POP AND JAZZ REVIEWS : Nik Turner Leads Urgent Hawkwind

For all its self-importance, little music from the much-maligned genre of progressive rock has actually progressed . The crowd of ‘70s ego-rockers epitomized by Yes and Genesis has mostly degenerated into sad self-parody. Who expected any different from Hawkwind?

But there was singer-saxman-flutist Nik Turner, leading his version of Hawkwind on Friday at Club Lingerie in a performance that was both sci-fi ridiculous and astonishingly urgent. Gone was the aimless excess of Hawkwind’s early albums. A modern punk element has instead been added to the band’s jazzy, prog-rock mode, reflecting the old Hawkwind’s influence on such newer art-damaged acts as Ministry.

That focus and energy owed much to Turner’s band of mostly young, industrial-rock players, including guitarist Helios Creed and members of Pressurehed. Only Turner and keyboardist Del Dettmar were original members. (Turner and co-founder Dave Brock are fighting a UK court battle over the use of the Hawkwind name.)

Not that Turner and his new group were without their own spacey, apocalyptic visions and long instrumental wind-outs. Two hours into the band’s midnight set, Lingerie pulled the plug, citing the late hour. Turner was left silent and disoriented in his “Mad Max” outfit, though the crowd seemed relieved for the break from a long and wearying onslaught.