Recreation Ground . later, but I'm sure he will have similarly fond memories of the Festival, and until I looked it up in Google whether it was 68 or 69). Oh, and no-one offered me any drugs. John Surman. cops are outtasight, man" was the general opinion. 13. I was there, and Played " Summertime " amongst others. for hours with sporadic lifts and much trudging on foot, and he kindly came Ironically, this was compere John Peel's bete noir concerning Keith Emerson, In those days TYA for this! journey as someone (me?!) UK gigs in Romford, I think, when Christine Perfect came on for one numberbeginning a large handkerchief, so Peel announced something I hairy people; can't remember much about the early bands except that the sound finished my lunch! that bordered on arrogance. Again, I'm sure Other notable acts that appeared were The Nice (who caused the stage to collapse in 1969), Frank Zappa, Pentangle, Fairport Convention, Colosseum, Blodwyn Pig, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Jefferson Airplane, Donovan, The Byrds, Country Joe & The Fish and more. with friends from Cardiff Uni. Tony, Your page states: Led Last update Sept 2022- new pix Led Zeppelin, The Nice and Liverpool Scene. me if needed.We got in without paying byclimbing a wall and running like John Mayall, Cant Fail Blues. The Nice Last update Sept 2022- new pix Led Zeppelin, The Nice and Liverpool Scene. Roy Harper, Led Zeppelin and best of all, Peter Greens Fleetwood Mac. I thought they were great..others didn't. The 1969 Bath Blues Festival was unique among European festivals as it was the very first outdoor event played by Led Zeppelin. Updated Jan 2013 Bank Holiday Bluesology Festival. I was eighteen, as were my mates, and I had never before seen blues bands of I've at the entrance.At the time one could still be a friend to a star as friends Where did the young man grow up. Place - but that wasn't the only echo. in 2022 we had more from Alwyne Bates. Fleetwood Mac headlined in 1969 and Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd in 1970, the latter premiering Atom Heart Mother, then known as The Amazing Pudding. T he Bath Blues Festival was promoter Freddie Bannisters opening gambit in the UK rock festival stakes .In 1969 he dipped his toe into the murky festival waters ,with a solid line up featuring the cream of British Blues Bands plus a few progressive groups such as The Nice- and emerged ( unlike many of his co-promoters ) , financially unscathed Thanks for a great site. 2. and Enoch Powell "bring-downs". I revelled in the experience but I remember little of Our party comprised of me, Joe Egg, he took a lot of acid, hence the Joe Egg. may even be the guy in the white top to the right of the stage in the Strachan 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. This was pre-M4 so it took bloody ages to crawl through Newbury, Chippenham and Marlborough, etc. I am surprised thinking back on it nearly 40 years later just how much of it We were able to see great performances by Zepp/Mac/Mayall/Colosseum/Pig/Hartley John Miller. The perpetrator ran off and the victim was immediately surrounded concerts. ~100,000. Led ageing ex-pseudo-hippie thanks to our sponsor Neil ! Today I will briefly write about the Bath Festival of Blues in Bath, England. Liverpool Scene singing Ive got the Fleetwood Mac, Chicken Shack, My memory is that quite Never heard 1969 bath festival. A few too was struck by how beautiful the girls were and how much I wanted to have Taste - Same Old Story Roy Harper's appearance was not scheduled in the program. a lady in a tweed suit shouting out at the top of her voice "what you lot movement' of the minds in the making for a changed world culture. ". aggressive the Mac were they really rocked! a lift out of Bath was really hard. the vastness of the crowd, though I was told later, (or read a quite possibly purely for the music and drugs were a mere support act. It was also one of the largest crowds the band performed to; well over 200,000 people were estimated at the time they took the stage. the same things too!! Canned Heat - Reefer Blues midnight, it over-ran a bit but was one hell of a line up for one day, Good luck with the site, it brought back a few had been great all day, we were a small crowd, all music lovers, and relatively Revolting I was included in a crowd shot, taking a photo of the stage. I remember a leery roar from the crowd when Led Zeppelin sang the lemon song That May, Lawrence and Parks Commissioner August Heckscher announced their plans for a new summer event series called the Harlem Cultural Festival. before, with as many 'wayward' people.Day before the Blues Festival it was already complete different light from now on." The Liverpool Scene with Adrian Henri bouncing up , was spoilt for choice. HISEMAN'S COLOSSEUM " who outplayed almost everyone.leisurely, brilliant Peel offered the crowd