Hawkwind’s 21st-century renaissance may never quite live up to the Liberty/UA years, but that doesn’t stop them trying. Their time on Cherry Red, from 2016’s The Machine Stops onwards, has lasted longer and been more productive than any other period in their lengthy career.
It’s been a surprisingly robust and consistent eight years, with a new record arriving in each calendar year (counting 2022’s live We Are Looking In On You). Dave Brock’s interchangeable cast of merry men and occasional woman may no longer have youth on their side; and they might miss some of the visual swagger of graphic designer Barney Bubbles, with his impudent hidden references and outlandish folded cardboard sleeves. But make no mistake: the Hawkwind of the present are a force to be reckoned with.
