associate of Chadwick's from the festival circuit, also joined to become the band's one and only singing front-woman, the band had been fronted in earlier days by Stacia but only as a dancer. This band produced two albums, 1990's Space Bandits×Space Bandits24 September 1990 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracks1Images9:342Black Elk Speaks5:143Wings5:234Out of the Shadows5:025Realms3:276Ship of Dreams5:107T.V. Suicide5:21 and 1991's Palace Springs×Palace SpringsJune 1991 · Album · LiveSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1Back in the Box6:212Treadmill8:103Lives of Great Men3:274Void of Golden Light6:515Time We Left2:406Heads4:397Acid Test6:028Damnation Alley7:16 and also filmed a one-hour appearance for the Bedrock TV series with dancer Julie Murray-Anderson, who performed with Hawkwind between 1988 and 1991.
1990 saw Hawkwind tour North America again, the second instalment in a series of American visits made at around this time in an effort to re-establish the Hawkwind brand in America. The original business plan was to hold three consecutive US tours, annually, from 1989 to 1991, with the first losing money, the second breaking even, and the third turning a profit, ultimately bringing Hawkwind back into recognition across the Atlantic. Progress, however, was somewhat stunted, due to ex-member Nik Turner touring the United States with his own band at the time, in which the shows were often marketed as Hawkwind.
Still supporting Space Bandits, 1991 commenced with perhaps the most surprising Hawkwind tour in the band's history, without Dave Brock. Brock's temporary replacement was former Smart Pils guitarist Steve Bemand (who had played with Chadwick and Wishart in the Demented Stoats). The tour began in Amsterdam on 12 March and took in Germany, Greece, Italy and France before wrapping up in Belgium on 10 April after 24 dates.
In 1991 Bainbridge, House and Wishart departed and the band continued as a three piece relying heavily on synthesisers and sequencers to create a wall-of-sound. The 1992 album Electric Tepee×Electric Tepee11 May 1992 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1L.S.D.8:162Blue Shift4:193Death of War4:484The Secret Agent8:115Garden Pests2:106Space Dust5:217Snake Dance3:538Mask of the Morning8:509Rites of Netherworld0:3710Don’t Understand7:0411Sadness Runs Deep5:5812Right to Decide4:2613Going to Hawaii7:5314Electric Tepee2:49 combined hard rock and light ambient pieces, while It is the Business of the Future to be Dangerous is almost devoid of the rock leanings. The Business Trip is a record of the previous album's tour, but rockier as would be expected from a live outing. The White Zone album was released under the alias Psychedelic Warriors to distance itself entirely from the rock expectancy of Hawkwind.
A general criticism of techno music at that time was its facelessness and lack of personality, which the band were coming to feel also plagued them. Ron Tree had known the band on the festival circuit and offered his services as a front-man, and the band duly employed him for the album Alien 4×Alien 49 October 1995 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Abducted2:452Alien (I Am)7:463Reject Your Human Touch2:214Blue Skin7:085Beam Me Up4:106Vega3:517Xenomorph4:528Journey3:129Sputnik Stan7:0310Kapal5:1111Festivals6:4812Death Trap3:5713Wastelands1:2414Are You Losing Your Mind?2:32 and its accompanying tour which resulted in the album Love in Space×Love in Space28 May 1996 · Album · LiveSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Abducted2:552Death Trap4:413Wastelands1:374Are You Losing Your Mind?3:085Photo Encounter2:176Blue Skin6:567Sputink Stan10:208Robot7:409Alien I Am8:50Disc 21Xenomorph5:192Vega3:333Love in Space9:434Kapal6:065Elfin2:106Silver Machine3:347Welcome2:128Assassins / Space Is Their Palestine8:41 and video.
In 1996, unhappy with the musical direction of the band, bassist Davey left, forming his own Middle-Eastern flavoured hard-rock group Bedouin and a Motörhead tribute act named Ace of Spades. His bass playing role was reluctantly picked up by singer Tree and the band were joined full-time by lead guitarist Jerry Richards (another stalwart of the festival scene, playing for Tubilah Dog who had merged with Brock's Agents of Chaos during 1988) for the albums Distant Horizons×Distant Horizons3 November 1997 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Distant Horizons5:202Phetamine Street5:423Waimea Canyon Drive4:544Alchemy3:135Clouded Vision3:496Reptoid Vision7:397Population Overload6:518Wheels6:249Kauai / Taxi for Max2:5110Love in Space4:50 and In Your Area×In Your Area5 January 1999 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Brainstorm / Hawkwind in Your Area11:082Alchemy2:463Love In Space / Rat Race5:514Aerospace Age Inferno5:335First Landing on Medusa1:416I Am the Reptoid3:197The Nazca0:458Hippy5:469Prairie2:3910Your Fantasy5:0511Luxotica3:0912Diana Park4:21. Rasta chanter Captain Rizz also joined the band for guest spots during live shows.

