Tim Blake (Hawkwind)

By Jamie Franklin

Can you tell us how you came to be in Hawkwind?

As a young man, I used to do sound for a number of groups in London. We used to have one show a week at All Saint’s Hall in Notting Hill Gate. I remember a week before we had David Bowie play, and it was just before A Space Odyssey hit the charts. He used to rock up playing this 12-string guitar: marvellous performance! The next day, High Tide were due to play, but they had no support act, so these guys turned up at the venue and said they were forming a group, and could they play? I suppose it was my job to say, “Not on your life,” but I said the opposite. There were a lot of friends of ours like John Peel at the show and after their spontaneous jam, they all turned to Simon House, and said. “Sign them!”, which he did. That was the beginning of my relationship with Hawkwind, but I didn’t actually work with them in 69: I ran away to France and got involved with Gong (when I heard the very first synth). One day I got a call from the band asking me to come as they were getting back. I said, what about my equipment, and they said it was already in the rehearsal room. I had just headlined Glastonbury with New Jerusalem and Peter Gabriel supported us (!) so I guess I was a good choice…I fancied playing a bit of rock again anyway…

What are your best memories of Gong?

We had some amazing adventures and went to strange places and did some strange things (some of them musical!) and the life we had in France, really out of the way, was extraordinary inductive to creation. We were a very avant-garde group at the time. I missed them at the Green Man festival where I played with Hawkwind a few weeks back; I was upset because it would have been nice to play on the same day.
 
In Crystal Machine, you were one of the first people to bring the synth from the studio to the stage. What reactions did you get?
I thinks that’s probably true. I got both good and bad reactions. Nobody thinks about synths anymore. They’re an institution. But back in those days you had some people saying, “This isn’t music” and “That’s not an instrument,” but others thought it was really interesting and that year France was known for its synths.
 
How did your involvement in Lasers and lights start?

About the same time as the synths. In 1970 I really got into light shows, I could have quite happily stopped playing music and just do the lights: same thing for me. I remember going to a concert in Paris called Open Circus. This was very strange as it was an open tent, a different group playing each night and all under the most amazing light show you’ve ever seen. Some of them were graphic artists, some were photographers. We saw lasers and that was just it! I had friends in the science community who helped us get military research lasers out of the lab at night and into theatres, on the condition that they were back by 8am the next morning. Before we knew it The Who caught onto all this and they had a set-up bigger and better than anyone. When you’d sold 60 million records, you can do pretty much what you like.
 
Can you tell us what your first Roland was?

Let me see….I had a System 700 that I had rented in the studio to make New Jerusalem. Now with the digital age, where you can have a direct timing relationship between analogue and digital synthesizers it’s hunky dory. But I also had a 100 Modular System. As time has gone by, my master keyboard is a Roland, I’ve had several axes over the years, using mostly the AX-7 Synth.
 
You recently acquired the new AX Synth. How does it compare to your AX-7?

The way I intend to use it is not the same way. The AX-7 is a MIDI controller. I hate being tied down on-stage by wires. This gives me the freedom to run about where I want; It hasn’t cut out or stuck on a note ever.
 
Hawkwind are back on a fortieth anniversary tour. How is it being back?

It’s great! Lots of memories…when I rejoined Hawkwind two years ago, they had a keyboard player, which I loved! So I was just playing Theremin and the axe. Unfortunately, despite being very young, he died almost a year ago to the week. So I’m back on the keys for now.
 
How have the shows been for you, are you still enjoying it?

It gets better, and better and better each time we play. On Saturday night after the show we did, it was one in the morning, we had a few bottles of champagne, I turned to Dave and said, “I’ve known you for 40 years mate, it’s been a real pleasure.” It’s very emotional.

Who have been the best people you’ve worked with over the years?

The musician who has most amazed me out of those who I’ve been able to interact with is Didier Malherbe. I just can’t believe this guy, never have, never will. He is music himself. Loy, his sidekick in their band ‘Hadouk Trio’ said to me once, “If you ever travel with Didier, you must not bend over, or he might just blow in your arsehole and get a note out.” He went to India to study Indian flute, and the sound he gets is incredible. He is the most amazing musician I have ever met.

What was it like working with Lemmy?

Ever since I’ve been into rock n roll music, this guy has been around and a part of it. I remember going to see him in '79 when I was in London with friends, and we went to Lemmy’s Bayswater flat. He was talking about the name of his new band Motorhead. He said, “I don’t like it. I wanted to call it F*ckin B*stards.” The best thing about him is I know people my age and also kids aged nine who think he's the Bees Knees! If you can communicate to four different generations at a time, you must be doing very well.

I hear you used to have naked dancers on stage for Hawkwind. Is this true?!

Stacia was quite phenomenal. She was our main dancer. She was quite a large lady, among other things, in height! We always wanted the show to be a multimedia experience. So lights, sound and visual dance were all a big part of our set.

What advice can you give to anyone learning synths?

Learn to play keys for a start: its one of the best ways of expression. Fiddle. Fiddle horribly! That’s all I do, or did. You will get half-way to where you want to go by doing this.

What are ‘Hawkwind Holidays’ all about?
 
Sometimes we have gigs in weird and wonderful places. Sometimes people want to take the family along, but it’s not that easy. That’s why we started Hawkwind Holidays! It gives fans the chance to travel with us.