Joe Banks
@joebankswriter.bsky.social
'Hawkwind: Days Of The Underground' - a MOJO, Uncut, Prog & Shindig book of the year. Visit www.daysoftheunderground.com.
'Rock And Role: The Visionary Songs Of Peter Hammill + VdGG' out 04/12/25. Pre-order: https://kingmakerpublishing.com/rock-and-role/
'Rock And Role: The Visionary Songs Of Peter Hammill + VdGG' out 04/12/25. Pre-order: https://kingmakerpublishing.com/rock-and-role/
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Joe Banks
@joebankswriter.bsky.social
· Aug 27
Announcement! And cover reveal! Pre-orders for Rock and Role, my biography of Peter Hammill & Van der Graaf Generator, are now open. Over 500 pages and 400 images. Details here: kingmakerpublishing.com
In June 1992, Peter Hammill played his first shows in Argentina. He also appeared on the late night chat show Rebelde Sin Pausa, where he performed Just Good Friends, and Too Many Of My Yesterdays - IMO, one of his greatest ballads. This is an amazing version... 1/2
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiAV...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiAV...
Peter Hammill - Too Many Of My Yesterdays (En vivo en la TV Argentina, Junio 1992)
YouTube video by Chivo AR
www.youtube.com
November 14, 2025 at 11:01 AM
In June 1992, Peter Hammill played his first shows in Argentina. He also appeared on the late night chat show Rebelde Sin Pausa, where he performed Just Good Friends, and Too Many Of My Yesterdays - IMO, one of his greatest ballads. This is an amazing version... 1/2
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiAV...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiAV...
Reposted by Joe Banks
Postie delivered some goodies today (I had a mini-splurge following a conversation with @joebankswriter.bsky.social re an upcoming episode). Flicknife Records releases of 12" Hawkwind Zarozinia and 7" of Mike and the Deep Fix's Dodgem Dude/Starcruiser. Time for a spin!
November 12, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Postie delivered some goodies today (I had a mini-splurge following a conversation with @joebankswriter.bsky.social re an upcoming episode). Flicknife Records releases of 12" Hawkwind Zarozinia and 7" of Mike and the Deep Fix's Dodgem Dude/Starcruiser. Time for a spin!
Saw Sleeper last night @tpfilmclub.bsky.social. It's one of those films that's not as funny as when you saw it as a teenager, and Woody Allen's charms have diminished substantially, but spotting the SF film refs is diverting - lots from THX 1138, but also Fahrenheit 451 and 2001...
November 12, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Saw Sleeper last night @tpfilmclub.bsky.social. It's one of those films that's not as funny as when you saw it as a teenager, and Woody Allen's charms have diminished substantially, but spotting the SF film refs is diverting - lots from THX 1138, but also Fahrenheit 451 and 2001...
I don't really follow modern literary fiction at all, but I was pleased to see David Szalay win the Booker Prize last night with his novel 'Flesh'. I haven't read it, but his 2008 debut 'London And The South-East' is a terrifically funny/dark satire which I highly recommend...
November 11, 2025 at 12:38 PM
I don't really follow modern literary fiction at all, but I was pleased to see David Szalay win the Booker Prize last night with his novel 'Flesh'. I haven't read it, but his 2008 debut 'London And The South-East' is a terrifically funny/dark satire which I highly recommend...
How did Hawkwind get their name? The official line from 1972... (Melody Maker, 5 Feb 72) @breakfastruins.bsky.social
November 10, 2025 at 10:07 AM
How did Hawkwind get their name? The official line from 1972... (Melody Maker, 5 Feb 72) @breakfastruins.bsky.social
Whoop, the first review of Rock and Role: The Visionary Songs of Peter Hammill and Van der Graaf Generator is here, and it's a cracker from @mikebarnesjourno.bsky.social in MOJO...
November 8, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Whoop, the first review of Rock and Role: The Visionary Songs of Peter Hammill and Van der Graaf Generator is here, and it's a cracker from @mikebarnesjourno.bsky.social in MOJO...
Visit last night to the wonderful Castle Cinema, Homerton, to watch the Butthole Surfers doc The Hole Truth and Nothing Butt. It's a brilliant film, made with both passion and expertise - funny, insightful, poignant, and just downright entertaining. See it!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItkB...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItkB...
Butthole Surfers The Hole Truth and Nothing Butt | Trailer
YouTube video by MIFF
www.youtube.com
November 8, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Visit last night to the wonderful Castle Cinema, Homerton, to watch the Butthole Surfers doc The Hole Truth and Nothing Butt. It's a brilliant film, made with both passion and expertise - funny, insightful, poignant, and just downright entertaining. See it!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItkB...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItkB...
This is a bit eleventh hour, but if you listen to the Rock Zone show on Greece's Channel 1 radio today at 17.10 UK/19.10 Greek time, you can hear me blathering on about all things Peter Hammill and my upcoming PH/VdGG biog Rock and Role...