1999–2007: Anniversaries, disputes and Voiceprint

Hawkestra—a re-union event featuring appearances from past and present members—had originally been intended to coincide with the band's 30th anniversary and the release of the career spanning Epocheclipse – 30 Year Anthology set, but logistical problems delayed it until 21 October 2000. It took place at the Brixton Academy with about 20 members taking part in a more than 3-hour set, which was filmed and recorded. Guests included Samantha Fox who sang "Master of the Universe×Master of the UniverseMarch 1994 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks1Master of the Universe3:222Angels of Death4:173Motorhead3:034Earth Calling2:035Space Is Deep8:266Ghost Dance3:517Born to Go5:038British Tribal Music3:539Spirit of the Age7:5210Hash Cake '774:1211High Rise5:4112Hurry on Sundown3:4113Douglas in the Jungle5:3114Who's Gonna Win the War4:2915Quark, Strangeness and Charm2:3516Dealing With the Devil2:1117Silver Machine (live)3:57". However, arguments and disputes over financial recompense and musical input resulted in the prospect of the event being re-staged unlikely, and any album or DVD release being indefinitely shelved.
The Hawkestra had set a template for Brock to assemble a core band of Tree, Brock, Richards, Davey, Chadwick and for the use of former members as guests on live shows and studio recordings. The 2000 Christmas Astoria show was recorded with contributions from House, Blake, Rizz, Moorcock, Jez Huggett and Keith Kniveton and released as Yule Ritual the following year. In 2001, Davey agreed to rejoin the band permanently, but only after the departure of Tree and Richards.
Meanwhile, having rekindled relationships with old friends at the Hawkestra, Turner organised further Hawkestra gigs resulting in the formation of xhawkwind.com, a band consisting mainly of ex-Hawkwind members and playing old Hawkwind songs. An appearance at Guilfest in 2002 led to confusion as to whether this actually was Hawkwind, sufficiently irking Brock into taking legal action to prohibit Turner from trading under the name Hawkwind. Turner lost the case and the band began performing as Space Ritual.
An appearance at the Canterbury Sound Festival in August 2001, resulting in another live album Canterbury Fayre 2001×Canterbury Fayre 2001December 2002 · Album · LiveSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks · 2 discsDisc 115th Second of Forever3:522Levitation9:193Spiral Galaxy3:174Solitary Mind Games8:085Angels of Death6:176Spirit of the Age7:357Magnu3:438Dust of Time2:089Motorway City6:1210Hurry On Sundown3:4411Assassins of Allah12:26Disc 21Silver Machine5:162Arthur’s Poem0:553Assault and Battery2:524Void of Golden Light10:445Ejection8:18, saw guest appearances from Lloyd-Langton, House, Kniveton with Arthur Brown on "Silver Machine×Silver Machine9 June 1972 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksASilver Machine4:35BSeven by Seven5:20". The band organised the first of their own weekend festivals, named Hawkfest, in Devon in the summer of 2002. Brown joined the band in 2002 for a winter tour which featured some Kingdom Come songs and saw appearances from Blake and Lloyd-Langton, the Newcastle show being released on DVD as Out of the Shadows and the London show on CD as Spaced Out in London.
A new album, Take Me to Your Leader×Take Me to Your Leader12 September 2005 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Spirit of the Age6:432Out Here We Are5:573Greenback Massacre4:144To Love a Machine6:005Take Me to Your Leader5:506Digital Nation5:257Sunray3:568Sighs1:239Angela Android5:0810A Letter to Robert6:0911Paradox 20055:59Disc 21Spirit of the Age (promo video)2Silver Machine (live with Lemmy)3The Right to Decide (live)4Spirit of the Age (live)5Psychedelic Warlords (live), was released in 2005. Recorded by the core band of Brock/Davey/Chadwick, contributors included new keyboardist Jason Stuart, Arthur Brown, tabloid writer and TV personality Matthew Wright, 1970s New Wave singer Lene Lovich, Simon House and Jez Huggett. This was followed in 2006 by the CD/DVD Take Me to Your Future.
The band were the subject of an hour-long television documentary titled Hawkwind: Do Not Panic that aired on BBC Four as part of the Originals series. It was broadcast on 30 March 2007 and repeated on 10 August 2007. Although Brock participated in its making, he did not appear in the programme; it is alleged that he requested all footage of himself be removed after he was denied any artistic control over the documentary. One of the documentary's opening narratives states that Brock declined to be interviewed for the programme because of Nik Turner's involvement, thus indicating that the two men had still not reconciled over the xhawkwind.com incident.
December 2006 saw the official departure of Alan Davey, who left to perform and record with two new bands: Gunslinger and Thunor. He was replaced by Mr Dibs, a long-standing member of the road crew. The band performed at their annual Hawkfest festival and headlined the US festival Nearfest and played gigs in PA and NY. At the end of 2007, Tim Blake once again joined the band filling the lead role playing keyboards and theremin. The band played five Christmas dates, the London show being released as an audio CD and video DVD under the title Knights of Space.

