The release of the album
25 Years On was promoted with a 41 date UK tour during October and November 1978. The stage show was designed by
Barney Bubbles and was based on a
Metropolis/
Mao Tse-tung dystopia theme, featuring a projected film based light show, dancers in drab clothing performing mundane tasks, and spotlight towers creating an oppressive internment camp atmosphere. During the course of the tour the show was cut-back due to financial constraints, sufficiently upsetting Bubbles enough for him to refuse to work with Brock again. Some of the musicians felt that this action lightened the atmosphere resulting in the shows becoming more powerful. For the
Hammersmith Odeon gig on 13 October,
Lemmy guested on "
Silver Machine". The
Brunel University, Uxbridge concert (24 November) was professionally filmed by
Charisma Records, but to date only snippets have been aired on UK television. The
Plymouth Polytechnic concert (23 November) was professionally recorded, and subsequent archive albums have included portions from it. A tour programme was sold at this gig detailing the weird science behind the '25 Years' project. It outlined the aims and achievements of Pan Transcendental Industries and its programme for the industrialisation of religion. It described the construction of the first 'Metaphactory' staffed in part by car crash victims whose function was to generate new forms of social behaviour through the transformation of private into public fantasies. The nine million workers who populated this giant factory complex are described in the song 'The Age Of The Micro Man' wherein it is shown that they have no idea what they are working for. In fact the new rulers of this dark industrial age received contact from aliens that they believed were actually angels. These 'angels' said they would provide enlightenment, but at a price. The payment was nonsensical but nevertheless the human race was enslaved.
Set-list The following set-list is that from the Hammersmith Odeon, 13 October 1978 performance. The set-list would slightly change during the course of the tour, significantly "Flying Doctor" being dropped halfway through.
Releases •
Weird Tape 4 • Recorded at Plymouth Polytechnic, 23 November 1978 • June 1981, Weird Tapes, WEIRD104, UK cassette • September 2000,
Voiceprint Records, HAWKVP9CD, UK CD •
Hawklords Live • Recorded at Brunel University, Uxbridge, 24 November 1978. Also includes the additional track "Over The Top" from the
Sonic Assassins concert • 1981, Flicknife Records, FLEP101 • 1992, Dojo Records, DOJOCD7, UK CD • May 1992, Griffin Records, GN03921-2, USA CD • ''Live '78'' • Recorded at Brunel University, Uxbridge, 24 November 1978 • 29 June 2009, Atomhenge (
Cherry Red) Records, ATOMCD1014, UK CD
Tour dates The band undertook a 42 date UK tour in October and November 1978, with support from
Patrik Fitzgerald and The Softies. • 6 October – Oxford, New Theatre • 7 October – Manchester, Apollo • 8 October – Liverpool, Empire • 9 October – Edinburgh, Usher Hall • 10 October – Newcastle, City Hall • 11 October – Middlesbrough, Town Hall • 13 October – London, Hammersmith Odeon – guest appearance from
Lemmy • 14 October – Milton Keynes, Leisure Centre • 15 October – Croydon, Fairfield Halls • 16 October – Portsmouth, Guild Hall • 17 October – Birmingham, Odeon • 18 October – Dunstable, Queensway Hall • 19 October – Blackburn, King George Hall • 20 October – Bristol, Colston Hall • 21 October – St. Albans, City Hall • 22 October – Ipswich, Gaumont • 23 October – Leicester, De Montfort Hall • 24 October – Sheffield, City Hall • 25 October – Bradford, St. Georges Hall • 26 October – Leeds, Queens Hall • 27 October – Stoke-on-Trent, Victoria Hall • 28 October – Paignton, Festival Theatre • 29 October – Poole, Wessex Hall • 2 November – Malvern, Winter Gardens • 3 November – Cambridge, Corn Exchange • 4 November – Ilford, Gants Hill Odeon • 5 November – Reading, Hexagon • 6 November – Cardiff, University • 8 November – Gloucester, Leisure Centre • 9 November – Folkestone, Leas Cliff Hall • 10 November – Derby, Assembly Rooms • 11 November – Nottingham, Heart of the Midlands (Rock City) • 13 November – Hemel, Pavilion • 15 November – Glasgow, Apollo • 16 November – Carlisle, Market Hall • 17 November – Lancaster, University • 18 November – Oldham, Queen Elizabeth Hall • 19 November – Blackburn, King George Hall • 22 November – Wolverhampton, Civic Hall • 23 November – Plymouth, Polytechnic – professionally recorded • 24 November – Uxbridge, Brunel University – professionally filmed • 25 November – Hastings, Pier Pavilion ==Rockfield Studios, 1979==