Tune in (ie. click the button) here! www.kanaliena.gr
Tune in (ie. click the button) here! www.kanaliena.gr
Κανάλι Ένα 90,4 FM
Το Κανάλι Ένα 90,4 FM γεννήθηκε τον Οκτώβριο του 1988 στον Πειραιά - Ραδιοφωνικός Σταθμός του Δήμου Πειραιά στους 90,6 fm.
www.kanaliena.gr
November 6, 2025 at 10:30 AM
This is a bit eleventh hour, but if you listen to the Rock Zone show on Greece's Channel 1 radio today at 17.10 UK/19.10 Greek time, you can hear me blathering on about all things Peter Hammill and my upcoming PH/VdGG biog Rock and Role...
Tune in (ie. click the button) here! www.kanaliena.gr
Tune in (ie. click the button) here! www.kanaliena.gr
Happy birthday, Peter Hammill (pic by Paul Denby)
November 5, 2025 at 10:37 AM
Happy birthday, Peter Hammill (pic by Paul Denby)
Hooray, have been looking for an image of this Hawkwind piece for a while, from short-lived monthly inky Album Tracking. Chas de Whalley was your typical 70s hack, but Calvert is more than a match for him. Don't think I've seen this version of the Atomhenge promo pics before...
November 4, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Hooray, have been looking for an image of this Hawkwind piece for a while, from short-lived monthly inky Album Tracking. Chas de Whalley was your typical 70s hack, but Calvert is more than a match for him. Don't think I've seen this version of the Atomhenge promo pics before...
A couple of amazing pictures from Theo Joosten showing the fall of the wall at the Isle Of Wight festival 1970. More here: www.facebook.com/groups/stone...
November 3, 2025 at 10:34 AM
A couple of amazing pictures from Theo Joosten showing the fall of the wall at the Isle Of Wight festival 1970. More here: www.facebook.com/groups/stone...
A fabulous piece of vintage TV - inc interviews with Christopher Lee, Terry Nation, Ray Harryhausen and Lord Sutch! - though I find Whicker's charms entirely resistible. Some truly terrifying teeth and hair, and what bizarre fever dream is that first film fan having?? www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5wi...
1968: Whicker's World of Horror | Classic BBC Documentary | BBC Archive
YouTube video by BBC Archive
www.youtube.com
November 1, 2025 at 4:09 PM
A fabulous piece of vintage TV - inc interviews with Christopher Lee, Terry Nation, Ray Harryhausen and Lord Sutch! - though I find Whicker's charms entirely resistible. Some truly terrifying teeth and hair, and what bizarre fever dream is that first film fan having?? www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5wi...
RIP a true visionary. Watkins is (rightly) best known for The War Game, but if you haven't seen them, you should absolutely seek out the pop art nightmare of Privilege and the terrifying Punishment Park, which I'm sure Trump would love to make official US policy www.theguardian.com/film/2025/oc...
Peter Watkins, Oscar-winning director of The War Game, dies aged 90
Radical English director who clashed with the BBC over his ‘horrifying’ film about nuclear war, was forced to look abroad to continue working
www.theguardian.com
November 1, 2025 at 10:45 AM
RIP a true visionary. Watkins is (rightly) best known for The War Game, but if you haven't seen them, you should absolutely seek out the pop art nightmare of Privilege and the terrifying Punishment Park, which I'm sure Trump would love to make official US policy www.theguardian.com/film/2025/oc...
This is a fantastic, career-spanning interview with Bob Mould and Greg Norton about Hüsker Dü, who @steviechick.bsky.social rightfully identifies as "one of the most important groups of the 1980s." Another gem from @thequietus.com digest... (great pic too!) thequietus.com/interviews/h... 1/2
Plans That They Made: Hüsker Dü Interviewed | The Quietus
Stevie Chick talks to Bob Mould and Greg Norton about Grant Hart, American punk and paving the road for Nirvana
thequietus.com
October 31, 2025 at 3:54 PM
This is a fantastic, career-spanning interview with Bob Mould and Greg Norton about Hüsker Dü, who @steviechick.bsky.social rightfully identifies as "one of the most important groups of the 1980s." Another gem from @thequietus.com digest... (great pic too!) thequietus.com/interviews/h... 1/2
Clip from NME's 'What's On' guide, 23 Sept 1972, featuring proto-metal heroes Bodkin and Iron Claw, alluding to both bands' lack of success in securing industry attention. But they finally had their day during the archival recordings boom of the 90s/00s... 1/2
October 31, 2025 at 11:13 AM
Clip from NME's 'What's On' guide, 23 Sept 1972, featuring proto-metal heroes Bodkin and Iron Claw, alluding to both bands' lack of success in securing industry attention. But they finally had their day during the archival recordings boom of the 90s/00s... 1/2
The days of the underground clearly hadn't reached Hitchin according to this piece on Principal Edward's Magic Theatre from Zigzag, Nov 1969. Hawkwind's dancer Stacia was a big fan of PEMT and you can see the influence from the picture...
