In a 2016 interview, Hawkwind founder Dave Brock recalled the turbulent internal conflicts that nearly ended the band, including the sacking of bassist Lemmy Kilmister and a subsequent power struggle in which Brock himself was almost pushed out. The piece traces the group's origins from Brock's days busking in London subways to the "civil war" among band members that ultimately left him as its sole constant figure and de facto leader, a story that underlines how precarious the survival of one of rock's most enduring space-rock acts really was.

The interview recounts how Brock began playing music while busking, notably in a South Kensington subway tunnel he used for its natural echo, before forming Hawkwind with friend John Harrison. It goes on to describe a period of severe internal discord in which, after Lemmy's dismissal from the band, Brock found himself targeted next, prompting him and allies to instead remove other members and retain control of Hawkwind rather than let it collapse or be taken from him.