2008–2016: Atomhenge and Eastworld

In January 2008 the band reversed its anti-taping policy – which had long been a sore point with many fans – announcing that it would allow audio recording and non-commercial distribution of such recordings, provided there was no competing official release. At the end of 2008, Atomhenge Records (a subsidiary of Cherry Red Records) commenced the re-issuing of Hawkwind's back catalogue from the years 1976 through to 1997 with the release of two triple CD anthologies Spirit of the Age (anthology 1976–84) and The Dream Goes On (anthology 1985–97).
On 8 September 2008 keyboard player Jason Stuart died due to a brain haemorrhage. In October 2008, Niall Hone (former Tribe of Cro) joined Hawkwind for their winter 2008 tour playing guitar, along with returning synth/theremin player Tim Blake. In this period, Hone also occasionally played bass guitar alongside Mr Dibs and used laptops for live electronic improvisation.
In 2009, the band began occasionally featuring Jon Sevink from The Levellers as guest violinist at some shows. Later that year, Hawkwind embarked on a winter tour to celebrate the band's 40th anniversary, including two gigs on 28 and 29 August marking the anniversary of their first live performances. In 2010, Hawkwind held their annual Hawkfest at the site of the original Isle of Wight Festival, marking the 40th anniversary of their appearance there.
On 21 June 2010, Hawkwind released a studio album entitled Blood of the Earth×Blood of the Earth21 June 2010 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Seahawks6:142Blood of the Earth2:593Wraith6:074Green Machine4:045Inner Visions4:296Sweet Obsession4:457Comfey Chair4:548Prometheus5:489You’d Better Believe It7:1110Sentinel6:0311Starshine7:11 on Eastworld Records. During and since the Blood of the Earth support tours, Hone's primary on-stage responsibility shifted to bass, while Mr. Dibs moved to a more traditional lead singer/front man role.
In 2011, Hawkwind toured Australia for the second time.
April 2012 saw the release of a new album, Onward×Onward30 April 2012 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks · 2 discsDisc 1A1SeasonsA2The Hills Have EarsA3Mind CutA4System CheckA5Death Trap3:51B1Southern CrossB2The ProphecyB3Electric TearsB4The Drive ByB5Computer Cowards5:28Disc 2C1Right to DecideC2Aerospace AgeC3The Flowering of the Rose8:25D1Howling Moon2:12D2Trans Air Trucking2:38D3Deep Vents0:32D4Green Finned DemonD5[unknown], again on Eastworld. Keyboardist Dead Fred rejoined Hawkwind for the 2012 tour in support of Onward and has since remained with the band. In November 2012, Brock, Chadwick and Hone—credited as "Hawkwind Light Orchestra"—released Stellar Variations on Esoteric Recordings.
2013 marked the first Hawkeaster, a two-day festival held in Seaton, Devon during the Easter weekend. A US tour was booked for October 2013, but due to health issues, was postponed and later cancelled.
In February 2014, as part of a one-off Space Ritual performance, Hawkwind performed at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire featuring an appearance by Brian Blessed for the spoken word element of Sonic Attack; a studio recording of this performance was released as a single in September 2014. Later in the year, former Soft Machine guitarist John Etheridge joined the live line-up of the band, though he had departed again prior to early 2015 dates.
Following Hawkeaster 2015, Hawkwind made their debut visit to Japan, playing two sold-out shows in Tokyo. Hawkwind performed two Solstice Ritual shows in December 2015, with Steve Hillage guesting, and Haz Wheaton joining Hawkwind on bass guitar. Wheaton is a former member of the band's road crew who had previously appeared with Technicians of Spaceship Hawkwind, a "skeleton crew" spin off live band. Additionally, he had guested on bass for Dave Brock's solo album Brockworld released earlier in the year.

