Hawklord return for a show out of this world

As they play at the Continental on Wednesday October 26, it gives Longridge vocalist Harvey Bainbridge the chance to try somewhere new.

He said: “It’s great playing at home. A couple of years ago we played at 53 Degrees. I don’t know the Continental, so I am looking forward to it.“I always look forward to gigs. It is great to get together as we all get on well.“We all have fun and play with a smile on our faces.

“We put on a good show. We have rock synthesizers, electric guitars and a great light show. Our lighting engineer, Dave ‘Lighthouse’ Johnson, is great and uses lightshow projections, which are stunning.“It is a worthwhile event to come to.“We have acoustic guitars playing as well as synthesizers, bass and drums, which all fits in well.

“The majority of music we play is our own as Hawklords, but there are a few Hawkwind tracks thrown in, as three of us were in Hawkwind,“Some of the audience will have been fans of Hawkwind and others come to see us specifically as Hawklords.”

Born in Dorset, the 67-year-old was originally with Devon band Ark and joined former Hawkwind members Robert Calvert and Dave Brock in 1978 to form a new version of Hawkwind, which was later known as Hawklords.

They re-emerged in 2009 with a memorial concert in London for legendary British artist, the late Barney Bubbles, graphic designer for many of Hawkwind’s early 1970s albums.Their critically acclaimed 2015 album release, ‘R:Evolution’ reached number 15 on the Official UK Top 30 Progressive Rock Chart and was in the top 75 for more than months.Harvey, who is a pro on the synthesizers, moved to Lancashire 20 years ago and admits it is the perfect place to live as it is “a hotbed of Hawkwind fans.”

He said: “When I first moved to Longridge I was walking down the main street and someone tapped me on the shoulder, asking me why I was here. I discovered he was a Hawkwind fan. I told him I lived here and he asked me why. I said ‘I had to live somewhere.’“Longridge is a hotbed of Hawkwind fans. People are now used to me living in the village but I still get people asking me about the band.”

Harvey’s musical talents have influenced two of his children, as his eldest son, Matthew, is a sound engineer and has worked with the likes of Beyonce, Jay Z and the Monty Python cast.His other son, Louis, plays guitar in a band in Devon.Sadly, his youngest son, Jay, died in his sleep three years ago, aged just 21.

Hawklords, which also consists of Dave Pearce, Jerry Richards, Ron Tree and Tom Ashurst, release their fifth album, Fusion, on October 7.It is described by the band as “exploring the themes of sex, death, art, time and identity.” Kim McAuliffe, from Girlschool, guests on the album with a lead vocal on one of the songs called SR-71.

The five-piece will embark on a major tour of the UK throughout October and early November.Each show features a jaw-dropping digital projected lightshow, specially created by lighting designer and tour circuit veteran, Dave ‘Lighthouse’ Johnson.

Hawklords and special guests Quantum Beats will be at The Continental on Wednesday October 26. Doors open at 8pm.Tickets are £10 advance or £12 on the door.For advanced tickets visit http:// www.wegottickets.com or http://www.skiddle.com.