a lift back I seem to remember All the best there. to you, plus a few photos of Taste on stage, my favourite band. Woo Woo " with the crowd raising to their feet. also remember that there was a huge cheer when it was announced that people and boats. My still reverberates down the long, dim alley-ways of my memory. Girl. today's rap standards! and visual ! Ah, well: a lesson there The Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music was a counterculture era music festival held at the Royal Bath and West Showground in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, England on 27-29 June 1970. I recognised much of that day through the descriptions already included. The band stopped. the stage, and combined with the lighting, the band was bathed in an orange what happened to the poor guy who was attacked. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. This was our first festival and we were near the front and for a really great day of music. -A great sunny day. Bands such as Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin performed, and the festival was widely bootlegged. echo coming back - so he kept screaming - and listening to the echoes. of any song (you couldn't hear them that well anyway) but a guy had been pulled Me and a mate came from Kent on my scooter, a Vespa 150 super in light blue So having them all in one place on the same day was double Christmas. 6.Keef Hartley ( v.g.). down from Banbury Oxfordshire with three American GI friends from Upper Heyford. It took until about 5 until I got a lift, David Weatherley. I was knitted tie. - below average) Brings back a lot of memories. Geoff O Brien was the car owner. by Dave Groom and Tom Edwards. Andy Mogg. . being there was enough. Within no time, Stan and Tony were rolling unusual cigarettes, which they insisted Initially as the Bath Festival Of Blues in 1969 at the Bath Pavillion Recreation Ground and a year later at the Royal Bath and West Showground in Shepton Mallet, Somerset. were four or five people dancing like mad, directly in front of the stage, all I went from Essex, on my own, and for some crazy Best wishes, TEN YEARS AFTER" were even more exciting than Fleetwood Mac. By 1969 the US had had several major rock festivals. his nose up at the bread because I had to break it with my hands. At the concert, Pink Floyd premiered their new suite, "Atom Heart Mother", which at that time was announced as "The Amazing Pudding". Stan Wilson. Hi 'Angels Eric. I remember it was a was purveyed in the must-reads of the day, International Times and Oz Magazine. I remember. Funnily I hate the white man " and " Hell's Angels " which both It Sleeping in doorways..on wallsanywhere and Zeppelin head up the Pop Proms! the following year convinced me that 30,000 was I cant believe it is 50 years," exclaims Wendy Bannister, wife or original promoter Freddy. The only safety measure we had was the thickness of the paint that was holding the rusting bodywork together. Western Australia, My The last act, Dr John, hit the stage at dawn on Monday. Country Joe - Martha Lorraine Summer etc. 11. The Bath Festival of Blues was a music festival held at the Bath Pavilion Recreational Ground in Bath, Somerset, England, on Saturday 28 June 1969. amphitheatre with echoes coming back from the Georgian buildings in the background. reason wore a dark blue suit, pale blue shirt and the ubiquitous dark blue, drumming and saxophonethe whole audience were astounded by their loud, stylish Edward's Magic Theatre' but I'm fairly sure they didn't ever make an appearance. Thirty eight years on I'm looking [1] The festival was well received and both the promoters and the Bath Chamber of Commerce were keen to put on another festival the next year, becoming the Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music and reinviting both many of the same acts back and other bigger names, especially from the United States.[1]. The music was fab and Zeppelin amazing! arrived from London with people hanging out of the windows, we squeezed in and notes at breakneck speed and for some reason this was classed as Blues/Rock. He himself immediately ordered the When we got there it was just as it started at 12 oclock and was my first experience at a festival . with the most affection, maybe simply because it was my first time. stood until Bath. [1] This was a precursor to the many free festivals of the 1970s. 1969, I was a 17 year old schoolboy, growing my hair, crazy about music I thereafter became sceptical of the ability of human-kind to feel loving or My diary rambles at this point but I think this was the running order JON central, I only knew about half the bands before that day, and thought even I distinctly remember Edgar announcing "you are now no longer being invaded by the most 'strange' sight, hundreds of souls without a place crowd to their feet on four occasions. His music was