Band: Hawkwind Venue: Tyne
Theatre and Opera House, Newcastle Upon Tyne Date: 14
November 2001
Okay let me set the scene for you guys. The Tyne Theatre is a proper turn
of the century theatre; the interior of the place is amazing with its
quaint little side boxes and three viewing platforms not including the
stalls.
It is one of those places that you see a play or a pantomime when you are
a kid and wonder how many ghosts they have lurking in the corridors and
believe me there is a few according to the rumours, but that's another
story.
So tonight we are all waiting in anticipation for the cosmic kings of Rock
Music to come on stage and blow are minds away. So have I set the scene
for you all - here we are sitting in our beautiful viewing box at the side
of the stage when the lights go down and the music starts to play, loads
of synthesized noises to take you off into far away lands and distant
galaxies.
A green searchlight wings its way into the audience and up to the ceiling
and lands on the ceiling rose teasing it into playing mind bending games
with it.
On comes the dry ice like the mists of time floating across the stage and
a cold chill runs through our private box, which is just a touch aerie.
Oodles and oodles of colour fill the theatre hypnotizing your brain. Then
on come the guys, the gods, the fathers of light and magic and the
audience go ballistic!
The stage was lit with tons of coloured psychedelic lights ready to
capture any passing alien in its wake. Dave Brock, Captain of Mission
Control (who hasn't aged at all) on keyboards taking stage right, while
Huw Lloyd Langdon, on guitar took stage left.
Alan Davey on bass in the centre of the landing site, with Richard
Chadwick on drums and last but not least, Simon House on violin. Simon
looked very at home in the Opera House in his green, sparkly, sequined hot
pants and gold larmay jacket. I kid you not!!
The house was totally tripping to the sounds of the rock gods when to add
to the merriment, the now legendary Kris Tate, fire-eater extraordinaire
joins them on stage
Kris dressed in a very psychedelic cat suit and silver Doc Martins ran on
stage with her batons flying high around her head and her face all painted
up like a Celtic goddess ready for a night on the town!
She glared in wonderment at the crowd who chanted out the lyrics to
"Masters of the Universe" and encouraged her to take another bite of her
lethal looking flaming lollipop. With each bite she hurled the orange and
gold flames into the air lighting up the auditorium and keeping the on
looking audience warm and dumbfounded.
The show went on for about an hour and a half, with Dave taking most of
the lead vocals and Hugh taking lead guitar. There was a strange go-go
dancer who kept on appearing through out some of the songs.
She kind of resembled a Barbie doll crossed with a version of Barbarella
and pivoted about on huge platform boots that looked remarkably difficult
to walk in.
The guys did a good mix of old stuff, singing such gems as "Brainbox
Pollution", "Sonic Attack" and "Assassins" which just brought the house to
its feet and the bouncers at the front to their knees. And Hugh to wear
some giant, yellow sunglasses!!!
It was a good feel gig, you know one of those type that you can either go
crazy or just sit and mellow out to the super, sonic, cosmic, vibe. We had
a fantastic time and can't wait to see them again in the coming years
summer festivals.
