HAWKWIND - All of them

\r\nOn October 25th we had the honor of talking with the innovative\r\nlegends of rock, Hawkwind!!! At the other end of our telephone line, in\r\na conference call, we talked with the whole band, we laughed our guts\r\nout. Hawkwind know the secret recipe to being the most influentious\r\nbands in the world.
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\r\nMetalzone: Hello everybody!
\r\n Hawkwind: Hello!! (Richard)Who is this? Who are we talking to?
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\r\n Metalzone: I am Helen, from the Metalzone. We are calling into having the honor, of interviewing the legends of rock Hawkwind.
\r\n Hawkwind:\r\nThank you very much. It’s our pleasure. We are all ready. We are\r\nsitting around the sofa like good boys. Our dog is barking, outside.
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\r\n Metalzone: How are you these days? We are anticipating you here in Greece. Very anxious to see you. How are you?
\r\n Hawkwind:\r\nWe look forward to coming to Greece as we always like to be there. Yeah\r\nwere looking forward, we meet some very interesting people.
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\r\n Metalzone: Would you like to tell me you about your whereabouts these days, your releases, and your upcoming DVD…
\r\n Hawkwind:\r\nWe’ve got a blazing sizzling new record called “Take Me To Your Leader”\r\nbased on noises that small puppets makes in the shape of a small alien.\r\nIt belongs to Jay actually (Jay makes the sound). It’s all based in\r\nthat. It’s all based on those futuristic sounds of Take me to your\r\nleader a concept album. There are on some other things we’ve been\r\nworking on.
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\r\n Metalzone: Such as?
\r\n Hawkwind:\r\nWe are preparing a new single from the Take me to your leader record.\r\nIt’s going to include Paradox, a new version of Paradox. We are very\r\nbusy, busy boys we are.
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\r\n Metalzone: Yes I know you are. You have also filmed a DVD, in Burgen, with 7 cameras. When is it going to be released?
\r\n Hawkwind:\r\nWe haven’t seen it yet. We actually have to see it first. So we aren’t\r\nthinking about releasing it because we don’t know if it’s any good yet.\r\nWe don’t know what the soundtracks are like; we don’t know what the\r\npictures look like. They haven’t sent us a copy so we are still\r\nwaiting.
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\r\n Metalzone: Are you going to be filming any of the stuff here in Greece in Gagarin?
\r\n Hawkwind:\r\nWell, it’s very hard to play and film at the same time. How can you\r\nplay if you carry all that cameras around? People could record it but\r\nthey’re not allowed to. So that’s it you‘ve got our scenario.
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\r\n Metalzone:\r\nI was told that during your first visit in Greece, Techno trips and\r\nPsychedelic Dreams there was a laser show on stage, as a backdrop. What\r\nshould we expect this time?
\r\n Hawkwind:\r\nWell, our live show, we can’t bring all of our equipment and to\r\nactually take it with us would cost a fortune. We are hiring a lot of\r\nstuff in Greece. We have a couple of dancers working with us. It will\r\nbe Ultra Violet we are probably going to use. Ultra Violet on stage! UV\r\nactually Richard, UV. There’ll definitely be some kind of live show. We\r\nare exponents of the show. As opposed to rock and roll stuff. Time goes\r\nby, emotions are put forth. As time goes by (they sing). You’ll see it\r\nwhen you see it.
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\r\n Metalzone: I see you’re preparing a double live album, entitled Festival Nights.
\r\n Hawkwind: Don’t know anything about it. What is that?
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\r\n Metalzone: From the Hawkfest 2003?
\r\n Hawkwind:\r\nOh, the Hawkfest! That’s being released next year. It’ll be April next\r\nyear. We also have been recording some more material. Doing a radio\r\nversion, of two tracks from, the album plus, another five, four, I am\r\nnot sure.
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\r\n Metalzone: Is there going to be anew single release with radio cuts?
\r\n Hawkwind:\r\nYes there will be. About 4 to 5 minutes. And on the other side we are\r\nreleasing stuff on DVD. So what we are actually doing its CD on one\r\nside, DVD the other.
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\r\n Metalzone: Oh, a dual disk?
\r\n Hawkwind: Dual!!!
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\r\n Metalzone:\r\nYou’re a band that has influenced many groups; both in their sound and\r\nattitude. Do you feel today’s music is anywhere close to what you are\r\nand represent?
