The night when Vera Lynn played a gig with Hawkwind and Lemmy
In the ragtag world of Hawkwind’s acid-fried space rock, anything could happen. Yet, it’s unlikely band founder and frontman Dave Brock ever thought he’d share the stage with ‘Forces Sweetheart’ and wartime singer Vera Lynn.
The worlds couldn’t be further apart. While a cloying and grim conservatism has hijacked her legacy, Lynn’s dignified brand of patriotic unity indeed boosted a blitz-battered nation’s sorely needed morale during the Second World War, leaving a cultural presence infinitely more respectable than the later corporate jingoism that would claim ownership of her songbook. Hawkwind, however, were pillars of the counterculture, proselytising the good word on LSD, playing benefit shows for striking miners and the militant ‘Angry Brigade’, and practically the resident band of the emerging new age traveller movement.
It was The Who’s Pete Townshend who arranged the unlikely collab. Under his Double O charity, set up to combat addiction, sexual abuse, and domestic violence, an event was organised for August 24th, 1985, at London’s Crystal Palace Bowl, boasting Hawkwind as the top billing with a smattering of punk and new bands largely confined to the era, including Spear of Destiny. Nestled between Doctor & the Medics and The Enid on the programme was a mystery “to be announced” special guest.
It’s unclear who twisted Lynn’s arm, but the 68-year-old was seriously game. Despite the scheduling indicating a slot in the middle of the billing, Lynn would close the day’s events after Hawkwind’s raucous set. It was something of a reunion for the psychonauts, Lemmy joining the gang on stage for renditions of ‘Brainstorm’ and ‘Silver Machine’ after having been dismissed ten years earlier, leading on to Motörhead, and famed Space Ritual dancer too, taking to the stage after years away.
After the tripped-out psych extravaganza, Lynn finally arrived and reportedly opened with ‘(There’ll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover’ backed by Hawkwind guitarist Huw Lloyd-Langton behind the drum kit, Lemmy lending his bass attack to her defining ‘We’ll Meet Again’, before much of the day’s programme congregation to a mass sing along of finale ‘Auld Lang Syne’.
Lending her noble support to an anti-heroin initiative flanked by a committed acidhead and well-known speed freak certainly beats singing with Cliff Richard ten years later. Despite the joyous pairing-up between the space-garage ensemble and the national treasure, the event’s tackling of addiction had allegedly led to trouble with biker gangs and dealers, even including “getting shot at”, according to Brock.
Still, he was proud of his brief partnership with the singing Dame, if anything, for making his parents proud. “That meant a lot to me,” he revealed, “The Second World War was my childhood”.
Both Hawkwind and Lynn would enjoy a certain permanence over the years, Brock still steering the cosmic silver machine with There Is No Space for Us in 2025, and 2009’s We’ll Meet Again: The Very Best of Vera Lynn topping the UK Albums Chart at the age of 92. Passing away in 2020, Hawkwind paid their respects on Twitter, “RIP Vera… A great singer, a lovely lady…it was an honour to share a stage…”
