Review by Ivor Whitten for MPM
With a twenty year absence from Belfast, the British space-prog rockers Hawkwind landed in the Mandela Hall to perform from their new album Stories From Time and Space.
Formed back in 1969 Hawkwind’s latest offering will be their 36th album. But it is always on stage in front of a live audience is where the band brings each of their creations to life like no one else. All the attendees were promised an incredible visual experience to tie in with songs from the new album alongside some of the best-loved songs from the band’s incredible 55-year career.
It was a full seated concert and walking in you can quickly see that the room was filled to the brim with fans that covered the whole 55 years of the band, all chatting and chilling out all together. The vibe was pure relaxed anticipation as they knew they were in for a fantastic evening of intoxicating music and visual stimulation.
Kicking off the evening was one third of the band EBB (as in Ebb and not e.b.b.) to welcome everyone with a short but wonderful set of acoustic prog music. The two members of the six piece was Erin Bennett and Suna dasi. The audience were politely welcoming to begin with, being open to new bands and music like a room full of The Dudes.
After the first couple of tunes of “Dehumanised” and “Take to the stars” everyone had perked up. Their stripped back set using just acoustic guitars and their extraordinary voices had an etherealness that mesmerised all in the Hall. On they went with “Seasons”, “What you do to me”, and finishing with “Mary Jane”, each song and delivery was captivating with lilting tones. It was definitely a very special evening as the full performance is very much in the vein of paced out prog rock, or could it be prog country rock?
Anyone present would not be surprised to find they had been voted Best new band 2023 in the Prog Magazine Reader’s Poll. Consummate performers comfortable on stage and delivering a special sound. The latest Prog Magazine has a three-page feature on the band and well worth a read.
To a huge roar of approval Ebb left the stage and not too long after the main draw for tonight came on stage to loud rapturous applause. Hawkwind had landed.
And what a performance from the very first moment. Using an incredible entrancing light show they kicked off with “Brainbox Pollution” and fun psychedelic driven honky tonk piece people were already getting up and spacing out in their own little world of contemplative space. The event may have been seated but there was more than enough space to get up and get your freak on.
The laser light show and back drop video just blasted out feeling like being part of a full interpretive interactive performance. Like watching a full mind expanding and mind-altering movie while you are guided along with the themes of the accompanying music.
As it finished the approval shouts, roars and whistles instantly gave a metaphorical thumbs up and with a “We are trying to get off to Utopia where there are no problems in life” they launched in to “Arrival in Utopia / The Iron Dream / Arrival in Utopia” all the while the movie on the massive screen dropped in perfectly timed scenes from Metropolis framed on both sides with the iconic Maschinenmensch from the movie.
With a brief “Our album is out this week” as a quick quip of promotion which to be honest was something that people really wanted to know as even with the first few songs new fans will immediately be going out to buy.
Then songs like “Till I Found You”, “The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke) / You Know You’re Only Dreaming / The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke)” really kept the chilled, almost hallucinogenic fuzzy feeling floating along.
The grinding hypnotic rhythms churning along gently pulled everyone along to the incredible laser dancing cutting through the light haze was hypnotic and spiritual. Almost providing an inner calm while delivering a rhythm and powerful thrumming light rock fest. Even if it wasn’t necessarily your natural rock genre, Hawkwind were proving that they were one band that you can very happily move out of your comfort zone for them. Because their genre is just so comfortable and catchy.
Throughout the performance, the imagery on screen just locks onto your full attention and gently takes your hand to conduct you on a pleasant, absurd, trippy journey. The music, lights and video all melded into one solid remarkable performance.
More performances like “Lost Chances”, “Underwater City”, and the cover “Psi Power” had so many dancing in the isles, it looked like a convulsing river of mind-bending Tie-Dye. And while some could see that description as a bit of having a go at the crowd, it is more a warm happy description as people of the less hippy look were washing up alongside them. It was an inclusive mass of people just enjoying the mood and the feeling the performance provided. A thing of beauty to witness.
There were no cutting corners on the music either with wonderful long, meandering instrumentals. The lyrics delivered perfectly and the whole band just performed like a fine tuned and well-oiled machine.
Throughout the concert the mood of chill was infectious. The trance like state of each song was like an epic journey every time.
They just kept dropping incredible dream state performances after another with other songs like “The Beginning”, “Spirit of the Age”, “Frozen in Time” and “Brainstorm / Space is Deep (recited) / Brainstorm” that entranced the whole time in their presence.
Overall, the verdict is that it was a few beautiful well spent hours in an oasis of intoxicating chill in the middle of a tumultuous world and felt very re-energising.
Hawkwind are touring throughout the rest of the first half of this year and you can find out more at https://www.hawkwind.com/tour-dates.
Well worth checking out and going to see live, the way they should be experienced.
Photography by Darren Mcveigh for MPM
