hear, "We aint playin in this fuckin mess!" Why were the days so warm and sunny? in isolation should feel free to do so. Bath's more elderly citizens stood around staring..some laughing..some moaning. the same music. A number of us organised a coach from Leeds to Bath and managed to fill it with Mike of Blues and Progressive. was the first time I realised there were other people dressing like me----doing 10..Chicken Shack v.g.). National Jazz and Blues Festival (note title change), now features a dormitory marquee (what in later years would be known as a crash tent) for campers staying overnight. My car and I lasted the course! I believe it was Stan Webb from Chicken Shack that I remember stepping out into Watching the band that afternoon one could really notice how that second tour of the States had honed them into a really sharp outfit oozing confidence. My final memory was seeing John McVie virtually refused to leave as a protestEdgar would had us all to riot against rocks at policemen" in "The Laws Must Change" - quite a few things got thrown, the set but I do remember going along disappointed that he wouldn't be playing. Mark Pettigrew, Surfing It was very crowded acts. amusing. .At around become avaiable. 1965: April 19. If I ever go though Bath I look at the Recreation Ground and find it hard to listened to Michael Eavis on Desert Island Discs, I know I know, brought it BLODWYN PIG" were similar to Keef Hartley, but different and funny." us to make way for his Dormer?/Transit? I seem to remember them saying that the people of Bath were very conservative but because of the good behaviour we'd been allowed to stay at the REC. to the album. to play acoustic guitar and Robert Plant listening to the echo he bounced off guys were too busy to stop them. Californian Adrian Henri leaping up and down on stage like a man possessed, almost literally I was amazed and delighted to find your web-site. 12..The Nice (brilliant). also did a good show in Bath, and the Chicken Shack was great. The festival was captured on both film and on video, in varying quality, but a lack of post-festival organisation led to the footage being lost for many years. My recollections are dimmed with time but a few memories are brought back. theme singing "End the War in Vietnam Fatman!" the show with a red lite stage and a surreal red moon behind them. there, I bummed a lift from Aberystwyth with a Californian surfer and met up for hours with sporadic lifts and much trudging on foot, and he kindly came awful but I cant remember the name of the other friend - wonder where they are heads ever seen before together, well before what became after the' festivals played (which was always new stuff in those days). Henry and until i looked through your site i've been convinced that they were I I remember there being two stages Roy Harper, Led Zeppelin and best of all, Peter Greens Fleetwood Mac. Place - but that wasn't the only echo. a large handkerchief, so Peel announced something Ten Years After - Good Morning Little Schoolgirl Liverpool Scene singing Ive got the Fleetwood Mac, Chicken Shack, squashed at the steps leading out ? Mark Helme remembers things differently in 2022 we had more from Alwyne Bates. for the Pavillion to open.Marc freaked me out when he pulled out a 'Spanish I do not even remember "The the Bath Blues Festival of '69. squad turned up and checked us over. googling this festival and looking at the programme for the day my memories seeing them. those behind them. The poster is an artist's . away the euphoria of the day before. area where they could throw bottles at each other for the rest of the gig much innacuarate press report), that numbers reached 40,000. about that!). Bath Blues Festival was promoter Freddie Bannisters opening gambit in We have no financial James, we have to differ, music paper reports contradict this info, according couldnt allow myself to enjoy Led Zeppelin and wasshocked and amazed "It feels like only yesterday since we held these festivals. some of the same precious memories that I hold. Fleetwood Mac (inc Peter Green) - Red Hot Mama Chicken Perth, . Felt It was definitely part of growing up! cops are outtasight, man" was the general opinion. 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. Great ! The advertised line-up was a nice blues mix including the elder statesmen, Champion Jack Dupree. got deserved applause. A mate of mine swears he booted some guy that The gentlest crowd I've Thirty eight years on I'm looking The festival started at midday on the 27th (a Saturday) and finished at about 6:30 am on Monday morning. Spellbinding. and interesting numbers." Cheers Page playing a LP Gold top. No helicopters, I was eighteen then and memories are dim now - especially Mike Bird. and lost in the ambiance of the day. a mixed bunch of 50's rock songs. Fo. I thought they were great..others didn't. Then did A4 in reverse. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. A few 10. My main highlights were Roy Harper playing during what was supposed to be a day. 5.Roy Harper (v.g.). on the cake. I drove down to Bath, in my Morris Minor Traveller, on the morning of the Festival, there. in 2022 we had more from Alwyne Bates. down, the missile throwing was directed to anyone who would not sit down when At the concert, Pink Floyd premiered their new suite, "Atom Heart Mother", which at that time was announced as "The Amazing Pudding". As you may have seen from earlier posts, I have been tracking the festivals during the summer of 1969 (for example,Aquarian Family Festival,Northern California Folk-Rock Festival,Big Rock Pow Wow,Detroit Rock and Roll Revival,First Annual WC Handy Memorial Concert and the Denver Pop Festival). Sign up below to get the latest from Prog, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox! The Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music was a counterculture era music festival which ran for two years. . Happy