CHRONICLE
For me, that throbbing, pulsating juggernaut in RE-DISCOVERING ‘LEN’
the psychotropic/psychedelic Roundhouse rotunda, The gravitational pull to track down Jonathan Smeeton
mixed with Bubbles’ gothic sci-fi graphics and fascist gathered momentum after I stumbled into Nik
symbolism, remains indelible. Whether you were ‘Thunder Rider’ Turner, the band’s original sax player,
acid-charged or not (and many were), by the time this at a Charisma Records reunion in Soho shortly before
band of hippy vagabonds had launched into their third Christmas.
number you’d swear you were seeing orbs of light. Three months ago I knew nothing about the
LORD OF LIGHT
Subjected to this relentless blitz the band didn’t Roundhouse event but the seed was still germinating
seem so much galactic warriors teetering on the edge after TPi editor Mark Cunningham, with righteous
of the astral plain, as crash test dummies. indignation, asked why Chronicle hadn’t yet devoted a
It was probably too much to expect that Hawkwind chapter to this scion of light. So instead we’re devoting
co-founder Nik Turner — in attempting to recreate two.
the zeitgeist 35 years on — would be able to lure the Then I discovered one of my chums, Paul Gorman
cosmic lightlords back into the fray, despite promoter had just produced a biography on Barney, who
John Curd billing an appearance by ‘Liquid Len & The tragically took his own life in 1983, and all the cosmic
Lensmen’ on the posters. But the promoter knew the energy seemed to coalesce.
patina of a reformed Hawks (the Wind or Lord version) Smeeton’s early experimental work — with
would be too irresistible a prospect for many of their Hawkwind and before — had a major infl uence
old fans. in shaping modern lighting design. Harnessing
In fact the legendary LD (real name Jonathan technological innovation to his artistic vision, today
Smeeton, who for many years has been domiciled his creativity remains in high demand, not only in
in the States) had agreed to rent his name for concert touring, but the worlds of fi lm, architecture and
the occasion. Would he be making an avatar-like lecturing.
appearance perhaps? Nik Turner confi rmed not. “The I can’t pretend to have seen Jon Smeeton prior to
Hawklords’ lighting will be tailored to the Liquid Len that Roundhouse experience and have only met him
& The Lensmen blue-print,” he said, “with Jonathan in person once — a chance encounter on the stand of
Smeeton’s guidance, collaboration and blessing. Expect LSD at [probably] the 1992 LDI Show in Dallas. And as
the unexpected.” for famous early ’70s lightshow, the only other I can
Suffi ce it to say that Smeeton had agreed to cede recall was Joe’s Lights, who were resident at London’s
his once famous stage name, “since I haven’t used it Rainbow Theatre, and also became the light artists for
since Reading...”. This was a reference to the Reading the 1972 Bickershaw Festival.
Festival of 1975 when he formally quit the band, along
with Stacia. However, Hawks fans still harboured hope ANCIENT OF DAYS
that the great man would be controlling the whole Jonathan Smeeton’s story begins at the legendary UFO
Top: Hawkwind performing in the early ’70s,
enterprise via robots from his Fortress of Solitude at club in 1967, two years before I arrived in London to
with (middle) ‘exotic dancer’ Stacia.
Leipers Fork, 25 miles outside of Nashville. join Melody Maker and became inducted into London’s Above: The Space Ritual album.
TPi MARCH 09 • 67
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