\r\n Hawkwind: Today’s\r\nmusic? It’s very diverse today’s music. It’s so varied. Our music is\r\nspace rock music. Whenever we play with other bands they always say to\r\nus how major influence we’ve been to them. Even if they are different\r\nfrom us. Maybe it’s because the band has entered the pantheon of Rock\r\nLegends!!!!!(They are joking).
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\r\n Metalzone:\r\nDo you feel that creativity and music today is what it was in the past.\r\nYou’ve been around since the 70s and you’ve seen it transform over the\r\nyears
\r\n Hawkwind: Music is always\r\nongoing. It’s an art form in a way. There have been some interesting\r\nmixes, going on like Hip Hop and Jazz. A lot of Hip hop music is using\r\nnow an older sax from many years ago. Putting bombazines while there’s\r\na soprano saxophone playing, this is old jazz music with modern\r\ntechniques.
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\r\n Metalzone: What about rock music?
\r\n Hawkwind:\r\nStill that sounds the same. I think Richard is about to leave the room\r\nactually. It’s lots of diverse things in Rock music too, and lots of\r\nboring rock bands around. Of course I am not going to tell you who they\r\nare… (laughs).
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\r\n Metalzone:\r\nI think rock is in a stable faze. There’s no creativity. There aren’t\r\nbands around anymore that are like you. Do you see anyone that can do\r\nthe leaps forward you did? You made a school of rock. You’ve set the\r\nbasis for so many bands. I don’t see any band today that can do what\r\nyou did.
\r\n Hawkwind: That’s very\r\nnice thing of you to say. We have to take you out to dinner for saying\r\nthese nice things (laughs). Dinner and wine when we get there! The\r\nreason why there can’t be any band that sounds like Hawkwind is because\r\nthe premise of making music is different. With Hawkwind it wasn’t just\r\na band making music, we are creating an environment. So by the time the\r\ngig is finished they feel like they’ve had a kind of a journey and this\r\ninvolves more than just music. It involves lighting and stuff, to\r\ncreate another reality. Touch everybody’s senses. So, on that level, it\r\nis difficult for bands to stimulate that kind of sensibility, on that\r\nlevel. Because a. it’s expensive, having a light show around. The more\r\nbig the venue you are going to the more production is involved in\r\ntransforming it into a kind of environment here the music can blossom\r\nand grow. Raid culture did a lot in that sort of …. People going into\r\nthe streets taking them into a dreamland that would last till the end\r\nof the night. In a way rock music now is the pantheon of bands, the\r\nsound is more direct, it’s not so much concentrated on mood elevation.\r\nWhich has a lot to do with the fact that they are not so much propelled\r\nby the sixties drug culture. The idea that we were changing the world,\r\nthat things were going to be different, better instead now you have a\r\nkind of a reactionary music. I was watching an interview the other day\r\nand Roger was answering questions taken from the audience and one guy\r\nasked him, we are in a rock band what do we have to do to be different\r\nand he said, one thing that would be different right now would be\r\nsinging about what’s going on, and protesting about what’s going on.\r\nWhere’s the voice of protest? That would actually make a band stand\r\nout. Music now is very reactionary with many respects. Underground\r\nheavy metal is very romantic and its lyrical meanings in things like\r\nblack metal and death metal as well. They are pretty occupied with\r\nstuff that’ not necessarily all serious you know. And a few sappy\r\npeople are saying are you actually a Satanist and they would probably\r\nsay no, I am only singing about it and yes it is. In show business.\r\nWhere Hawkwind are making their music we are detaining the idea that\r\nthere is a lifestyle when you can be an adult and still be produce this\r\nkind of music. And we are still singing about croppy politicians and\r\ncorruption in the world which is still continuing onwards things to\r\nmotivate young people. It’s actually their job to fly the flag. How’s\r\nthat? Does that make sense?
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\r\n Metalzone:\r\nYes it makes a lot of sense; I am just wondering do you feel that\r\ntoday’s youngsters would be able to accept such music? We are\r\naccustomed to listening to music directed to commercial purposes. Music\r\ncarrying political messages, wouldn’t be too easy to accept, by the\r\nmusic industries…Don’t you think so?
\r\n Hawkwind: Could you repeat the question please cause there’s a bit of distraction here with dogs!
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\r\n Metalzone: (I repeat.)
