PRESENTS YOUR CHANCE TO HAVE A SAY IN THE BANDS SET LIST AT THE ASTORIA CHRISTMAS GIG WITH

PRESENTS YOUR CHANCE TO HAVE A SAY IN THE BANDS SET LIST AT THEIR
SOLSTICE DAZE 2005 GIGS
WITH -

just a quick point of clarification that the band have requested that i make.

it's no secret what set list the band are playing on this current bunch of dates and you'll notice that the Right to decide songs are very well represented, especially the 4 finalists.

the simple fact was that the final result was so close it could literally have gone one of four ways, the final percentages were

Lord Of Light - 28%

Psi Power - 25%

Upside Down - 24%

If you'd have asked me a week ago I'd have said Lord Of Light Would have won it by a mile but as more and more new voters came on board the songs lead diminished and in the final week was knocked off the top spot more than once.

I was in constant touch with the band in the final week of voting, updating them on the poll and we realised that this was far from a forgone conclusion and in lieu of this and as a special gesture to you, the fans Hawkwind decided that all 4 finalists would get an airing.

over the course of voting we had 1000's of votes but the fact is that these 4 songs performed well week in week out and i for one think this is the best outcome possible.

thanks for reading, I'll be at Dudley and London next week and hope to meet up with plenty of you folks.

Now read on below

That's it folks, the poll is shut, the votes are in and the results passed on to the band. At this point I'm not going to reveal the winner as I'm sure many of you want it to be a surprise, for those attending any of the forthcoming gigs, hope you have a great night and that the inclusion of the winning song makes it that extra bit special!

I'd also just like to say a few things at this point . It's been a funny old year as far as me and the museum are concerned. By the start of this year, I along with many close to the band, I was under the distinct impression that the single I was helping to promote (Spirit Of The age) would be out in February or March. However as is often the case schedules get put back and as we all know now it didn't actually appear until August. For me this was actually a blessing in disguise as having run the Museum for two years and then setting up Chart Trek I had, without realising become quite burnt out as far as all things Hawkwind goes. Running the site had turned into an obsession rather than a hobby and whilst the adulation you get and the fact that visitor numbers constantly increase I think I'd lost sight of the fact that at the end of the day it is just a bit of fun. Having already decided to take a (well earned) break over the Christmas holiday period I suddenly realised how much I actually enjoyed just doing nothing, vegging out in front of the TV and most importantly, spending quality time with my family and not thinking "I really should finish transcribing that 1973 article", which, if I'm honest was how it'd become!

So basically between January and May I was completely out of the loop until I went to see the band at Sheffield where I got talking to Kris (Tait, Dave's better half and band manager), it was clear that not only where things actually starting to take shape as far as the Single and Album were concerned they still wanted my involvement! pretty soon after that things started in earnest and I have to say heading up the campaign throughout the rest of the summer was a great deal of fun, the only downside obviously was the failure of the single to chart, something that I still can't get my head around but I guess we just have to accept it and get on with things. Regardless of this however I do feel we managed to heighten the profile of the band and I hope plenty of you enjoyed getting involved. By the time of the launch party in London in early September I was convinced we'd "cracked it" and so decided to celebrate this fact big time, well put another way, what a day with me ending up as pi**ed as a fart!

Once the promotion work was done this it once more gave me a chance to kick back, but I'd also like to think that both the band and record company (Voiceprint) were pleased with the legwork that I'd put in and at the same time I'd built up a pretty cordial relationship with both parties and it was good to hear once more from Kris once she and Dave had returned from their summer hols. It was shortly after this that I went to them with the idea of the song vote and for whatever reason and no persuasion the agreed to it, again it's been great fun but also very time consuming, and with it now at a conclusion I intend to have another break from the site.

So where is all this leading. Put simply I think I've found the right balance between things now. Whilst I don't envisage leaving the site update free for over 5 months like I did at the start of the year, then neither do I see myself slipping back into my own ways of new stuff virtually every day. Hopefully new project will come along that the band might like me to have some involvement with as that's what I really enjoy doing these days, to be honest if I never transcribed another article that in it's bluntest form says basically - Hawkwind, formed in Ladbroke Grove, Lots of drugs, Isle of Wight Festival, Silver Machine, Big hit but now we're broke again! then my life is going to be no worse for it.

Before I finnish up I should also say a big thank you to the band for allowing me to get involved like this. It's hard to explain just how much work goes on behind the scenes but without fail they've made time for me and for that I'm eternally grateful.

In conclusion I'd just like to wish you all a happy Christmas, a prosperous new year and to say keep coming back to the Museum, I might take a break but I will, as Arnie would say -
"I'LL BE BACK!"