2016–present: Cherry Red projects

The band released The Machine Stops on 15 April 2016, a concept album based on E.M. Forster's short story of the same name. Brock and Chadwick were joined on the recording by Hone, Dibs and Wheaton sharing bass duties, while Hone and Dead Fred contributed one solo piece each. The album entered the UK album chart at number 29. Dead Fred's last live appearance was at Eastbourne Winter Gardens on 1 April; Hone took on keyboard and synth duties until Blake returned for the summer shows.
The trio of Brock, Chadwick and Wheaton recorded the album Into the Woods×Into the Woods5 May 2017 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Into the Woods6:162Cottage in the Woods3:523The Woodpecker0:524Have You Seen Them?6:585Ascent3:416Space Ship Blues6:357The Wind4:098Vegan Lunch5:189Magic Scenes6:1210Darkland2:1411Wood Nymph5:5712Deep Cavern2:2713Magic Mushroom9:28, released on 5 May 2017, with additional contributions from Dibs, Magnus Martin (whose band Tarantism had supported Hawkwind on many occasions) and Big Bill Barry. Martin and saxophonist Michał Sosna (from Polish group hipiersoniK) joined the band for a 16-date UK promotional tour in the same month, and festival appearances at Hellfest, Clisson, France in June and Bluedot Festival at Jodrell Bank Observatory, Cheshire in July. The Roundhouse gig, with a guest appearance from Phil Campbell, was released as Hawkwind At The Roundhouse on 8 December in 2CD/DVD and 3LP formats.
For the Into The Woods tour the group had performed an opening acoustic set before the main set, and they decided to capture some acoustic performances of their 1970s repertoire in the studio. A chance meeting with Mike Batt by Brock at the US Embassy brought him into the project contributing production, arrangement and additional orchestrations. The album Road to Utopia×Road to Utopia14 September 2018 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Quark, Strangeness and Charm4:322The Watcher5:053We Took the Wrong Step Years Ago4:574Flying Doctor5:525Psychic Power5:206Hymn to the Sun2:517The Age of the Micro Man5:328Intro the Night2:119Down Through the Night7:11 was released on 14 September 2018. There was a guest appearance from Eric Clapton, who Brock had performed with as a duo in the 1960s prior to his rise to fame in the Yardbirds. There was also a guest appearance of the band's former sax player, Jez Huggett, who's featured on "The Age of the Micro Man". The band played at Dreamland Margate with the Fierce and the Dead. Batt conducted a series of concerts titled In Search of Utopia – Infinity and Beyond featuring the band and Docklands Sinfonia Orchestra in October and November, with Arthur Brown guesting. After the recording of the album but before the shows, both Wheaton and Dibs left, while Hone rejoined on bass. Wheaton went on to join Electric Wizard, and Dibs stated "irreconcilable differences" on the Hawkwind fans Facebook page, Brock claiming "we propped the fella up and kept him in the band longer than he should have been, because we were genuinely concerned... about his state of mind."
In October 2019 the group released All Aboard the Skylark, marketed as a return to their space rock roots. This was the first album with the line-up of Brock, Chadwick, Hone and Martin. Accompanying the CD version, and sold as a separate vinyl LP, was Acoustic Daze×Acoustic Daze27 October 2019 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1Psi PowerA2Hymn to the SunA3The WatcherA4Generator DoorA5Micro ManB1Intro the NightB2Down Through the NightB3Flying DoctorB4Get Yourself TogetherB5Ascent of ManB6We Took the Wrong Step Years Ago which included tracks from the Road to Utopia minus the additions of Batt and Clapton. The album was promoted with a 15 date tour of Britain in November, culminating in a final show at London's Royal Albert Hall. The group were augmented by keyboard player Blake, with guest appearances from Phil Campbell and Clapton. A record of the live show titled 50th Anniversary Live, with the guest appearance from Campbell, is released on 4 December 2020 by Cherry Red in 3LP and 2CD formats.
Brock had started work on new material in his home studio with some contributions from Chadwick and Martin when the COVID-19 pandemic spread curtailing any further band activity. Brock would continue work with remote contributions from Martin, and the album Carnivorous (an anagram of coronavirus) was released in October 2020 under the name Hawkwind Light Orchestra to reflect the reduced personnel.
When the group returned to live performances post-COVID in late 2021, the line-up featured Brock, Chadwick, Martin and new members Thighpaulsandra on keyboards and Doug MacKinnon on bass, replacing Blake and Hone respectively. A new Hawkwind album, Somnia×Somnia10 September 2021 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Unsomnia10:212Strange Encounters6:343Alcyone5:284Counting Sheep3:245China Blues7:236It’s Only a Dream3:177Meditation4:208Sweet Dreams2:209I Can’t Get You Off My Mind3:5810Small Objects in Space5:0711Pulsestar1:4412Barkus4:4613Cave of Phantom Dreams4:13, was released in 2021, followed in 2023 by The Future Never Waits×The Future Never Waits28 April 2023 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1The Future Never Waits10:162The End4:103Aldous Huxley4:384They’re So Easily Distracted10:255Rama (The Prophecy)8:306USB13:567Outside of Time7:388I’m Learning to Live Today8:059The Beginning8:2210Trapped in This Modern Age3:00 and in 2024 by Stories from Time and Space. The live album Live at the Royal Albert Hall×Live at the Royal Albert Hall13 December 2024 · Album · LiveSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 26 tracks · 3 discsDisc 11Levitation7:102You’d Better Believe It7:353Psychedelic Warlords9:424Arrival in Utopia8:525Rama the Prophecy7:486The Beginning8:467Spirit of the Age8:228Underwater City4:089Assault and Battery2:5010The Golden Void6:50Disc 21Peace1:282Right to Decide7:00310th Second of Forever5:404Born to Go7:355Star Explorer6:346Brainstorm5:287Neurons2:338Black Corridor7:349Master of the Universe6:0110Welcome to the Future2:24Disc 31Frozen in Time7:452Practical Ability14:293Lost Chances2:304Second Chances5:285Underwater City3:146Mask of Morning10:45 recorded on 29 September 2023 was released on 13 December 2024 in 3CD a 3LP formats, the CD issue containing a bonus CD of studio rehearsals. Brown joined the band for this performance reciting the poems.