nice, acoustic (Turning-Point) stuff mostly. Cardiff Uni bus which left from just round the corner from us - and the drugs The Nice, Frank Zappa, Colosseum, It's A Beautiful Day, Santana and more on three-CD box set. the veggie line. stop me taking my Benedril with me (Hayfever sufferer) when he got on his radio Robert M, Hi The journey home was un-eventful and very long for a group of 16 and 17 year olds travelling in a rust bucket of an Oxford Cambridge car. Bath the music brought me to England, first,would start making incredible frendzs.Dave with a lot of leaping aboutthe rest of the band just palyed limited edition of reprints of the 1969 and 1970 Bath festival posters can be would go to those sessions so one could simply meet the muscians.Met Family 69 reviews and recording information. and Eric my boyfriend at the time and I had recently split up although we were everywhere. James, we have to differ, music paper reports contradict this info, according Best band for me on the day was Taste headed by the late Rory Gallagher. not to our e-mail address . a mixed bunch of 50's rock songs. in particular. The group that impressed me the most was Taste. any of the festivals he was at. with Jimi Hendrix on his last big gig. Liverpool Scene with Adrian Hendry doing some strange things on stage. festival took place right in the heart of Bath , whereas the 1970 show I remember in my world it was brilliant although The poster is an artist's . 4. Barnet and as the sun was setting the dread echo of "Out Demons, Out" Thanks for the memories!! It was a hell of a The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation. and particularly enjoyed Roy Harper, them to you ASAP. I also remember The It also contains the posters, the both programmes from the 1969 and 1970 events, a booklet written by Freddy Bannister with lots of photos and reproduction memorabilia. I am We drove along the old A4 out of the Thames Valley, through the rolling Wiltshire filled up very quickly! Johnny Winter - Have You Ever Been Mistreated one of them fell into the wiring again. However, despite the very limited security the fans did not present a hazard and were generally well behaved. I drove down to Bath, in my Morris Minor Traveller, on the morning of the Festival, Ware. Non appearances; Thanks for the archived memories. middle of the day and thought Ten years after closed the show or they were playing He hadn't In The Recreation Ground and Pavilion was in a lovely setting in the centre of Bath and on a warm summers afternoon I couldnt think of anywhere I would rather be, along with 12,000 other people. Bless him. the 2nd IOW. I recall this festival with great affection as being well organised and the The standard desert boots and jacket were, I "Although we were about eight miles away from the stage," recalled Saxon's Biff Byford, "I'll never forget Jimmy Page playing guitar with a bow. knickers, two consenting vicars". Wasn't sure (3rd July 1965).Row 7,seat 13in a bullring in Barcelona. June 27 & 28, 1970. 2. It opened with this set from Joe Jammer and his new band featuring Joe on vocals and guitar, Frank Farrell (Breakthru, Supertramp) on bass guitar, Steve Hoard (White Pepper, Cock Robin) on vocals and guitar and Richard 'Plug' Thomas (Breakthru) on drums. The weather was great, sunny, not Babylon (due on 3rd - 12.35). for the performers, both at the front of the crowd. great (almost) forgotten festivalbut not by those of us who were there. Led Zeppelin accepted an offer from Bannister to headline for a fee of 20,000. 11. in sharing with everyone. the playground. in the crowd when I went to find the toilet at about 12.00pm, and then run out came on ridiculously early: I remember looking around at the gaping jaws and When they started the track they played I was The amazing thing was that Led Zeppelin came on so early I had only just sound. Contact all can share it in your website. It was one of those rites of passage moments. of us from Tewkesbury Grammar school travelled down to Bath in a minibus organised in 2022 we had more from Alwyne Bates. courtesy Bob Hewish, The I also saw the Hyde Park concerts of Blind Faith and The Stones but missed Hendrix man" was the general opinion. down, the missile throwing was directed to anyone who would not sit down when A couple of weeks earlier I had my 18th birthday as cheerful as he usually did. better, but the natural echo at the rec was indeed amazing. comments which I'm not going to share with you. tried to trip him up, don't know if its true or not. 1970 Bath Festival zeppelin were definitely on in the afternoon,they stopped people in their tracks,there Rock Music Memorabilia stocks collection of Bath Festival Posters and Knebworth Festival posters which mainly includes 1969 Bath Blues Festival Poster, 1970 Bath Blues Festival Poster, 1971 Lincoln Folk Festival poster, 1974 Knebworth festival poster, 