Hawkwind at the Roundhouse, London - live review

Space rockers Hawkwind return to the Roundhouse for the first time in 40 years

By Dave Ling
( Prog )
published
Hawkwind live on stage with projections
(Image: © Kevin Nixon)

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Things begin with an acoustic set, but although the band played six or seven unplugged tracks elsewhere, tonight we get just three: the new album’s Ascent, golden oldie We Took The Wrong Step Years Ago and the Lemmy-penned The Watcher from Doremi Fasol Latido, which Brock dedicates to its composer. He tells the crowd that Hawkwind last played the Roundhouse in 1977, with the newly formed Motörhead as support, also revealing that a few nights ago, the vintage-era keysman Dik Mik attended a show in Ipswich: “If it wasn’t for Dik Mik getting him [Lemmy] into the band, none of this would have happened.” It’s a nice touch.

Dave Ling
Dave Ling

Dave Ling was a co-founder of Classic Rock magazine. His words have appeared in a variety of music publications, including RAW, Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, Prog, Rock Candy, Fireworks and Sounds. Dave’s life was shaped in 1974 through the purchase of a copy of Sweet’s album ‘Sweet Fanny Adams’, along with early gig experiences from Status Quo, Rush, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Yes and Queen. As a lifelong season ticket holder of Crystal Palace FC, he is completely incapable of uttering the word ‘Br***ton’.