Influence and legacy

Eduardo Rivadavia of Loudwire wrote: "With all due respect to the ethereal Pink Floyd, late-blooming UFO, and Mothership funk rockers Parliament, the heavy crown of '70s space rock belongs to the one and only Hawkwind, who embraced the stars like few bands before them or since."
Hawkwind have been cited as an influence by artists such as Al Jourgensen of Ministry, Monster Magnet, the Sex Pistols (who covered "Silver Machine×Silver Machine9 June 1972 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksASilver Machine4:35BSeven by Seven5:20"), Henry Rollins and Dez Cadena of Black Flag, Siobhan Fahey, Ty Segall, the Mekano Set, Ozric Tentacles., King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, and Neurosis.
Hard rock musician Lemmy of the band Motörhead gained a lot from his tenure in Hawkwind. He said: "I really found myself as an instrumentalist in Hawkwind. Before that I was just a guitar player who was pretending to be good, when actually I was no good at all. In Hawkwind I became a good bass player. It was where I learned I was good at something."

Members

Current members

Dave Brock – vocals, guitars, keyboards, synthesisers (1969–present)
Richard Chadwick – drums, vocals (1988–present)
Magnus Martin – guitars, vocals, keyboards (2016–present)
Thighpaulsandra – keyboards, synthesizers (2021–present)
Doug MacKinnon – bass (2021–present)