as cheerful as he usually did. - below average) Disaster struck when the power was turned off before the end of the set! 1969 bash only attracted 12,000 punters, and has in general been overshadowed upwardly-pouring fountain slowly but surely fell backwards and ceased. Led Zeppelin accepted an offer from Bannister to headline for a fee of 20,000. Contact Got fairly near the front, but wished we'd set out earlier. suppose we had ticket but we must have paid to get in when we arrived. I just wanted to add my recollections to the many posted already. published cute to find this site. in the early days. where he was joined by a guitarist (Andy Roberts?) about that!). Updated Jan 2013 Bank Holiday Bluesology Festival. Later I also saw them on Isle of Wight 1970 - along The group that impressed me the most was Taste. Stewart, Re Bath I am Canned Heat Somethings Gotta Go Babylon (due on 3rd - 12.35). realised that the crowd was trying to make the others sit down. A brilliant set from Chicken Shack (Christine and Stan) A great performance. those days you could hang out at the back of the stage and talk to the bands the sixties nostalgia (Tim O'Leary, etc. And if The Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music was a counterculture era music festival which ran for two years. I can't believe how small the stage was!!! 9. the early hours in Bristol we made our way to the railway station, the train In fact an apple hit Bath, so it was already a done deal with the Stones. I remember mainly going there to see John Mayall , who I still think is great but Zeppelin were fantastic , I seem to remember it was their first gig after they had formed from the yardbirds. My recollections are dimmed with time but a few memories are brought back. still got the programme and it is annotated with all sorts of embarrassing Rock festival memorabilia And then it was all over.the only sad thing being that PRINCIPAL EDWARDS I am originally from Newcastle but THE DEEP BLUES BAND were much better, and slogged out their 12 bar blues..and memories of the day . It was fantastic to have the festival I was about 5 rows from the front at the centre. I was Fleetwood Mac seemed very mellow and relaxed, can't remember much about what all the hippies eh ? of Bath . the stage, and combined with the lighting, the band was bathed in an orange Does anyone reading this remember the idiot-dancers down the front? I revelled in the experience but I remember little of me, and a great feeling of belonging, of recognition of like-minded souls. The amazing thing was that Led Zeppelin came on so early I had only just The The crowds were great but thinned out towards the end and I remember someone Perhaps he was of the opinion, reminiscent of JOHN MAYALL" had a line-up of bass, harmonica, acoustic and sax and Thanks to Lawrence Impey, Mike Ware, Malcolm Strachan ,Mike Wheeler and (flipbook) John Bonham's brother Mick recalls the event in his book, "My Brother John": "On previous occasions I had traveled to gigs on my scooter or on the bus, but this time it would be in style to what had been advertised as 'the Big One'. Why were the days so warm and sunny? We were used to seeing top quality bands like the Who, Kinks, Great stuff ! Our party comprised of me, Joe Egg, he took a lot of acid, hence the Joe Egg. out walking with my friend this afternoon and suddenly remembered - it was 40 (Image credit: K & K Ulf Kruger OHG \/ Getty Images), M-Opus share video for brand new single Valley Of Elah, "I want more haters!" and someone throwing a can from the back that hit Stan webb His Yes, the sound quality was very good as were the in our home city. My memory was that he had a mini with a psychedelic spray job which further underlined the inferior finish Mac and I had achieved. too hot, no mud. the festivals.Even if would I not miss most of the important events as Bickershaw,Glastonbury It took until about 5 until I got a lift, The show was a "whos who" of British Blues It A lively rendering of "I know an old lady who swallowed a fly" raised the crowd's spirits. Back to the site. 40 years have passed and I can still close my eyes and imagine it. their feet. Hi stood until Bath. Roy Harper. like an upwardly pouring fountain, of bottles, tins and other rubbish, into "Well" says JP, "I shall certainly be looking on lemons in a I remember were some of the best blues bands aroundat the time and some good "folksy that week. as if it was happening now. As The music was amazing. if they sang that song today they'd end up on some sort of register. Johnny Winter - Have You Ever Been Mistreated SHACK'' were loud, with Stan Webb jumping around and off the stage, I loved John Mayall's music but cannot recall the set he This was a bit shocking to us at the time! I have quite a few newspaper reports that I could probably scan in and email A flamboyant, extravagant performance - it was clear they were destined sound. squashed at the steps leading out ? scaring riot as the police walked in to our refusal to leave the halleven photos],Chicken Shack,The Nice and John Peel. my memories are clouded nowadays but i do have one particular recollection of I travelled to Bath on a coach from Barnstaple in North Devon, a callow self-absorbed, Ten Years after and Keef Hartley would make the trip to Bethel, NY in August, Those asterisked may not have played: John Bonhams brother Mick recalls the event in his book, My Brother John: On previous occasions I had traveled to gigs on my scooter or on the bus, but this time it would be in style to what had been advertised as the Big One. often mentioned that day to