Hawkwind at Dreamland

Dreamland, Margate
Friday 20th July

Epic! I can't find a full set list, but it included:
"Lives of Great Men" > "The Golden Void"
"Ejection"
"Paradox"
"Damnation Alley"
"Spirit of the Age"
"Hassan-i-Sabbah"
+ other Hawkwind classics and some stuff I didn't recognise, but all infused with swirly, squelchy, cosmic Hawkwindness (it's like a kind of cumulative process that's been going on for fifty years...they just keep getting MORE Hawkwind). Great lineup, energy and lightshow. REALLY hot inside the venue, but somehow that seemed to suit the occasion. Dave Brock still rocking and looking like he's enjoying himself, while playing a LONG set in an oven-like space. Richard Chadwick still drumming after all these years. Tim Blake, back in the fold, was enthusiastically jamming out on his keytar and theremin, not looking quite as ridiculous as last time I caught them, but wearing (of course) a Tim Blake "Crystal Machine" T-shirt. Magnus from Tarantism on keys and guitar. Dibs has handed over bass playing duties to Niall Hone, now fully engaged as frontman, making jarring noises both digital and analogue, and generally looking baaaad. Overwhelming, overall. A few weak moments, but they're jamming out, c'mon.

I spent a while "on Margate Sands, connecting nothing with nothing" and preparing my head before venturing into the venue. I opted out from the metal band who were supporting, ended up out in the smoking area chatting with Dave Sanger, the man behind the horsedrawn festival stage, who was at that time camped with his horses and wagon in the area — not only had he been given a free ticket to a Hawkwind gig, he beamed, he'd been able to walk to it!

I chose not to run for the last train and miss the end of "Hassan-i-Sabbah", despite knowing I'd have to cycle the 20+ miles back to Canterbury in the dark and rain, it was that good! The journey home was a joyful one, including a magickal few moments beneath the towers at Reculver, before heading inland along little country roads. Home safe and very happy.

Here's some reasonably decent footage of them playing "The Watcher" off Doremi Fasolatio (1972):

And here's a flyer from around the time that was released, for the only other time they played Dreamland:

The place is closely tied up with the history of the band, as Nik Turner met Bob Calvert while working there in the late 60s renting out deckchairs or something! Also, the brutalist tower block right next to the venue was where Calvert grew up, and is the high-rise that inspired the Hawkwind classic "High Rise".