NIK TURNER’S BRAND NEW SPACE RITUAL

This year, Hawkwind celebrate half a century as a band. and it’s good to see that nik Turner, one of the band’s original members, is still out there (in more ways than one…) in spritely form, even though he’s turning 79 this year.

This is the latest incarnation of a band who began as nik Turner’s Space ritual, then became nik Turner’s new Space ritual and are now nik Turner’s Brand new Space ritual (what next, nik Turner’s newer Brand new Space ritual?) and while it was once a home for Hawkwind alumni, now it is more of a band in its own right.

Only Turner has any connection with the mothership. and to a large extent, this is very much his show. He still has a sparkle about him, and such is his personality that it feels he can go off-script and venture into uncharted territory at any time.

One of his strengths has always been his pursuit of the madness of the moment.

The rest of the band are more than decent, with guitarist Steve Jones displaying a feel for the music, and Ms angel, though not Stacia, is an alluring dancer and singer. Turner has never been someone to stick rigidly to the way any song sounds on record, and occasionally he fluffs his lines on sax or flute. But so what? He has always treated the live performance as different to what goes on in the studio, and if this means there are some inevitably atonal passages, then that suits the spirit of the music.

determined not to be seen as nothing more than a Hawkwind tribute band, the Brand new Space ritual delve into their own material, in particular the well received Otherworld and Space Gypsy albums. However, most of the audience accept these incursions with politeness, as they await the arrival of the classics from Turner’s time with Hawkwind.

The likes of watching The Grass Grow, Orgone accumulator and Master Of The Universe are all tackled with zeal. Turner seems to get lost in his own world as the unmistakable intonations of these classics rip through the ether. Clearly, he still has a strong affection for this era in his life.

The ongoing animosity between Turner and dave Brock will certainly see the former frozen out of all official Hawkwind celebrations this year. This band serves as his own way of paying homage to the Hawkwind legacy.