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It was fifty years ago today!


henry bear
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23 hours ago, Ayrshire Chris said:

So those of us who were alive at that time what were you doing That weekend? I reckon on the Saturday  I was playing football for my boys brigade team and sometime that month I saw jethro tull and procol harum at the greens playhouse in Glasgow.  A year later saw T Rex who, as you all know, replaced the Kinks at the first Glastonbury!   

I was 17 and just started my final year at school. I was captain of Burnham-on-Sea Colts Rugby team and would have been playing rugby on the Saturday afternoon. I saw T Rex sometime that year at Weston Winter Gardens. Went to university in London 1971-74 and saw some well known and up and coming groups whilst in London. 

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On 9/19/2020 at 3:54 PM, Ayrshire Chris said:

So those of us who were alive at that time what were you doing That weekend?

I too was 5 years old, but oddly enough have no recollection of that weekend. However, I do know that I had to start infants school at that age, and that when I did so 'they' had to lock me in the classroom, as I didn't want to be there. I can actually recall that vividly.

I'd just like to add that, to the best of my knowledge, this is the first time I have heard of pinky & Perky. 

As an aside, this was No 1 in the charts then;

 

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Before my time as well, only 6 and living a sheltered life in Devon. Saying that I do remember Pinky & Perky, reckon we also had their 'hit' single. I supplemented it with the Smurf song single  (Father Abraham I think)  later on in the 70s; I didn't get out much in those days.

@grumpyhack I seem to remember you mentioning your attendance 50 years ago? 

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5 hours ago, oneeye said:

Before my time as well, only 6 and living a sheltered life in Devon. Saying that I do remember Pinky & Perky, reckon we also had their 'hit' single. I supplemented it with the Smurf song single  (Father Abraham I think)  later on in the 70s; I didn't get out much in those days.

@grumpyhack I seem to remember you mentioning your attendance 50 years ago? 

Not quite.  I went to Glastonbury -2 - the Bath Blues Festival in 69 

The Bath Festival of Blues 1969

and Glastonbury -1 The Shepton Mallet Festival in 70 

The Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music 1970- updated November 2009

(both events attended by ME who cites them in part as his inspiration) but for reasons that I can't recall I didn't actually go to the actual Glastonbury Number One.  But I've made up for it pretty well since.

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21 hours ago, grumpyhack said:

both events attended by ME who cites them in part as his inspiration) but for reasons that I can't recall I didn't actually go to the actual Glastonbury Number One.  But I've made up for it pretty well since.

The only consolation I take from the ageing process is that I saw so many classic bands at their peak. Seeing Led Zeppelin at their best in a clapped out converted cinema, the balcony visibly bouncing , the air thick with joints and the sheer energy of the band being transferred to the adoring crowd who had abandoned seats as soon as house lights dimmed.  So different from a gig now in the plush arenas. But that’s just nostalgia.  

Edit, and yes I did have an RAF great coat and smuggled cans of lager into gigs in the huge inside pockets😉

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3 minutes ago, Ayrshire Chris said:

The only consolation I take from the ageing process is that I saw so many classic bands at their peak. Seeing Led Zeppelin at their best in a clapped out converted cinema, the balcony visibly bouncing , the air thick with joints and the sheer energy of the band being transferred to the adoring crowd who had abandoned seats as soon as house lights dimmed.  So different from a gig now in the plush arenas. But that’s just nostalgia.  

I’ve seen Coldplay at their peak ... there’s no competition :) 

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5 minutes ago, crazyfool1 said:

I’ve seen Coldplay at their peak ... there’s no competition :) 

Yes, I can see the excitement levels of listening to Chris Martin singing fix you and yellow would be so much higher than Robert Plant at his best screaming out black dog and  rock and roll. ! 

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4 minutes ago, crazyfool1 said:

I’ve seen Coldplay at their peak ... there’s no competition :) 

I've seen Coldplay at 'my' peak. Well, more heard than saw. I saw them briefly then decided to lie down in the mud on a piece of cardboard that was nearby. I just looked up at the clouds, listened to the music, and 'took in' the overall vibe. I'm not exactly a Coldplay fan, but can say that it was all quite cosmic. then again, the acid had kicked in at that stage, so maybe I'm giving Coldplay more licence than they deserve. 

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1 minute ago, Yoghurt on a Stick said:

I've seen Coldplay at 'my' peak. Well, more heard than saw. I saw them briefly then decided to lie down in the mud on a piece of cardboard that was nearby. I just looked up at the clouds, listened to the music, and 'took in' the overall vibe. I'm not exactly a Coldplay fan, but can say that it was all quite cosmic. then again, the acid had kicked in at that stage, so maybe I'm giving Coldplay more licence than they deserve. 

Much as I piss take I’ve enjoyed every minute of the 3 times I’ve seen them on the farm ... or close to that 2016 was a bit wet and my back was fucked at that point ... 

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6 minutes ago, crazyfool1 said:

Much as I piss take I’ve enjoyed every minute of the 3 times I’ve seen them on the farm ... or close to that 2016 was a bit wet and my back was fucked at that point ... 

Mrs c is a big fan and Ive always enjoyed them. the 2016 headline was a real triumph over the adverse conditions. And a wee bit emotional with Michael joining in with my way!  But as I said, for me nothing can compare with the physical and mental exhaustion and exuberance of those early gigs I witnessed, but that’s just an old fart reminiscing. 

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3 minutes ago, Ayrshire Chris said:

Mrs c is a big fan and Ive always enjoyed them. the 2016 headline was a real triumph over the adverse conditions. And a wee bit emotional with Michael joining in with my way!  But as I said, for me nothing can compare with the physical and mental exhaustion and exuberance of those early gigs I witnessed, but that’s just an old fart reminiscing. 

