Hawkwind have a new group running alongside called Space Ritual containing Dave Anderson, Nik Turner, Terry Ollis amongst others. Returning to some of the original line up and currently playing live around the country (they're still in the process of creating a new album), however, the Hawkwind sound is still going. Visit the web site http://www.spaceritual.uk.com - www.spaceritual.uk.com

Yeah, I've seen them before, and they're pretty good - most HawkFans would enjoy the show.

Now for the controversial bit: it's got nothing to do with HW, if you define HW as being Dave Brock + others. It's Nik Turner and various other ex-Hawks, and the band is a parallel thread to what I regard as "official Hawkwind". They're a "para-Hawkwind", in my view.  It's wrong to call them a tribute band, because they're ex-members - indeed, Nik was a founding member of HW and their very name derives from his nickname, I gather.

The history of it is, a few years ago, Nik felt as entitled as Dave to carry the HW torch - initially calling his band XHawkwind, which resulted in a court case between him and Dave.

Nik was quoted as saying something like, "Dave seems to think that Hawkwind is Brock plus whoever he happens to have around him." My reaction, when I read that, was: "Yeah - your point being?"

Anyway Nik's strand of the HW family free is fun to see - but not a patch on "proper" Hawkwind wiv Cap'n Dave up there.