The Isle of Wight Competition is likely one of the most well-known music festivals in UK historical past, an occasion that has gone down within the historical past of rock and widespread music. The occasion started in 1968, going down on the final weekend in August, a standard British public vacation.
The 1968 Competition
The primary Isle of Wight Competition was a comparatively low-key affair, lasting from Saturday afternoon to Sunday morning, and attracting round 15,000 folks with a assorted line-up. Among the many assist acts had been Plastic Penny, The Mirage (their fundamental declare to fame was future Elton John band stalwart, Dee Murray, on guitar), Blonde on Blonde, Aynsley Dunbar’s Retaliation, Halcyon Order (an area band), Smile – with Chris Spedding on guitar and Fairport Conference.
At this level, The Fairports had each Ian Matthews and Sandy Denny on vocals. It was an impressive incarnation of the band, and so they fittingly performed simply because the solar started to return up. Additionally showing on the occasion had been The Fairly Issues, The Transfer, and The Loopy World of Arthur Brown together with Tyrannosaurus Rex, who hadn’t at this level gone electrical or shortened their title.
Topping the invoice was the one abroad artist to look – Jefferson Airplane, with lead singers Grace Slick and Marty Balin, Paul Kantner and Jorma Kaukonen on guitar, bassist Jack Cassady, and drummer Spencer Dryden. There have been few bands on this planet that would maintain a candle to Jefferson Airplane at this level, and – regardless of the atrocious climate – anybody who caught the gig ought to really feel fortunate.
The 1969 Competition
The 1969 competition was in a unique league, a two-day occasion that occurred only a few weeks after Woodstock. Bob Dylan and the Band had been the headliners. Among the many assist bands had been Blodwyn Pig, the vastly underrated Eclection, Household, Fats Mattress, Free, The Good, Tom Paxton, The Moody Blues, Pentangle, and King Crimson, a couple of weeks after their look at Hyde Park with the Rolling Stones.
It additionally included three artists that had performed at Woodstock: Richie Havens, Joe Cocker, and The Who – the second day’s headliner. Roger Daltrey was sporting his well-known fringed jacket, and Pete was in his white boiler go well with, however a lot of the sartorial impact was misplaced, because it was nonetheless gentle after they performed.
Tickets for Friday, the day that Dylan and the Band had been headlining, value £2; Dylan was reportedly paid £35,000. For the Sunday, when the Moody Blues had been second on the invoice, a ticket was a mere £1.25. A ticket for all the weekend was £2.50.
John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, in addition to Keith Richards and Charlie Watts had been all there to see Dylan play. In truth, George finally wrote a music impressed by the occasion and devoted it to Dylan. (“Behind That Locked Door” appeared on his All Issues Should Go album.)
The 1970 Competition
The 1970 version was the most important but. In truth, it’s estimated that the crowds had been effectively in extra of half 1,000,000. Followers had been drawn to what was some of the formidable line-ups ever put collectively for a competition on British soil, with artists from each side of the Atlantic.
Even earlier than the competition formally opened there have been some bands that performed free of charge on Wednesday and Thursday, together with, Mighty Child, Kris Kristofferson, Supertramp, The Groundhogs, Terry Reid, and Gilberto Gil.
On the competition correct on Friday, Chicago topped the invoice with assist from Household, Style, Procol Harum, and James Taylor in addition to bands which have largely been forgotten, together with Arrival, Fairfield Parlour, Cactus, and Lighthouse.
Additionally on the invoice on Saturday was Miles Davis who had reinvented himself as a jazz rock artist within the wake of his Bitches Brew album. Davis’s band included Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett. Different acts included Emerson, Lake and Palmer; Tiny Tim; and John Sebastian.
Sebastian, notably, had appeared eventually yr’s Woodstock competition, and – by this level – the movie of the more and more iconic occasion had premiered within the UK. With Matthews Southern Consolation’s model of “Woodstock” additionally topping the charts a couple of weeks earlier, the anticipation for the 1970 Isle of Wight was large. No one wished to overlook the subsequent Woodstock.
Joni Mitchell’s set was particularly difficult and was interrupted on a number of events by the rowdy environment, which later led her to say that “they fed me to the beast.” Ten Years After performed that day too. Their Woodstock look had turned them and, specifically, Alvin Lee, into field workplace gold. The Who and The Doorways headlined issues, however it was sadly not the latter’s most interesting hour and, lower than a yr later, Jim Morrison can be lifeless.
If Saturday was spectacular, Sunday was stellar. Melanie, Free, The Moody Blues, Donovan, Leonard Cohen, Richie Havens, Joan Baez, and Jethro Tull all performed, with Jimi Hendrix topping the invoice. It was a competition like few others, and it was the final time that Isle of Wight can be held till its revival in 2002.
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