Even the young farts are doing some reminiscing these days :) 

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3 hours ago, oneeye said:

@grumpyhack  knew you were a old 😂😂

May be old but I saw the good bands - May Be Old But I Saw The Good Bands -  Sticker | TeePublic UK

Looking at those two line ups there are a fair few I'd still love to see today such as Pink Floyd - who did the first performance of Atom Heart Mother at Shepton Mallet. It was the first main post-Woodstock festival and my image of music peace and love was shattered by a few US people who'd come over and camped near us.  One morning they asked if we could let them have some sugar - so we gave them a cupful.  "How much do you want for it?" they asked.  When we said nothing they were amazed.  "Everyone was charging for everything at Woodstock," they said.

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10 minutes ago, grumpyhack said:

May be old but I saw the good bands - May Be Old But I Saw The Good Bands -  Sticker | TeePublic UK

Looking at those two line ups there are a fair few I'd still love to see today such as Pink Floyd - who did the first performance of Atom Heart Mother at Shepton Mallet. It was the first main post-Woodstock festival and my image of music peace and love was shattered by a few US people who'd come over and camped near us.  One morning they asked if we could let them have some sugar - so we gave them a cupful.  "How much do you want for it?" they asked.  When we said nothing they were amazed.  "Everyone was charging for everything at Woodstock," they said.

and you know how to work zoom like a youngster :) 

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On 9/19/2020 at 3:54 PM, Ayrshire Chris said:

So those of us who were alive at that time what were you doing That weekend? I reckon on the Saturday  I was playing football for my boys brigade team and sometime that month I saw jethro tull and procol harum at the greens playhouse in Glasgow.  A year later saw T Rex who, as you all know, replaced the Kinks at the first Glastonbury!   

 

I was 3 months old and just started on solids. Hardcore.

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53 minutes ago, grumpyhack said:

Everyone was charging for everything at Woodstock," they said.

 

Hello grumpy,

My brother said that he experienced that at his early Glastonbury's. They'd not have been the shopping opportunities or outlets there then than are there today. This was a long time ago, when you could drive your car on site and pitch your tent next to it. How crazy a notion is that!? How people didn't get run over during those years is purely a miracle. 

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8 minutes ago, Yoghurt on a Stick said:

 

Hello grumpy,

My brother said that he experienced that at his early Glastonbury's. They'd not have been the shopping opportunities or outlets there then than are there today. This was a long time ago, when you could drive your car on site and pitch your tent next to it. How crazy a notion is that!? How people didn't get run over during those years is purely a miracle. 

Can you imagine the carnage of cars beside tents at Glastonbury now? We went to the cropredy festival a few years ago, basically because the levellers were playing. Quite a luxury having the car parked next to the tent. 

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43 minutes ago, Ayrshire Chris said:

Quite a luxury having the car parked next to the tent. 

Me and my wife took that one step further and bought a campervan. We didn't know anything about campervans then, and know very little more now, years later. What I do know is that we've had the very best of fun taking her (my wife has 'informed' me that an inanimate object is actually a she, and that she is called Nancy) to festivals and other various venues in the UK. At some festivals my wife insists on making all the people wiyh us camping a breakfast as there's a full cooker in our campervan.  It's called Stella's (my wife's name) All Day Breakfast - because it takes her all day to feed all the many takers. 

 

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3 hours ago, Ayrshire Chris said:

But as I said, for me nothing can compare with the physical and mental exhaustion and exuberance of those early gigs I witnessed, but that’s just an old fart reminiscing. 

I too have been lucky enough to have seen most of the acts that really mean something to me live, often countless times, including Floyd and Zeppelin (albeit not really at their peak).

That said, I find as I get older I enjoy live music more and more. I first went to Glastonbury 37 years ago, and get far more out of it now than I did then.

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On 9/22/2020 at 12:14 AM, henry bear said:

I too have been lucky enough to have seen most of the acts that really mean something to me live, often countless times, including Floyd and Zeppelin (albeit not really at their peak).

That said, I find as I get older I enjoy live music more and more. I first went to Glastonbury 37 years ago, and get far more out of it now than I did then.

I think you're spot on @henry bear.  As a youngster you want to see as many bands as you can pack in.  As you get older the joy of bimbling kicks in and you pace yourself better, going off and discovering areas like the GreenFields and all the other 'it's not just about the music' stuff.

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On 9/21/2020 at 10:49 PM, Yoghurt on a Stick said:

My brother said that he experienced that at his early Glastonbury's. They'd not have been the shopping opportunities or outlets there then than are there today. This was a long time ago, when you could drive your car on site and pitch your tent next to it. How crazy a notion is that!? How people didn't get run over during those years is purely a miracle. 

but of course the numbers were far lower then - I used to park and we would bang the tents up near the red dot - handy to reach and handy to get out ## but then they started a one way system for cars ## and funny enough ' I don't have a fucking clue which year that was but it was sometime in the 80's 

there was a exit - at least by 1984 { blue dot } so it made more sense parking and camping ' near the new exit ' 

## but that track - well the track heading down towards the A303 did have a sting in its tail because it was a narrow track and at one point if they had been heavy rain there was a dip in the track and there would be a stream crossing the track so it was very hairy trying to cross that bloody stream in a mini - I always made it but I reckon some people did get stuck ##

I cant recall which year they stopped allowing in Punters cars in as by then I was with the WBC so I would arrive before ticketholders and the crew site was well tucked away so did not really notice.

1979-2.thumb.jpg.e1433648dd513f643f72b3cca0a816a1.jpgGlastonbury-84-site-map.jpg.0e3feec66d4e9aa8a4c91f4efccfca05.jpg
 

 

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