Stacia, pioneer in rock nudity
March 26th, 2007
Hawkwind will be remembered as the pioneers of space rock music in the early 70’s but curiously they also pioneered the nudity on stage when they added an exuberant dancer called Stacia to their shows.
Stacia debuted with Hawkwind at Glastonbury Festival in June 1971, after she had seen the band at the legendary Isle of Wight festival. Soon later, after a concert near her home town in Exeter, she was invited to a rehearsal where she just started dancing nude to the music. This way, she probably became the first woman to dance nude on stage in the history of rock music. For Hawkind, rather than an erotic show this was just another way of expression for their visionary universe. Stacia said to a music newspaper:‘People watching did not regard it as a sexual thing. Hawkwind don’t attract that type of audience. They reacted to my dancing as an expression of freedom… Somebody once approached me to do a pornographic film – I reacted quite violently – not physically, but verbally. I would never contemplate anything like that’.
Despite of Stacia’s artistic intentions, probably the world was still not ready for that. As soon as the word spread about this tall woman dancing on stage and showing her breasts, the band’s audience was looking more like a bunch of teenagers looking for a peep-show. This was a big deception for Stacia, she just had a different conception about her art: ‘My dancing is an expression of what I feel about the music. The Japanese do it – it’s a form of expression and miming. Most men look upon me as a sexual challenge, especially in the States where, to my mind, the only real groupies exist.’
Eventually, she decided to cover her body with a collection of fantastic costumes. The sad thing is that today, 35 years later, the world would never accept or understand the art of this modern Isadora Duncan because it would be taken as pornography. And in addition, her naked figure probably wouldn’t please the cannons of beauty imposed by the modern society and the media.
Stacia left Hawkwind in August 1975 but her pioneering performances became a tradition in the band and many other dancers and mimes joined them on stage throughout the years, including Tony Crerar, Miss Renee, Phyllis, Jane Issac, Kris Tait, Julie Murray, Bridgett Wishart, Liam Yates and Michelle Gaskill.
August 27th, 2007 at
Thanks for this great article on Stacia. Just curious, where is Stacia today?
Unfortunatelly, I’m a generation after, and didn’t have chance to live the Seventies in the proper age… I think it was the golden era for music – Prog and Space rock.
Regards.
Klaus
October 22nd, 2007 at
Where is she now?
http://www.staciablake.com/
January 5th, 2008 at
She was and is a totally unique personality in rock and roll. You could never, ever do what she did then on stage now. Wholly aside from the fact that the “esthetic” of today would require a pencil-thin waif, which she thankfully was not. I was one of the first people to review Hawkwind and I got to meet Miss Stacia. It was electrifying. She was a Rubenesque vision. I actually got to dance with her at a club opening – unforgettable. I’m not surprised that she is an artist now – probably still quite lovely, no doubt.
Bless her. There’d be no Hawkwind “reunion” without her.
January 12th, 2008 at
Unforgettable! Hakwinds silver machine and this statuesque mystery goddess blasting the senses of a pre-teen in 1972-5! That was me, my fascination with the rubenesque figure had its roots there. I never knew what teen crush obsession and infatuation was until she arrived and flashed that long dark mane of hair across that beautiful painted profile of a face working that incredible Amazonian body into an orchestrated astral frenzy. Simply perfect, Hawkwinds howling silver machine and the mysterious Stacia
January 30th, 2008 at
On piratebay.org you can download the very decent BBC documentary “Do not panic” about Hawkwind. That was the days of acid and other drugs. Things that finally destroyed the band……
August 7th, 2008 at
is this Henrik from Norway?…if it is this is steve from uk remember
(TYA)
September 19th, 2008 at
I was born waaayyyy too late! Should be a great era.
October 1st, 2008 at
My friends older brother gave me the Space Ritual Album.Still the best Album ever produced.Stacia,she was the perfect.Would like to have met her.
December 9th, 2008 at
Me and my friend Alan were big fans of Hawkwind in the early 1970s – before the release of Silver Machine! We saw them play the Hardrock on Greatstone Road in Stretford, Manchester on 26th November, 1972 – supported by Steamhammer on their blindingly, brilliant UK Space Ritual Tour. Nik Turner walked unnoticed through the seatless concert hall as it was filling up. Only Alan ran after him and Nik signed his programme. The gig was amazing – but the icing on the cake was after it finished!
The hall was almost empty yet still dark when in front of (not on) the stage came the incredible Stacia Blake to give a very personal performance. Stacia electified us – dancing and drifting around the floor semi nude/nude in a robe made of a white satin type material, moving so sex perfect to the Moody Blues song – Nights in White Satin.
Thirty-six years on – that wonderful memory is very fondly revisited. On most days actually. Stacia, we really did adore you – in an artistic way of course!
January 18th, 2009 at
A vision of female perfection.
June 28th, 2009 at
[...] Stacia of Hawkwind http://www.intuitivemusic.com/stacia-pioneer-in-rock-nudity [...]
August 1st, 2009 at
[...] ouvrage soit consacré entièrement au sujet), on rapporte que la formation space rock britannique Hawkwind fut une des premières à lier zizique et nudité à l’aide d’une danseuse qui « [...]
August 19th, 2009 at
Stacia, what can you say, followed Hawkwind from 1971. Sat in the front row at The Red Lion Leytonstone with Stacia by my side waiting to start gyrating. man she was beautiful. Every show afetr that I was there if it was in London. the Oval was abit dissapointing. Don’t know who the naked guy was. Happy days.
September 11th, 2009 at
See Daily Mail, UK newspaper, page 78.
September 11th 2009 edition.
Readers’ letters page.
There is a question from a reader with a quite detailed answer re Miss Stacia
October 17th, 2009 at
I think I saw her last performance at the Michigan Theater in Detroit 1975. The whole Hawkwind show and her dancing were amazing. A unique event in history. Probably Lemmy was busted/fired the next day. Read the Lemmy interview in Rolling Stone, it is one of their best, and he is quite the character!
December 7th, 2009 at
[...] Hawkwind’s dancer Stacia – “pioneer in rock nudity”. [...]
March 21st, 2010 at
Ein Freund hat mir deinen Blog gerade empfohlen und dann hatte ich gedacht gucke ich doch einmal vorbei. Und ich muss sagen er gefaellt mir richtig gut, ich denke er koennte zu meinen Stamm Blogs dazu kommen bei denen ich regelmaeßigoft vorbei schaue.