Sunday 12 October 2008

Huw Lloyd Langton wows 'em at Open Mic night...






... at the Woodman Pub near the Bournemouth/Poole border. A regular now at the impromptu muso-fest - "I only comes down when the missus has finished with me for the night" - says a man looking much older than his 57 years would presume. Ever cheerful and chatty, Huw cuts a frail figure with stick-thin drianpipe jean-enclosed legs peering below a dusky-green ex-army coat. Was it the aftermath of his Legionnaire's Disease or the aftermath of Hawkwind's legendary drug consumption that has left him a more lucid but similarly delicate version of Ozzy?


Whatever his constitution, the old skills are ever present. He has to have his guitar carried down to the pub for him but when wielding it on the cramped, slight raise that is the Woodman's stage it is a show of effortless mastery that greets us. Some old blues, some old Hawkwind (Hurry On Sundown! What else do you need!) and long, extended jam sessions with the disgustingly talented Marcus Gee on bass (in the photo above). Credit, too, to the mystery bongo player who lifted the whole evening with his masterful skin-thumping.


http://www.huwlloyd-langton.co.uk/

3 comments:

Scratchy/Stretchy said...

I saw Hugh play at the Salisbury Arts Centre many moons ago and he put on a fine performance.. The air was thick with pungent smelling smoke (pre-smoking ban obviously)and every grizzled survivor of the Stonehenge festival scene had come in from the surrounding countryside especially to see the former Hawklord.

The recent Hawkwind documentary on the BBC was essential viewing and Hugh recites a hilarious anecdote about having his drink spiked with acid just before going on stage, culminating in a performance, where he was having terrifying hallucinations whilst playing..apparently no one else noticed.. priceless

Itchy Knackers said...

That's fabulous Furry, and rather moving. I put the presence of a mystery bongo player right up there with John Peel "supporting" The Faces on Top Of The Pops.

Scratchy/Stretchy said...

I thought the guy behind the bongos was operating Poole Radio Cabs.. "taxi for space (ritual) on a silver machine, that'll be twenty minutes sir" ;-)

Seriously though..Hurry On Sundown is my personal favourite Hawk track and that first album is a fine example of psych-busker rock matched only, perhaps by Creedence Clearwater Revival's Willy and the Poor Boys, it must have been a privilege to participate!