Dave Brock
“This is difficult – I could make a case for both Syd Barrett and Frank Zappa, for instance – but for me, my prog icon has got to be Dave Brock.
“I first properly heard Hawkwind in about 1977, when a school friend played us the compilation album Masters Of The Universe. I was captivated, and immediately borrowed the cassette from the library. I quickly progressed to buying everything Hawkwind-related, and realised that Brock was the driving force, the visionary behind it all.
“Dave has influenced so many people, and so many genres, from metal to trance and punk to electronica, owe a debt to Hawkwind. For any proggers out there doubting his credentials, take a listen to Space Ritual or the work Dave did with Bob Calvert, especially the Quark, Strangeness And Charm and PRX5 albums – packed with fresh ideas, amazing sounds and experimental music, lyrically rich and quirky, and themes drawn from sci-fi, politics, drug culture and social history.
“He is also a genuinely lovely man. I’ve been fortunate to meet and work with my prog icon, but have also come to count him as a close friend. He’s modest to the point of self-deprecation, and remains true to the spirit of the music he creates, practising what he preaches – putting on free shows for fans and championing a number of causes with passion and commitment. At the age of 77 he’s still going strong, still loves music and still enjoys doing the unpredictable, as evidenced by last year’s Road To Utopia collection, acoustic versions of Hawkwind songs in collaboration with Mike Batt featuring a guest turn from Eric Clapton!
“Much of what Dave represents for me is encapsulated in the song Hurry On Sundown, which unfailingly transports me to a carefree psychedelic heaven where I can be at one with the universe, live the hippy dream in a tent and own a dog on a string. He’s my surrogate space-father, a true force of nature, who sports a mischievous grin and a twinkle in his eye, and the world is a more colourful place because of him. Themes of anarchy and rebellion run throughout his work, but I genuinely don’t believe he’s ever been out to smash the system or break the rules so much as being a man who’s looked at the world and seen no rules at all.”