Stacia, pioneer in rock nudity
March 26th, 2007 by Koldo Barroso
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 7th, 2008 at
Hawkwind were first band I ever saw, age 12 in ‘74. I was way up in the balcony and couldn’t see very well but she was on-stage in a dark leotard. If I had been down the front , I’d've fainted with desire. Sure it was Art, but tell that to a hormonal 12 year old. Or even a hormonal 46 year old like as now. I do not care a jot about fashionable waifs, women like Stacia and those drawn by Robert Crumb left a big impression on me at a young age. I am a panting hound in the presence of such impressive femininity. Her current situation seems secret and must reflect a desire for privacy which must be respected. All you’ll find out if you google her is she is an Artist living in Ireland. I guess she isn’t trading on her Stacia name. She may be of quite an advanced age for all i know, round about 70, I was never sure of her age back then, it’s possible I got her age and her bust size confused at the time.
January 7th, 2008 at
oh.. just found this pic of Stacia today… she is still in great shape and doesn’t look old. It’s on this site below
http://www.tac.streamlinetrial.co.uk/woc/stacia/stacia.htm
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.