Stuff Happens…

Yes, okay, I know the true expression is a little cruder, but stuff does happen and get in the way of regular blogging, so here’s a quick posting with a few bits and pieces that have appeared or are of interest since the latest round of erratic blogging or extended downtime on this one.

Firstly, I’m sure everyone who visits this website is aware and sadden by the loss of founding recording Hawkwind member Huw Lloyd Langton back in December. I’d been up in London that week, attending a launch for my old mate Paul Cornell’s London Falling novel and from there had spent a couple of days in town which included a highly enjoyable lunch and interview with Flicknife’s Frenchy Gloder – by the time I’d got back into town that evening, I was in receipt of a text from Frenchy advising the sad news. Subsequently I was privileged to write Huw’s obituary in The Independent newspaper which appeared in the paper on Wednesday 12th December – alongside a wonderful photography of Huw from the mid-80s by Oz Hardwick – and which can still be found on-line here.

On a much happier Hawkwind note, Easy Action’s CD release of their Cambridge January 1972 concert that appeared a couple of years back as Leave No Star Unturned has now made it onto vinyl release through Dirtier Records. I don’t actually see this one on their website, but I can confirm that I’ve received copies of both the standard black vinyl and its blue vinyl compatriot so this long-awaited LP release has now arrived and it is available to order online at the Easy Action website here. It’s a double album, heavy vinyl, in gatefold sleeve and has the notes that I wrote for the CD release printed across the inner gatefold – my first time in print on a vinyl release, which makes me very happy indeed – I’m thrilled to have been associated with this one.

People have asked about Festivalized, the free festivals book that I’ve co-written with Bridget Wishart. We’ve not heard from the original publisher in at least eighteen months so we are now in the position of having to reassess the best way to get this book published. A few different options have been thought about and we’ll update as soon as a decision is made. I’m also currently working on a Kindle release of my book on The Waterboys – Strange Boat – which I’ve done some correcting and updating on and hope to make available over the summer. Various options also exist on a new release of Hawkwind – Sonic Assassins and I need to give some thought as to the best way to proceed with a potential new edition of that book.

I’ve been fairly quiet in the print magazines recently, but should pop-up in Record Collector with review pieces on Easy Action’s wonderful box-set appraisal of Nikki Sudden, The Boy From Nowhere Who Fell Out of the Sky, 4Zero's release of the new Earthling Society album, and a new reissue of Twink’s Think Pink album on Sunbeam Records among other things.

In the meantime, I’ll leave you with something not involving me at all but which I spotted over the weekend and know readers of this blog will enjoy, a blog entitled Servante of Darkness who have a great interview with Bridget Wishart. Enjoy!