Spacerock news digest

This is a roundup of some recent spacerock news and releases ....


Mooch is SF writer Stephen Palmer's spacerock alter ego rather than a fully working band. His sound has mutated over the years but his latest album released on June 21 is a wonderful melange of psych, ambient and electronica, mostly instrumental but with several songs. This is Dr. Silbury's Liquid Brainstem Band, which features, amongst others, PA forumist Cyndee Lee Rule on her famed Viper violin, and ex-Hawkwind singer Bridgett Wishart contributing vocals, sax and clarinet on several songs.



Mooch have a MySpace site with samples from the new album ....  http://www.myspace.com/moochspacey .... the album itself (2CD on pro-CDR) is obtained from AmbientLive .... http://www.ambientlive.com/albums/drsilbury.htm


The mothership is currently traversing USA. Reports are generally positive, though not unanimously. Biggest news surrounds bass player Alan Davey who seems to have left rather abruptly on June 10 [see his MySpace site!]. His place on recent gigs has been taken by Spacehead bassist and Hawkwind roadie Mr Dibs, but whether this is a permanent arrangement remains to be seen until official word is forthcoming.

The band's own festival Hawkfest took place a week ago and a good time was had by all, including performances by Hawkwind [OK], Technicians Of Spaceship Hawkwind [a 'family & friends' type set-up without sequencers - a great jam band], Spacehead [excellent as always] and many others. Highlight of the event was the marriage of Dave Brock to long-time partner Kris Tait. Many photos of the weekend are posted on the band's website http://www.hawkwindmuseum.co.uk/EXP1.htm.

EMI's long-awaited de-luxe release of the legendary Space Ritual is now available and early reports suggest the full length high quality DVD-audio version is stunning!

Tour dates - to be confirmed ....

02 SAO PAULO BRAZIL

07 RIO DE JANEIRO BRAZIL

DECEMBER

12 WOLVERHAMPTOM
13 HOLMFORTH
14 MANCHESTER
15 EXETER

One of spacerock's core festival bands ["For over 10 years they have been waving their freak flag high to the sound of free festival psychedelics, driving krautrock rhythms, spacey liquid electronica laced in heavy stoner guitars"], Tribe Of Cro's excellent latest album Virtual Vinyl is now sold out, but the nice people have made it available as a FREE DOWNLOAD from the band's website http://www.thetribeofcro.co.uk/music.html. This is a single 320kbs mp3 file of mainly live material from a session at Maida Vale Studios in London.

Gigs ...

6th July The Fiddlers Elbow, Chalk Farm, London
20th-22nd July Eastern Haze, Lowestoft, Suffolk


Central to the contemporary UK spacerock scene, there must now be some doubt as to the band's immediate future bearing in mind Mr Dibs's current involvement with Hawkwind. We await developments .... meanwhile their online shop is now open here http://spaceheadspacerockshop.appee.co.uk/, enabling you to buy the band's latest CDs, T-shirts etc [you can also find them on eBay]. Latest CDs are the superb live album Roadburn 2006 [highly recommended ] recorded at the Roadburn festival, and a 25 minute mini-album Headscapes SHS-01 consisting of a mixture of live and studio recordings.


The 'alternative' Hawkwind, led by Nik Turner is making serious plans at last despite the recent loss of John Greves and Dave Anderson from the line-up, replaced by Jerry Richards and Chris Purdon. A new studio album is on the way later in the year [about time too!] which will include the legendary talents of Del Dettmar and his theremin axe all the way from Canada.

Gigs ....

21 July :: Eastern Haze, Lowestoft
12 Aug :: Saunton Sands, North Devon (tbc)
24 Aug :: MRA Builth Wells Festival (tbc)
24 - 27 Aug :: The Farm, Skegness (tbc)

UK TOUR [presumably to support the album release?]

10 Oct :: Komedia, Brighton
11 Oct :: Cheese and Grain, Frome
12 Oct :: Thomas Tripp, Christchurch
13 Oct :: The Hub, Plymouth
14 Oct :: 100 Club, London
16 Oct :: Boardwalk, Sheffield
17 Oct :: Zodiac@Carling Academy, Oxford
18 Oct :: Hotel California, Birkenhead (with The Jalapenos)
19 Oct :: Rock Cafe, Stourbridge
20 Oct :: New Trinity, Bristol
21 Oct :: Arts Centre, Colchester

8 Nov :: Sin City, Swansea (with Deke Leonard's Iceberg)

17 Nov :: Spirit of 66, Verviers, Belgium

Heavy spacerockers from Norfolk (England) are billed to play the "last ever gig with the original line-up" [the band's history stretches back 27 years!] at A Space Rock Spectacular to be held in October.



