The 229 Club, 229 Great Portland Street, London, W1W 5PN
Sunday 29th November, 2009 from 2 – 10pm
On 14th November 1983, the art and music worlds lost one of their most important and innovative figures
with the death of the legendary graphic designer Barney Bubbles. His work as Hawkwind’s cover artist
and stage-set creator established him as key figure in the Ladbroke Grove/Notting Hill counter-culture
scene, whilst his subsequent work with Stiff Records (including his designs for Elvis Costello’s album
covers and his fractured Kandinsky-esque cover painting for The Damned’s Music For Pleasure LP)
established his relevance to the punk/new-wave generation. He directed the seminal video for The
Specials’ ‘Ghost Town’ single, worked as art director at Friends magazine and was an early champion of
Pennie Smith, who was to become one of rock’s most lauded photographers.
“...one of the most important graphic artists of his time.” Will Birch, ‘No Sleep ‘Till Canvey Island – The
British Pub Rock Scene’.
Barney Bubbles’ long-time friend and admirer, former Hawkwind saxophonist Nik Turner, has been
instrumental in organising this memorial concert celebrating the life and achievements of this most
singular of multi-media artists, with a view to setting up a foundation/annual award for innovative
album cover design, and a memorial plaque for him...
Headliners THE HAWKLORDS, featuring Adrian Shaw, Alan Davey, Harvey Bainbridge, Jerry Richards,
Danny Thompson, Nik Turner, Ron Tree, Steve Swindells and Terry Ollis will perform Hawkwind’s 1973
stage extravaganza, Space Ritual, up-dated to 2009, supported by The New Bubblettes dancers and
lighting designs inspired by Liquid Len & The Lensmen.
The day’s extensive line-up also features key 70s Notting Hill band QUINTESSENCE, The Damned
founder-member Brian James, fronting his own BRIAN JAMES GANG, Nik Turner’s INNER CITY UNIT
and the band created by Barney Bubbles, THE IMPERIAL POMPADOURS.
Pentameters Players will perform their acclaimed staging of ROBERT CALVERT’s play, ‘The Stars That
Play With Laughing Sam’s Dice’.
Also appearing during this memorial concert: JERRY FITZGERALD/LOL COXHILL’S ‘FRE-EX,
TRIKIMIKI’S ‘3-D SPACE-WARP’, and D.J. JEFF DEXTER
“Barney was, as far as media direction of the youth of this country, probably the most important artist of our
generation.” Douglas Smith, interviewed by Jonathon Green, ‘Days In the Life: Voices From The English
Underground’.
The 229 ticket hotline 0207 323 7229 * £20.00 advance, £25.00 door