\r\n Hawkwind:\r\nIt’s only starting to brew its head out. We’ve been pretty shocked.\r\nPopular culture is one of sock and aw. And the voice of descent has\r\nonly just started to appear. And it’s appearing in underground artists\r\nand actions. You get people like Coldplay who are supporters of\r\npolitical reactions along with characters like Bono. But working on\r\nthat kind of level, having that kind of financial degree, I am not sure\r\nthat a message could be as pure.
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\r\n Metalzone: How do you see your fans in your live shows? Do you see differences?
\r\n Hawkwind:\r\nI‘d say that the major change is that they bring in their children now!\r\nPeople coming to our show are from 6 years old up to 60. That’s very\r\nnoticeable now. Young people with their parents come along. Years ago\r\nwhen we went to see reggae bands we would see young children, their\r\nparents, their grandparents, they were all enjoying the music. Ok this\r\nshould be what’s going on everywhere. Just because someone in their\r\nsixties likes to go and see a heavy metal band they would say what’s\r\nthat old bloke doing here? But in music there should be no barriers.\r\nMusic should be for all ages. People should feel free to go and see any\r\nband, without being stressed about it. And the change has occurred\r\nbecause for us we could cause when we do festivals it’s fantastic to\r\nsee everybody there. Hello Jason. Helen I’d like to introduce you to\r\nJason. Our Greek lady here is doing an interview. Jason just arrived\r\nour keyboard player. Hello Greece how are you?
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\r\n Metalzone: Hello Jason.
\r\n Hawkwind: Late as always, it can’t be helped living in the country and all of that. Dreadful weather here at the moment.
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\r\n Metalzone: Really, how is the weather?
\r\n Hawkwind:\r\nWe are wearing our shorts! Very very well. It’s not been too bad today.\r\nWe’ve had lots of rain, which is in for another week but we all managed\r\nto make it out to rehearsals and we are looking so forward to coming\r\nover to play for you. It’s going to be really good fun.
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\r\n Metalzone: I hope we have a nice weather. Its sunny today but I don’t know how it will be next week.
\r\n Hawkwind:\r\nThe hospitality of the people there will outstare the weather no matter\r\nwhat it is. We know we’ll always have some fun anyway.
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\r\n Metalzone: Very kind of you. Thank you. How do you see metal music nowadays?
\r\n Hawkwind:\r\nThere are certainly a lot of different genres these days. There’s a lot\r\nmore distinction within metal music. It’s fairly clear cut. For me\r\nthat’s why it’s fun to play in this band because they sort of changed\r\nfrom metal to space rock, they sort of invented it. I get a little bit\r\nlost in all the categories they have. I think Richard our drummer is a\r\nlittle more succinct in what’s going on that department. Every where I\r\ngo I would like to have the flashing sound of metal ringing in my ears.\r\nI think in metal there’s an absolute renaissance! And it’s the very\r\nfact that there are so many divisions of the style that have allowed it\r\nto occur. It’s a bit like dance music. When they started, they were\r\nexpected to play a selection of every kind of style, and as a result\r\nyou couldn’t become a specialist only a good sequencist. So what\r\nhappened is that they sort of split up the styles and now which allowed\r\nmore specification. The same way I heavy metal and rock music. Because\r\nof the splits of styles they are getting much more interesting creative\r\nthings happen because people aren’t trapped. In the old days people\r\nheavy metal was a rock kind of entertainment. I think the record\r\ncompanies are to blame for that because they would accept only one kind\r\nof metal. They wouldn’t let other people experimenting. Things have\r\nopened up and people are a lot more acceptable in genres. … The new\r\ntechnologies has helped the advance, and puss the boundaries and\r\nevolve. Everything seems to be kicking baby! Yeah!
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\r\nMetalzone: How do you see the distribution of music over the internet?
\r\n Hawkwind:\r\nThat’s getting kind of boring. People are always gona do things for\r\nfree. Not so good if you are an artist. In a way it’s kind of like\r\nstealing. On any creative subject. It’s like books. But the record\r\ncompanies are very very slow and they are a lot to blame basically for\r\nnot being able to keep up with technologies. Now it’s coming to a\r\nbalance with the new sites which are doing law suits. It’s like Tin Pan\r\nAlley, where all artists gathered and played songs which they gave to\r\nperforming artists which performed them and paid them for their songs\r\nand then the Beatles come along and they changed reality by writing\r\ntheir own songs and everybody copied them and Tina Pan Alley collapsed.\r\nSo what we are dealing with now is the whole idea of being able to sell\r\nmusic again. Like there’s a painting and you draw copies of the\r\npainting again and again and again… The concept is the thing that’s\r\nvaluable. Anything after that is just a replication.