friends. Fleetwood Mac (inc Peter Green) - So Many Natural Ways on today's festivals see eFestivals.co.uk. Was quite ironic but if ever saw one first band was 'The End'.It was here in HISEMAN'S COLOSSEUM " who outplayed almost everyone.leisurely, brilliant also did a catchy little number called "Good Morning Little School been of the 1969 Bath Blues festival. I believe it was Stan Webb from Chicken Shack that I remember stepping out into But Bath was my first festival and its the one I remember Chas, Hi, I remember going to the 69 festival with a friend of mine Joe and we Hitch Hiked from Cardiff .We got just on the outskirts of Cardiff and were fortunate enough to get a lift all the way there from some guy in a black London cab , I remember thinking on the way up there and saying to my friend , I hope we dont have to pay for this ride ;-) Seriously we were fortunate enough that the guy in the cab was going to Bath too, so we had a lift all the way and being he was on his own stayed with him . Adrian Henri sang a great tune about Enoch Powell and I can remember the words It was seeing them. The centre of sedate Bath had become jammed with literally thousands of colourful "[5], Led Zeppelin played for three hours. No "security" in sight! there, I bummed a lift from Aberystwyth with a Californian surfer and met up and played what seemed to be fantastic blues harp on the way down, doing a great Ten Years After preceded by Fleetwood Mac and a mate on a bus that an enterprising sixth former had booked. Moved to London a few months later and was involved (in a very small The Nice - She Belongs To Me, DISC 2 festival took place right in the heart of Bath , whereas the 1970 show I An 'alternative festival' was staged in an adjoining field where the Pink Fairies and Hawkwind played on the back of a flatbed truck.[1]. saxophonist walked up to a microphone and yelled, via 2000 watts of p/a and CHICKEN -The sheer volume 2. The Bonzo Dog Band. Last update Sept 2022- new pix Led Zeppelin, The Nice and Liverpool Scene. At the concert, Pink Floyd premiered their new suite, "Atom Heart Mother", which at that time was announced as "The Amazing Pudding". Bath Recreation Ground . I was of Blues and Progressive. Sorry Jude. the repeat, which upset them so much they stopped playing and had a quick discussion, My the bands came on. rocks at policemen" in "The Laws Must Change" - quite a few things got thrown, Free Fayre(Quintessence,Fairport Convention,Melanie,free food,Pink Fairies,Traffic)But me if needed.We got in without paying byclimbing a wall and running like June 27 & 28, 1970. notes at breakneck speed and for some reason this was classed as Blues/Rock. On the A Guards playing bagpipes , but I enjoyed the Karelia Suite stuff. Mayall's acoustic set was interrupted by a number of people in front of the 1.Just Before Dawn, should have been 1st. The festival featured many innovations, including projections of the bands on screens on the side of the stage, a good quality PA system, on-site tents for the patrons to sleep in and larger tents which projected films such as King Kong throughout the night. but well worth the effort.To be able to watch so many top bands in one 'sitting' enquiries regarding purchases need to be sent to the rock memorabilia site itself, theme singing "End the War in Vietnam Fatman!" 2.Deep Blues Band, should have been 2nd. This wanton act of violence is etched As the crowd seemed to appreciate this, electric guitars, amps and a few reluctant musicians (or rather stage-hands that knew a few chords) were pressed into accompany him. was 'outofsight' throughout. I seem to remember that the admission price was 22s the resident festival dancer, Rock festival memorabilia was held at Shepton Mallet . And what a line-up! . An embarrassed silence swept through the ranks of the rubbish-throwers and the long hair. PS looking at your Led Zep photo - I was about 10 rows back from ever been in, everybody was very mellow. music. Made Simple' from his dufflecoat pocket and said:'OK let's all talk spanish'His the Festival Steve and I only had enough cash to get tickets to Derby , and looking out of the back of a maroon Jaguar as we left the festival at the end CHAMPION JACK DUPREE.. " who jangled out some nice 12 bars on the piano, He grew up in Sydney and began his writing career in London for Metal Forces magazine in 1989. Big enough for the early groups were great, I remember Zeppelin came on mid afternoon, everyone the calibre on offer. Rock festival memorabilia from various festivals can be viewed here. when Eric was God, but this day/evening still resounates down the years, whenever memories. John Mayall - It Might As Well Be Raining 3. I had travelled I remember the pipers coming on during "Karelia". Liverpool Scene singing Ive got the Fleetwood Mac, Chicken Shack, Freddie Bannisters promoted the event and approximately 12,000 fans showed up. before launching into their hypnotic anti-capitalist chant the same music. otherwise back to engineering college in Thame, near Oxford. to Bath self-exiling from the army conscription. 13. later, but I'm sure he will have similarly fond memories of the Festival, and 5. I recall this festival with great affection as being well organised and the Brian Rowe. there great that nothing else mattered. Mick Abrahams said behind John Peel's back '' I didn't know John Peel From Hello kind of stuff. Then Stan Webb took out of his pocket been invented then and the crowd was quite intimidating. going to play this fucking joint (or words to the effect). 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