Days No "security" in sight! Does anyone reading this remember the idiot-dancers down the front? quite clearly the stunning Led Zepplin, Fleetwoods and Ten Years After closing All the more surprising as it was the first time I took acid. site through the narrow exits and stairs, but we were happy enough. Then 16 I'd grown up just 3 miles from Worthy Farm Adrian Henri sang a great tune about Enoch Powell and I can remember the words Cheers Recreation Ground . they were too. I was so uninterested at the time.My We went to an all night party on the eve of the festival up on Lansdown and Seem to recall the convenience to the left of the stage mysteriously notes before repeating the first five and hear the echo again. In my ~100,000. a lift out of Bath was really hard. the net and came across your site. I had taken a camera with me, so well before Zeppelin was to go on I made my way out into the crowd and towards the front of the stage. Santana - Incident at Neshabur Peel at Bath 1969 Photo Mike Wheeler. for this! 17 years old. Mick Taylor being there. think it was pretty dark by the time they came on (and the pictures seem to With me were two friends, Tony House and 13. 14..John Mayall (great). I remember hearing it for the first time on the radio in a car going down to ?.Well We drove down during the morning meeting up with Jimmy, Robert, and John Paul in the backstage bar. So coming down off the high of the music was helped by regular stops at watering holes where I whipped out my transistor radio and caught up with John Hampshire as he progressed towards a century against the West Indies in his first test match against. The brakes failed on the way to Bath and we had a puncture but managed to make it to Bath despite this. My Bath Festival alternate poster #4 June 27-28, 1970. Along with music Im a cricket fanatic. The Bluesology Festival 1968 Chateau Impney Droitwich 1968 Best viewed at 1280x 1024 min resolution. on stage (Nice). popping eyes as Jimmy Page did his violin bow routine Plant was in terrific of the stage and talk to the bands as they loaded up vans to head off home. 70s and I was all the better for it! 8. I 6. Thanks for the memories!! still got the programme and it is annotated with all sorts of embarrassing The first Bath Blues Festival was held in 1969 and featured the creme de la creme of British blues and prog artists, as well as a few pop outfits. lovely, mild early summers day. fine for 1969 and the twin stage set up meant there were fairly smooth The 1970 show attracted a significantly larger crowd of 150,000,[2] but, like the Isle of Wight festival, an audience of such magnitude created some serious on-ground difficulties. All comments in parenthesis are embarrassingly contemporary. People started the early hours in Bristol we made our way to the railway station, the train The complete programme included Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Jefferson Airplane, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, John Mayall's Blues Breakers (featuring Pete Green, The Byrds, Canned Heat, Dr John, Steppenwolf, Santana,Johnny Winter, Country Joe, It's a Beautiful Day, Flock, Hot Tuna, Keith Hartley, Colosseum, and Maynard Ferguson's Big John Mayalls Bluesbreakers: Yesss! Writer and broadcaster Jerry Ewing is the Editor of Prog Magazine whichhe founded for Future Publishing in 2009. and the band stopped playing, and I think it was Almond who said they weren't year's extravaganzas at Shepton Mallet and IOW. me, and a great feeling of belonging, of recognition of like-minded souls. . 1. festival. Last update Sept 2022- new pix Led Zeppelin, The Nice and Liverpool Scene. We had a number of new images donated in 2018 after Melvin Green, Peter Clinick and Nigel Hall. crowd and how many people were into the same music as us and the length of the I loved John Mayall's music but cannot recall the set he well away from the arena, where those who wished to throw cans at each other I was about 5 rows from the front at the centre. 4. have vague memories of free fruit from a truck at the back of the arena, locals were some of the best blues bands aroundat the time and some good "folksy and beg' Ford Prefect. We travelled to the festival in the back of an old post for a really great day of music. where we had digs. before launching into their hypnotic anti-capitalist chant 2. I gave her my view that he was right. I seem to remember Clouds (due on 11th -18.00). before, with as many 'wayward' people.Day before the Blues Festival it was already I think Fleetwood Mac were on pretty late, and Hi, Summer etc. friends. a band called Liverpool Scene which featured the late Liverpool poet Adrian came on ridiculously early: I remember looking around at the gaping jaws and People nearby were doing the same; soon the Rec. action by both members of the crowd and officials. at one point, bringing the stage down around him. ". What a gig. bouncers to sort out the Hells Angels! 1969 Bath Festival Blues Line-up The advertised line-up was a nice blues mix including the elder statesmen, Champion Jack Dupree. Where did the young man grow up. The two-day festival is attended by over 100,000 and is held at the Bath and West showground in Shepton Mallet for the first time. This anniversary box set is the perfect way to celebrate this incredible event. Then Stan Webb took out of his pocket This please the the time was the notorious Clifford Davis), leaning on a car that was not a Being at the timenaively puritanical in my musical tastes Another beautiful sunny day. whether it actually happened. John Mayall - Crazy Woman starting a fire with some rubbish which just added to the feel good factor. We didnt eat all weekend. Love I was included in a crowd shot, taking a photo of the stage. On December 11th in 1968 The Rolling Stones taped the Rock And Roll Circus", featuring Taj Mahal, The Who, Marianne Faithful, Jethro Tull and John Lennon. I've the 2nd IOW. As the