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\r\n Metalzone: What types of music do you listen to besides Hawkwind?
\r\n Hawkwind:\r\nLots of different music jazz, classical, dance and loads of diverse\r\nmusic. How about you Jason, I like everything from pop rock to\r\nclassical a bit of heavy. (Richard)I enjoy eclectic from the Joyful\r\ndead to Godwill.
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\r\nMetalzone: A lot of diverse sounds. Do you get influenced in your music? How do you stay creative after so many years?
\r\n Hawkwind:\r\nRichard’s creativity is huge amounts of marihuana! (laughs)\r\nEnormously!!!(Richard)That’s the way he always gets his vision! I would\r\ntotally recommend it! (laughs all around). Everyday as a musician in a\r\nband I learn something. You can learn something every day even if you\r\nare talking to somebody. You constantly expand your horizons and go\r\nforward. I think people are always pushing boundaries and always want\r\nto go forward. The day you stop doing that, you might as well pack up\r\nand go home and make… Atrophy, that’s the word where you get if you’re\r\nnot creative! (they are all talking simultaneously, again, and I can’t\r\nmake out what they are saying)You can wake up one morning and see a\r\nbeautiful sunrise or sunset… but it’s always different, and that’s the\r\nsame thing with music, and we play the same number sometimes when we\r\nare on tour but it’s different every time. It’s a constant evolving\r\nprocess and that’s why we do it. You can go to bed at night and wake up\r\nin the morning humming a tune that you’ve created in the evening.\r\n(Richard) I am not much of a hummer myself. If I got a tune it comes\r\nout loud!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
\r\nI don’t have a humble hum!!!! No.
\r\nThey tell me about Jason’s restaurant…
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\r\n Metalzone: You are having lots of fun among you how long do you believe you can keep this up?
\r\n Hawkwind:\r\n(Jason) Forever. (Richard) We are only putting this on for you. We\r\nnever relate very much at all. We all sit in our separate corners… In\r\nthe monastery.(Richard) We don’t do it all the time and that’s the key\r\nto enjoy each others company. Is not to have too much of it.
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\r\n Metalzone: That’s your secret recipe?
\r\n Hawkwind:\r\nDon’t over do it and you’ll keep doing it for ages. A little is better\r\nthan too much. As long as we have fun. But we always have a good laugh.\r\n
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\r\n Metalzone: What happened, what’s the silence about?
\r\n Hawkwind: We were speaking quietly. Next question?
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\r\n Metalzone: Next question has to do with Lemmy Killmister. I want to know why he leaved the band.
\r\n Hawkwind:\r\nHe got caught at the Canadian border with some amphetamine which they\r\nthought was cocaine and he was arrested, not allowed into Canada, and\r\nthe band decided to have a meeting and four members decided that he\r\nshould go, and basically the majority ruled and he went on to heroic\r\nactivities with Motorhead so for him it was perhaps a fantastic\r\ndecision cause he become a great star.
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\r\n Metalzone: Is there anything you would like to add about your upcoming whereabouts and plans?
\r\n Hawkwind:\r\nWe are off to Greece, we are doing a tour in England, we stop for\r\nChristmas, then we’re going off to Australia, and then we go onto\r\nanother tour in, where do we go, we go Amsterdam, Germany, a couple in\r\nFrance, and we might be back in Greece again in April, who knows? A\r\nfestival in summer actually. I’ve just been told we’ve been asked to do\r\na festival in Greece in summer on one of the Islands. We’ll have to\r\nwait and see about that.
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\r\n Metalzone: A true honor for me doing the interview.
\r\n Hawkwind:\r\nWe look forward to seeing you all. We hope to see them there and have\r\naffine show and have a fine time. We’d like to see them painting their\r\nfaces, doing their hair and wearing their very best clothes at the\r\nshow. So that everyone looks like a dazzling star. A constellation\r\ngathered together. That’s what we’ll see a constellation of stars.
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\r\nΕλένη "Blackie" Μιχαηλίδου\r\n