Woodstock Festival (1969) and Isle of Wight Festival (1970) events

[old bob]

I posted a few days ago some political engaged songs in the topic "Song Lyrics" and got an answer about the Woodstock festival (1969). Another even more important Festival was the Isle of Wight festival 1970).So I wanted to share with others my good memories of these old times.

 

The Woodstock Festival) was a music festival, billed as "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music", held in the rural town of Bethel, southwest of the town of Woodstock, from August 15 to August 18, 1969. During the sometimes rainy weekend, thirty-two acts performed outdoors in front of 500,000 concert-goers. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most pivotal moments in popular music history. See Woodstock

 

The 1970 Isle of Wight Festival was by far the largest and most famous of these early festivals; indeed it was said at the time to be one of the largest human gatherings in the world, surpassing the attendance at Woodstock. Included in the line-up of over fifty performers were The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, The Doors, Ten Years After, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Joni Mitchell, The Moody Blues, Melanie, Donovan, Free, Chicago, Richie Havens, John Sebastian, Leonard Cohen, Jethro Tull, Taste and Tiny Tim. See Isle of Wight

 

Both festivals were very important for my generation. I

[Aeroplane]

I posted a few days ago some political engaged songs in the topic "Song Lyrics" and got an answer about the Woodstock festival (1969). Another even more important Festival was the Isle of Wight festival 1970).So I wanted to share with others my good memories of these old times.

 

The Woodstock Festival) was a music festival, billed as "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music", held in the rural town of Bethel, southwest of the town of Woodstock, from August 15 to August 18, 1969. During the sometimes rainy weekend, thirty-two acts performed outdoors in front of 500,000 concert-goers. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most pivotal moments in popular music history. See Woodstock

 

The 1970 Isle of Wight Festival was by far the largest and most famous of these early festivals; indeed it was said at the time to be one of the largest human gatherings in the world, surpassing the attendance at Woodstock. Included in the line-up of over fifty performers were The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, The Doors, Ten Years After, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Joni Mitchell, The Moody Blues, Melanie, Donovan, Free, Chicago, Richie Havens, John Sebastian, Leonard Cohen, Jethro Tull, Taste and Tiny Tim. See Isle of Wight

 

Both festivals were very important for my generation. I

[W_L]

I heard many good things about Woodstock and it brings out my inner flower child thinking about it.

 

I wish that the spirit of the 60's were not killed off by the same generation that turned into Yuppies by the 1980's, trading free love for a free Mocha Late. I always wondered what those days were like, where anything seemed possible and dreamers still walked the earth.

[Mark Arbour]

The issue of Woodstock came up in another group and the responses were really interesting. For those people "of age" in 1969, unless they were there or part of the hippie movement, it really seemed to have no significance at all. I'm wondering how many people in here did the same thing, or had the same feelings?

[Tiger]

I bet it was really an awesome concert. I agree with Wen. It'd be nice to bring the spirit back. Though it went too far, it'd be nice for people to revisit the dream of peace.

 

I voted "Yes" to all of them.

Edited August 25, 2009 by Tiger

[Rigel]

I didn't go to Woodstock, and would probably have had a very different experience than most people if I had gone--unlike everyone else who camped out in the mud and rain, I probably would have had a bed at the home of distant cousins who lived near Max Yasgur's farm in Bethel, NY (within an hour's walk, more or less). But I didn't go. (I was only in high school back then, and too young to drive into New York State.)

 

The 1969 Woodstock festival was a group of people who survived adverse conditions by banding together in an impromptu community. Woodstock 1999 devolved into chaos and violence when the community of festival-goers realized they were being ripped off by uncaring promoters--some of the same folks who had woefully under-prepared in 1969 did even worse 30 years later, For example, they prevented people from bringing in adequate water and then tried to make people buy bottled water at $4 a bottle.

 

I regularly attend folk festivals, which are like Woodstock (1969) on a MUCH smaller scale--a couple of thousand people at most. The are well planned for, have strong senses of community, and even the ones that get rainy and muddy don't deteriorate into free-for-alls. They also tend to be much more participatory--the attendees are as likely to be co-producers of their own music as they are consumers of someone else's entertainment. Some of these festivals I attend annually are even in New York State!

 

--Rigel