The band's latest album Powerplay is currently available from their website http://www.undergroundzero.co.uk/ which contains short musical extracts for you to hear.


Litmus' latest very-heavy-spacerock album Planetfall is available from most regular online outlets. Keyboardist and Mellotron expert Andy Thompson has now left but has yet to be officially replaced.

Gigs ...

20-22 July Eastern Haze, Lowestoft, Suffolk
27 July Tamworth Assembly Rooms
7-8 September  South Of Mainstream (Germany)
10 October The Komedia, Brighton (supporting Space Ritual)


Space-jam specialists OSC have a new album The Black Tomato released in August - 79 minutes spread over 3 tracks "It is very groovy and spaced out.... I think you will like it... I forgot to mention it has our heaviest grooves ever...stoner space groove" syas Scott on the band's MySpace pages http://www.myspace.com/oresundspacecollective

Gigs ....

24th August- OSC Summer Party, Dragens Hule
October- Helsinki (w/Hidria Spacefolk) tentative
Nov 27th 2007 Oslo


Fresh (!?!) from an appearance at Glastonbury, the Ozrics have a new album The Floor's Too Far Away due for release worldwide on July 18th on Magna Carta Records. Line-up is Ed (guitars, synths, drums, fretless bass), Merv (drums), Brandi (bass, synth), Merv (percussion on 'Armchair Journey'), Tom Brooks (Bubs) ....



Upcoming UK gigs ...

30th June - charity gig, Cheese and Grain, Frome
21st July - Eastern Haze Festival, Lowestoft, Suffolk
24th-25th August - Solfest with Nodens Ictus and Eat Static
27th August - Andulus Festival, Spain ***CANCELLED ****
15th September - Sincity, Swansea
19th September - The Standard, Walthamstow
26th September - Social Thekla, Bristol
27th September - The Brooke, Southhampton
28th September - Exeter Phoenix, Exeter
4th October - The Boardwalk, Sheffield
5th October - Picturedome, Holmfirth
6th October - Cazrling Aacdemy, Liverpool
15th September - Sincity, Swansea
26th September - Social Thekla, Bristol
29th September - The Standard, Walthamstow
3rd October - Rescue Rooms, Nottingham


New album Live At Heart is out now and judging by the clips on MySpace http://www.myspace.com/hidriaspacefolk it sounds sensational.



Gigs ....

14 Jul 2007 14:00	Ilosaari Rock	Joensuu
1 Aug 2007 22:00	Tavastia	Helsinki
4 Aug 2007 21:00	Uuden Musiikin Festivaali	Turku
28 Aug 2007 20:00	Redrum	Helsinki
1 Sep 2007 1:00	Sähköjänis kolome festivaali	Pieksämäki

I knew I'd forget one .... 


International space-metallers Space Mirrors have now issued details of their new album to be released on Sleaszy Rider Records this coming Autumn. To be called Majestic-12: A Hidden Presence, it features contributions from Cyndee Lee Rule, a lady seemingly in much demand with her electric Viper violin, and Nik Turner on sax, flute and vocals. Conceptually, the album's theme is the UFO phenomenon .... according to the band's website - "This mystical album will guide you through the most enigmatic mysteries of the UFO and alien phenomenon. It will be the musical and lyrical journey through the most crucial mysterious events and UFO conspiracies of the 20th century. Be ready for the trip into the unknown, prepare yourself to face the facts you never heard of before, be ready for the revelations of the most well kept secrets of human civilization!".

Band website ... http://www.spacemirrors.com/

MySpace ... http://www.myspace.com/spacemirrors

Both sites carry 1 minute samples of the band's earlier work.

Joolz wrote: I knew I'd forget one ....  SPACE MIRRORS International space-metallers Space Mirrors have now issued details of their new album to be released on Sleaszy Rider Records this coming Autumn. To be called Majestic-12: A Hidden Presence, it features contributions from Cyndee Lee Rule, a lady seemingly in much demand with her electric Viper violin, and Nik Turner on sax, flute and vocals. Conceptually, the album's theme is the UFO phenomenon .... according to the band's website - Band website ... http://www.spacemirrors.com/ MySpace ... http://www.myspace.com/spacemirrors Both sites carry 1 minute samples of the band's earlier work.

...And the sound samples from new album are available on myspace page.