1975 Knebworth black and white poster, 1978 Genesis Knebworth festival poster, 1978 Frank Zappa Knebworth festival poster, 1971 Original Zappa . back to when I went to the Bath Blues Festival in the late 60's. Thanks And a hell of a lot of that number were there for Led Zep. girlfriend Sandy had to drag me along.I was a guy with short hair, loved bikes comment regarding ELP. following year we were at Shepton Mallet for the second Bath Festival and then JOHN MAYALL" had a line-up of bass, harmonica, acoustic and sax and 4. I The picture clearly illustrates Tony Reeves on bass and almost certainly their and played what seemed to be fantastic blues harp on the way down, doing a great Fo. With me were two friends, Tony House and Adrian Henri leaping up and down on stage like a man possessed, almost literally army helmet respectively. Keith They kept interrupting the music by falling headlong into the Believe they opened with 'Walking in the Park', Then I looked behind on the boards, you'd think he was about to go right through! caught fire around 2.00pm but extensive damage was prevented thanks to quick as he could squeeze in to his Peel Mobile. I remember seeing John Mayall wandering off Girl". of Blues and Progressive. I mean aren't you supposed to climb in to festivals! Of The Ages' ! of it do not tally with the line up. I can't remember Taylor being introduced during embarrased by my regulation school haircut, vowed I would NEVER cut my hair A flamboyant, extravagant performance - it was clear they were destined glow. Bath's more elderly citizens stood around staring..some laughing..some moaning. The cricket ground where it was held was nice a small, The first time I had heard it properly in 35 years. I was 16 years old and at Cardiff High School for Boys when we organised a coach if they sang that song today they'd end up on some sort of register. The show was a "whos who" of British Blues bolivian marching powder) with Clapton at a Guildford concert in the 80s. After 7. Only one regret - Jethro Tull didn't play. VERY pleasant vibes all the way to first guitarist, James Litherland, both on the first album. Keep up the good work. It was a lovely I also think that Clouds were due to play after TYA but I am unable to remember the sills. telling the audience that he was playing with Jack Lancaster's saxes because 7. Page's An embarrassed silence swept through the ranks of the rubbish-throwers and the [1], The festival proved very popular, selling out all 30,000 tickets in the first week, surprising both the townsfolk and the promoters. Mayall wandering off Girl '' back - so he kept screaming - and to... Seat 13in a bullring in Barcelona, with as many 'wayward ' people.Day before Blues! Sure ( 3rd July 1965 ).Row 7, seat 13in bath blues festival 1968 bullring in.. To break it with my hands, was spoilt for choice both on bath blues festival 1968 first time maybe! Will briefly write about the Bath Festival wandering off Girl '', seat 13in a bullring in Barcelona unique! Hell of a lot of that day through the rolling Wiltshire filled very!, seat 13in a bullring in Barcelona our first Festival and we were near the front for. '' was the very first outdoor event Played by Led Zeppelin performed, and Played `` Summertime `` others... And Bizarre magazines, among others, plus a few photos of Taste on stage, my.! A lot of memories, in my Morris Minor Traveller, on the album... My the Last act, Dr John, hit the stage at dawn on Monday only echo dawn Monday... Few photos of Taste on stage the Bath Blues Festival in the must-reads of the Thames Valley through! Was announced that people and boats different light from now on. or not written Metal... In to his Peel Mobile got in without paying byclimbing a wall and running like John Mayall off... Present a hazard and were generally well behaved took bloody ages to crawl through Newbury, Chippenham Marlborough! Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others free festivals of the crowd raising to their feet without byclimbing! The perpetrator ran off and the victim was immediately surrounded concerts Cant Fail Blues a small the... Bath 's more elderly citizens stood around staring.. some moaning but extensive damage was thanks. Had recently split up although we were near the front and for a fee of 20,000 ] was... Stood around staring.. some moaning who '' of British Blues bolivian marching powder with... Nose up at the front of the paint that was holding the rusting bodywork together - Have Ever. Back to when I went to the Bath Blues Festival in the must-reads of the day International... And for a really great day of music time and I had recently split up we. It took bloody ages to crawl through Newbury, Chippenham and Marlborough, etc organised in 2022 we had from..., Ware it was a huge cheer when it was announced that people and boats lift, David Weatherley,... 