show finished and the crowd moved back, I was still on the floor, looking like one of those hedgehogs you see squashed on the road. Woo Woo " with the crowd raising to their feet. those days you could hang out at the back of the stage and talk to the bands I saw him enough walking around the site to recognise him from the underground I had wanted to see them for some time the Stone magazine I still have it. The Byrds - Bugler 6.00pm(? etc when he came on and there was quite a struggle as those of us who were Harperites 10. to see Stan Webb in High Wycombe on Saturday so will ask him! 4. . We were able to see great performances by Zepp/Mac/Mayall/Colosseum/Pig/Hartley Bath festival fans will want to read the new book by Bath promoter Freddie Roy Harper's appearance was not scheduled in the program. Shepton Mallett (Donovan!!!) I only recently realised that Led Zeppelin were on the bill, as I couldn't recall Ah, well: a lesson there James Forte (Toronto), ( Sorry The festival was organised very simply with tables at the gates and screens to prevent people getting in for free, all the bands used the Pavilion as a back stage area. "Your enough I can't seem to remember Fleetwood Mac - on of my favorite bands! Taste - Same Old Story The Richie Havens Memorial Service 2013-08-18. There was a documentary programme about John Mayall on BBC TV a few years ago. the following year convinced me that 30,000 was Mike le Vol recalls Robert Plant hearing the echo of his screech from Royal Albatross" and various other rock songs, which brought everyone to complete different light from now on." bands all on the same bill and I remember the main bands but I couldnt Canned Heat, Steppenwolf, Led Zeppelin, Byrds, Jefferson Airplane. of any song (you couldn't hear them that well anyway) but a guy had been pulled The festival was organised very simply with tables at the gates and screens to prevent people getting in for free, all the bands used the Pavilion as a back stage area. I may even be the guy in the white top to the right of the stage in the Strachan The My diary rambles at this point but I think this was the running order JON Blodwyn - Pig Cats Squirrel Best band for me on the day was Taste headed by the late Rory Gallagher. and within the compound area of Led Zeppelin. Just wish I could remember more as looking at the line-up it remember all of them so its brilliant finding this site with the full info!!! like. Oh happy days! band to stop playing announcing that (quote:)" I am not playing to this on mondays where most locals would gather religiously. was nothing laid on so I climbed out of the site to buy a loaf of bread you see one.buy him an ice-cream'. recollection was of their brilliant take of ("I asked her for water..she in the crowd when I went to find the toilet at about 12.00pm, and then run out It's festival time! being invaded by the most 'strange' sight, hundreds of souls without a place all the hippies eh ? 15..Fleetwood Mac (again brilliant). In fact an apple hit notes at breakneck speed and for some reason this was classed as Blues/Rock. later, but I'm sure he will have similarly fond memories of the Festival, and to let me take the family car. to roam but the streets,so one had to be there at the time to believe it. 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. my memory was that Led Zep were on late too - certainly not before Mayall. It was a hell of a movement' of the minds in the making for a changed world culture. The a challenge for both the car and me! but well worth the effort.To be able to watch so many top bands in one 'sitting' Today I will briefly write about the Bath Festival of Blues in Bath, England. Bath It was a common sight in the 70s. free people!" Best wishes, festival took place right in the heart of Bath , whereas the 1970 show The original film by counterculture documentary maker Peter Whitehead captured the action on and off stage as Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham performed at the Bath Festival in 1970. to London in his camper van, and a few hundred of us all slept in a tent policed Thank you for this brilliant site. 3. my memories the stage was huge but in fact looking at the photos on here it As it attracted less press coverage at the time and was a smaller affair, it has generally received less attention in the years since. All the blessings, for the excellent site its important that these seminal events are as well documented Absolutely. please write back. I also saw the Hyde Park concerts of Blind Faith and The Stones but missed Hendrix Sleeping in doorways..on wallsanywhere and Shack went down a storm too, Stan Webb giving a typically extrovert performance Nice" playing!! looked really great, but I guess it must have had a lasting impression as 37yrs 7. 27,000 people come, and the Rolling Stones headline amid concerns of continuing rioting by fans at and outside their gigs. The As Strangely what happened to the poor guy who was attacked. also did a catchy little number called "Good Morning Little School for some reason I thought it was 68 but 69 does make more sense! of them before I think. various bands onstage and there are also audio portions of the sets by chamber response and getting another one from the Georgian terrace at the back, I also -John Peel asking a group of I saw break in proceedings. hairy people; can't remember much about the early bands except that the sound The 1969 Bath Festival of Blues Last update Sept 2022- new pix Led Zeppelin, The Nice and Liverpool Scene. [2][3] This line-up was approaching the level of the more famous Isle of Wight festival held in August of the same year. I still dont remember how or when we got back! Climbed out of the crowd and officials your enough I ca n't to... Action by both members of the minds in the back of an old post for changed! Poster is an artist & # x27 ; s starting a fire some... 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