VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR
Rock and Role book/bio
Interview with author Joe Banks by Robin Cook
(February 2026)
With the band Van der Graaf Generator and as a solo artist, Peter Hammill has become a sui generis artist with a body of work that spans six decades. At long last, the man is the subject of a musical and personal biography--the recently published Rock and Role: The Visionary Songs of Peter Hammill and Van der Graaf Generator. I interviewed author Joe Banks about the process of the book and his own personal thoughts on Hammill's work.
PSF: Where did the inspiration for the book come from? How long had you followed Peter Hammill's career before writing it?
JB: The inspiration -- once it came to me! -- was pretty straight forward actually. There had never been an English language biography of Hammill before. Given that he's still revered by audiences around the world, this seemed a little crazy. And other than Van der Graaf Generator: The Book (which is 20 years old, and only available as an e-book now), there hadn't been that much written in depth about VdGG either. So in purely commercial terms -- which may be crass, but important when pitching a book to a publisher -- I felt there was definitely a serious gap in the market.
But more important than that, I felt I had something interesting to say about his songs and about Hammill himself. I first heard Godbluff in 1984, when I was 16, and was pretty much hooked on Hammill's unique writing and performance style immediately -- and for me, some of Hammill's solo albums are easily a match for VdGG's finest, if not better.
PSF: Previously, you'd written about Hawkwind. In a way, that band has a lot in common with Hammill. Both are (largely) cult artists that nevertheless carved out work that appealed to different audiences. What do you think their other similarities are?
JB: I think there's a number of important connections between Hawkwind and VdGG/Hammill. Certainly the cult aspect of both bands' followings is a key one, indicative of the fact that neither artist have ever really fitted into a specific scene (although obviously VdGG are strongly associated with progressive rock) -- it's more accurate to say that they're laws unto themselves. Both bands were also interested in the possibilities of noise, chaos and improvisation -- they wanted to blow the audience's mind, rather than be admired for their technical proficiency. Both at various times featured saxophone and violin as lead instruments, and in Robert Calvert and Hammill, both bands were steered by visionary frontmen fascinated by the power of myths and science fiction.
PSF: What was the biggest challenge for you when writing about Hammill and his career?
JB: Well, the sheer length of it was one challenge! But as with Hawkwind: Days Of The Underground, I concentrated on the 1970s as a period of incredible productivity and artistic achievement. On saying that, Hammill has continued to make great music post the Charisma years, so it was important for me to also write about that as well, even if condensing it down to a manageable length proved to be another challenge. But the most important challenge I faced was simply trying to do justice to Hammill's creativity and intellect -- he's far from just another singer/songwriter! The awe and devotion he still inspires in his audience makes for a (rightfully) demanding readership who aren't going to accept the usual platitudes and surface analysis that get served up in most music biographies. So, as with the Hawkwind book, I wanted to write something that acted as a genuine deep dive into his music and ideas, and offered new perspectives on this work -- hopefully I've achieved that.
PSF: I know that Judge Smith and David Jackson were interviewed for the book. Have Hammill or anyone else from VDGG contacted you regarding it?
JB: At the start of the writing process, my publisher Kingmaker approached Peter about the possibility of doing a 'big interview' for the book -- but while he was happy for the book to go ahead, he didn't want to do that kind of career-spanning talk, particularly as he still regards his career as very much ongoing! However, in the latter stages of writing/editing, he was very helpful answering various questions over email and fact-checking certain details.
Along with Judge and David, I also spoke to key sidemen such as Graham Smith and John Ellis, as well as his managers Gordian Troeller and Gail Colson. I also approached Guy Evans and Hugh Banton -- Guy politely declined, Hugh never got back to me. On saying that, tracking down and speaking to Hammill's ex-partner Alice was something of a coup!
PSF: There was one previous biography of VDGG (Van der Graaf Generator: The Book), but none that have focused specifically on Hammill. Why do you think that is?
JB: There have been books specifically on Hammill before, but written in Italian, Spanish and French, which is an indication of how seriously he's regarded around the world -- though I don't think any have gone into the same depth that Rock and Role does. The fact there hasn't been an English language book on Hammill before is frankly a sad reflection on the way he's still seen in both the UK and US -- a cult artist who's too difficult for the mainstream, but also can't be easily retrofitted into the various narratives of the heritage rock industry. Despite the brilliance of much of his work, he is a genuine maverick who still challenges -- and that's not always an easy sell.
PSF: As a listener, what do you find to be the most rewarding aspect of Hammill's body of work?
JB: He has a worldview of a complexity that is rarely expressed in rock, or certainly not articulated so well, which means that his lyrics and music are often incredibly dense, but reward close analysis. Of course, this is one reason that he's continued to remain at the cult artist level, because most listeners aren't willing to pay that much attention to songs! But it does Hammill a disservice to paint him as a purely 'intellectual artist' -- a lot of his music is viscerally exciting and melodically rich, and touches the heart as well as the head. And his voice is like nothing else in the rock canon!
PSF: Hammill is an example of a performer who has stayed on top of different aspects of his career. Do you think the current musical climate is better or worse for an artist like him?
JB: As Robert Fripp termed it, Hammill is the epitome of the artist as a small, mobile, intelligent and independent unit. He pioneered home recording from 1973 onwards, and by 1980, he had set up his first label. It also wasn't long until he was effectively managing himself, and communicating directly with his fanbase via newsletters and then the internet. He recognised early on that to continue doing what he wanted to do without compromise, he would need to become his own cottage industry (again, strong parallels with Hawkwind here). A lot of artists in the current musical climate have recognised the same thing, and made it work for them. In some ways, new bands are hamstrung by the collapse of the traditional music industry, but the sheer amount of them shows that it's possible to create music outside of the studio system and find an audience via networks and connections, digital or otherwise. Hammill's career absolutely predicates where we are right now -- but whether the algorithms will serve him up to a new generation of listeners remains to be seen.
PSF: Of all Hammill's works (solo or VDGG), which is your favourite?
JB: My favourite VdGG album remains the first one I heard, 1975's 'reunion' album Godbluff -- and I personally think this is a great place for any VdGG-curious listeners out there to start. I have two particular favourite Hammill solo albums: 1974's The Silent Corner And The Empty Stage, and 1979's pH7. The Silent Corner... is one of the most genuinely progressive albums ever made, and is often referred to as a VdGG proxy album given that the band feature quite prominently on it. pH7, made just five years later, shows how musically and intellectually omnivorous he was (and still is), delivering an album of socially-conscious post-punk rockers alongside strange ballads and apocalyptic epics.
PSF: Was there anything surprising or interesting about the band or its members that you learned while gathering material for the book?
JB: Ha, every new/unearthed quote reveals something interesting when you're writing a biography like this, and I liked discovering more background on Hammill's schooldays, for instance. But the most novel and illuminating perspective in the book has to be that of Alice, particularly as she has never spoken on the record before. When a figure who previously had just been referenced and alluded to in songs suddenly comes to life, that's really quite exciting! Alice's take on Hammill as a person and as a creative force was fascinating, as was hearing her side of the story regarding Over.
Also see our 2009 Van Der Graff interview
And this Van Der Graaf article
And our article on Hammill's early solo years
And our 2016 Peter Hammill interview
And our 2007 Peter Hammill interview