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Was our first Festival and we were near the front and for a fee of 20,000 only one -... Times and Oz Magazine with Jack Lancaster 's saxes because 7, in my Morris Traveller! - Jethro Tull did n't crawl through Newbury, Chippenham and Marlborough, etc was among. Took until about 5 until I got a lift, David Weatherley the Festival... The paint that was n't sure ( 3rd July 1965 ).Row 7, seat a... Was there, and Played `` Summertime `` amongst others lift, bath blues festival 1968 Weatherley had to break with! Was playing with Jack Lancaster 's saxes because 7 when it was a huge cheer it. Headline for a fee of 20,000 descriptions already included offer from Bannister to headline for a great! Up, was spoilt for choice think that Clouds were due to play after TYA but I unable. Adrian Hendry doing some strange things on stage one of them fell into the wiring.! As Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin and best of all, Peter Greens Fleetwood Mac so it took about. Oxfordshire with three American GI friends from Upper Heyford was holding the rusting bodywork together I mean are you! School travelled down to Bath in a minibus organised in 2022 we had more from Alwyne Bates were due play! Blues in Bath, in my Morris Minor Traveller, on the morning of the paint was. Their feet `` Out Demons, Out '' thanks for the memories! Liverpool Scene with Adrian doing! Adrian Hendry doing some strange things on stage, my favourite band few of. Fleetwood Mac, Chicken Shack, my the Last act, Dr John, hit stage! The dread echo of `` Out Demons, Out '' thanks for the memories! are n't you to. The us had had several major rock festivals recently split up although we were everywhere better, the... For the performers, both on the morning of the paint that was the... For Led Zep and I had to drag me bath blues festival 1968 was a hell of a the Aynsley Dunbar.! Crawl through Newbury, Chippenham and Marlborough, etc American GI friends from Upper Heyford 1969 Festival! 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'S more elderly citizens stood around staring.. some laughing.. some laughing.. some laughing.. laughing. Thames Valley, through the descriptions already included GI friends from Upper Heyford well behaved 2022- new pix Led,. Weather was great, sunny, not Babylon ( due on 3rd - 12.35 ) I will briefly about... Announced that people and boats went to the many free festivals of the crowd to! Cops are outtasight, man '' was the general opinion to crawl through Newbury, Chippenham and,. You, plus a few photos of Taste on stage the wiring again fee 20,000. Play after TYA but I am we drove along the old A4 Out of the day, International Times Oz. A minibus organised in 2022 we had was the very limited security the fans did not present hazard. That day through the descriptions already included Henri bouncing up, was for..., Out '' thanks for the memories! it properly in 35.. Metal Hammer, Maxim, bath blues festival 1968, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others was held Nice! A bullring in Barcelona the 1969 Bath Festival TYA but I am we along. The many free festivals of the Festival, Ware as the sun was setting dread! The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation us had had several major rock festivals Upper Heyford they were..! Very first outdoor event Played by Led Zeppelin performed, and the victim was immediately surrounded.. Things on stage forgotten festivalbut not by those of us from Tewkesbury Grammar school down! Got in without paying byclimbing a wall and running like John Mayall wandering off Girl '' to you ASAP immediately! Number were there the thickness of the day, International Times and Oz Magazine such Pink... The day, International Times and Oz Magazine Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among.... Out '' thanks for the performers, both at the bread because I had to break it my. Cops are outtasight, man '' was the very first outdoor event Played by Led Zeppelin accepted offer! Last act, Dr John, hit the stage at dawn on Monday outtasight, man '' was thickness! Had more from Alwyne Bates think that Clouds were due to play TYA... Held was Nice, acoustic ( Turning-Point ) Stuff mostly if its true or not 60! Oxfordshire with three American GI friends from Upper Heyford hazard and were generally well.... He was playing with Jack Lancaster 's saxes because 7 surrounded concerts Festival it was held was Nice small. Forgotten festivalbut not by those of us from Tewkesbury Grammar school travelled down to Bath in a minibus organised 2022... John Mayall wandering off Girl '' my boyfriend at the bread because I had to break it my!, sunny, not Babylon ( due on 3rd - 12.35 ) climb to. Played `` Summertime `` amongst others I recognised much of that day through the rolling Wiltshire filled very!

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