Steve Hillage has for decades been one of my most admired guitarists. His effortless, fluid, spacey style puts him up there for me with the likes of Donald Roeser, Bill Nelson, Martin Barre etc.
Since buying a copy of his Motivation Radio album in the late 1970s and seeing him on that tour – Steve’s stuff (solo, Gong and others) has been a regular listen for me over the years.
Now we have a proper treat with The Glastonbury Experience. Steve and his band performing at the 1979 Glastonbury Festival very fittingly on the Summer Solstice.
An excellent set indeed full of Hillage classics with the band putting it all in and leaving nothing behind.
A small gripe only being that it starts with a cover of Are You Experienced when (in my opinion at least) Steve could have squeezed in one of his own.
No matter – next up we have the gloriously trippy Electrick Gypsies. So laid back yet with a punch and great hooky chorus. Who’s gonna be an Electrick Gypsy? Is the question asked.
Unzipping the Zype ups the trippiness and atmospherics further over the eight minutes with Steve sublime playing shining out.
Another cover follows – Steve’s version of Hudy Gurdy Man. As a personal rule I’m not big on covers though he carries this one off so well adding the spacey elements. Strong cover.
To show he can hit the big riffs too we have the (almost) heavy metal of Light in the Sky. A well-paced hard rocker. Here it is. Have a listen:
A brooding, extended Radio flows through at around nine minutes. Slowly building from the acoustic-based intro before filling out into effortless atmospherics and Steve’s laconic, sublime guitar-work.
Octave Doctors mixes it up with the shorter, punchier style of the song. 1988 Aktivator fast and furious – a bit new wave even. Frantic.
And we have the Glorious Om Riff. Indeed, it is glorious.
For a performance from forty-three years ago it sounds like yesterday. As fresh as 21 June 1979 when it was recorded live.
Put the headphones on, lay down, shut your eyes and drift off whilst listening. Marvellous.