October 30, 2025 at 5:56 PM
The days of the underground clearly hadn't reached Hitchin according to this piece on Principal Edward's Magic Theatre from Zigzag, Nov 1969. Hawkwind's dancer Stacia was a big fan of PEMT and you can see the influence from the picture...
Hawkwind interview from Music Scene, December 1972, with some terrific pictures by Pennie Smith...
October 30, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Hawkwind interview from Music Scene, December 1972, with some terrific pictures by Pennie Smith...
Sad news. Pete drew this terrific pic of Michael Moorcock, as featured in Hawkwind: Days Of The Underground @breakfastruins.bsky.social
October 30, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Sad news. Pete drew this terrific pic of Michael Moorcock, as featured in Hawkwind: Days Of The Underground @breakfastruins.bsky.social
Here's a great interview with Peter Hammill by Jason Barnard @strangebrewpod.bsky.social, discussing PH's long career and the recent boxset. Also some kind words from Jason towards the end about my upcoming book! youtu.be/2XMEQ1wLzPQ?...
Peter Hammill on Van der Graaf Generator and 50 Years of Solo Reinvention
YouTube video by The Strange Brew Podcast
youtu.be
October 27, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Here's a great interview with Peter Hammill by Jason Barnard @strangebrewpod.bsky.social, discussing PH's long career and the recent boxset. Also some kind words from Jason towards the end about my upcoming book! youtu.be/2XMEQ1wLzPQ?...
Latest entry on my slow tour of classic SF is a bit of an oddity, C.M. Kornbluth's The Syndic (1953). It's an alt future vision of America where big government has been ousted by organised crime syndicates as the glue holding the country together. There's clearly an element of satire here... 1/3
October 26, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Latest entry on my slow tour of classic SF is a bit of an oddity, C.M. Kornbluth's The Syndic (1953). It's an alt future vision of America where big government has been ousted by organised crime syndicates as the glue holding the country together. There's clearly an element of satire here... 1/3
The breakdown of society has always been just around the corner...
Quatermass previewed in the Birmingham Mail and Daily Express (24th October 1979).
October 25, 2025 at 11:27 AM
The breakdown of society has always been just around the corner...
One of the finest recordings missing from the recent Peter Hammill boxset is this half-hour In Concert performance for BBC Radio 1 from December 1979. PH was accompanied by David Jackson throughout, and each song is outstanding...
www.rockandrole.net/post/ph-in-c...
www.rockandrole.net/post/ph-in-c...
PH/In Concert - 22 December 1979
In Concert – BBC Radio 1 (UK)With David JacksonMy Room / The Future Now / Mirror Images / Porton Down / Faculty XRecorded: 12 December 1979 at the Paris Theatre, London SW1Y (date & location unconfirm...
www.rockandrole.net
October 24, 2025 at 10:50 AM
One of the finest recordings missing from the recent Peter Hammill boxset is this half-hour In Concert performance for BBC Radio 1 from December 1979. PH was accompanied by David Jackson throughout, and each song is outstanding...
www.rockandrole.net/post/ph-in-c...
www.rockandrole.net/post/ph-in-c...
And as reviewed by me in the current Prog magazine ;-) The new mixes really are terrific and Sid's sleeve notes are always top value!
Out now: King Crimson’s In The Wake Of Poseidon and Lizard. Both feature new stereo and Atmos mixes by Steven Wilson and new Elemental mixes by David Singleton. I’m pleased to have provided the 2000-word essays accompanying these transitional releases from the mighty Crim.
October 23, 2025 at 3:24 PM
And as reviewed by me in the current Prog magazine ;-) The new mixes really are terrific and Sid's sleeve notes are always top value!
Interesting snippet here from NME, 22 January 1977. I've never heard this suggestion before that Hawkwind were planning to do a live album post-ASAM? And I haven't heard Nik's departure spun like this before... 🙃
HAWKWIND - NEWS
NME 22nd JAN 1977
+ BACK ON THE STREETS
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mywk...
@pgjonesvenice.bsky.social @glenwotherspoon.bsky.social @noiseresearch.bsky.social @pinkfishmedia.net @xneardark.bsky.social @joebankswriter.bsky.social
NME 22nd JAN 1977
+ BACK ON THE STREETS
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mywk...
@pgjonesvenice.bsky.social @glenwotherspoon.bsky.social @noiseresearch.bsky.social @pinkfishmedia.net @xneardark.bsky.social @joebankswriter.bsky.social
October 23, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Interesting snippet here from NME, 22 January 1977. I've never heard this suggestion before that Hawkwind were planning to do a live album post-ASAM? And I haven't heard Nik's departure spun like this before... 🙃