on
Robert Calvert

Tommy Grenas > HAWKWIND'S DRIVING SPACE ROCK AND OVER- WHELMING PSYCHEDELIC POUNDING ON ONES MIND WAS WHAT FIRST GOT ME HOOKED. IT WAS SO DIFFERENT FROM ALL THE OTHER BORING PROG-ROCK AT THE TIME (THE EXCEPTION OF OUR CLOSE NEIGHBOURS IN DEUTSCHLAND OF COURSE, AMON DÜÜL2 / NEU! / FAUST / CAN ETC.). THE FIRST THING I REMEMBERED WAS THE MIGHTY ORGONE ACCUMULATOR, PUMPING IN MY BELFAST FLAT, AND SOMETHING DIFFERENT SEEMED TO BE HAPPENING,THIS WAS NOT DAVE OR NIK SINGING THIS TUNE, THIS WAS SUAVE AND SPINE TINGLING. IT BECAME MY FAVOURITE TRACK ON THE MASTERWORK, SPACE RITUAL, (NEXT TO NIKS BRAINSTORM). I GOT THE NAME BOB CALVERT ETCHED IN MY SKULL AND OUR AFFAIR BEGAN. I LOVED THE MANS LYRICS TO DEATH. AND FOUND MYSELF DEEPLY INVOLVED WITH WRITING SCI-FI SHIT WITH DOUBLE MEANINGS ETC. IT WAS ALSO BOB WHO PULLED ME THROUGH ONE OF HAWKWIND'S BAD PATCHES. WHEN QUARK, STRANGENESS AND CHARM CAME OUT I GOT REAL STONED AND PLAYED THE SHIT OUT OF IT. IT CONTAINED THE ONLY SONG TO REDUCE ME TO TEARS, SPIRIT OF THE AGE THE LINE OF, 'OH FOR THE WINGS OF ANY BIRD OTHER THAN A BATTERY HEN' FLOORED ME. I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT THE BEST SONG BEST LYRIC ALBUM ETC - BUT FOR ME IT JUST BOILS DOWN TO... I THINK HE WAS JUST A COOL MUTHERFUCKER WHO COULD WRITE ACT SING AND SAVE HAWKWINDS ASS WHENEVER THINGS GOT TOO DROLL. I REALLY WISH BOB WAS STILL ALIVE TODAY, I REALLY BELIEVE HE WOULD STILL BE DOING SHIT YEARS AHEAD OF ITS TIME AND EXCITING AUDIENCES. I ONLY MET BOB ONCE IN MY EARLY TEENS. I MANAGED TO BUMP INTO HIM AND NIK (WELL BEFORE WE DID MUSIC TOGETHER THAT IS) VERY NERVOUSLY AND QUITE STONED I BLURTED OUT ONE OF THE MOST STUPIDEST THINGS I'VE EVER SAID: "HUH.....UM ..BOB...I THINK YOUR MUSIC IS REALLY MENTAL , " TO WHICH BOB PRESSED HIS HEAD REAL CLOSE TO MINE AND BELTED OUT: "MENTAL ... MENTAL ... MMMMMMMMMMMMMENTAL, DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCEPT OF THE MEANING OF THE WORD YOU FOOL, NOW STAND ASIDE." TO WHICH HE THREW HIS SCARF OVER HIS SHOULDER AND DISAPPEARED INTO THE CROWD... 'WHAT AN ASSHOLE', MY FRIEND EXCLAIMED, I FELT TRODDEN BUT LATER I COULDN'T HAVE FELT MORE HONOURED THAN TO HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE BY THE MAN HIMSELF. I THINK IT'S AMAZING ALL THE WORK YOU'RE DOING KNUT, THIS WEBSITE IS LONG OVERDUE, I JUST NEVER THOUGHT IT WOULD BE SO EXTENSIVE. ALL THE BEST. SUPPORT BOB. BUY HIS MUSIC, IT HELPS HIS WIFE AND KID. SUPPORT THIS SITE. KEEP SPACE ROCK ALIVE. THERE ARE STILL PRESSUREHED'S CALVERT TRIBUTE SINGLES AVAILABLE. ALT. VERSION OF OUR 'RIGHT STUFF' "7" APPEARS ON THE NEW HAWKWND FRIENDS AND RELATIONS CD. FAR FLUNG ON TOUR THIS DEC--U.S. NIK TURNER L.A STUDIO SESSIONS OUT ON X-MAS. < more infos on Tommy Grenas / Far Flung - Pressurehed / Anubian Lights read an interview w. Tommy Grenas from April 03 back to front