very, very old Glastonbury

[Vectrex]

I would have loved to gone to Glastonbury back in those early days. And indeed, any festivals back in those days Though I wouldn't have been alive back then! It would be good if they had festivals like this nowadays which recreate authentically the vibe and atmosphere of what it was like at festivals from the early 70's. It would be great to be at a festival and actually feel like you're actually back in the 70's! One thing that would help a bit is if mobile phones were banned! OK maybe not, they can come in handy in emergencies. But people should be encouraged to only use their mobiles in emergencies, none of this babbling away on their mobiles for ages with trivial chat nonsense!

I like those old tents. You still see some of those even nowadays. Can you still buy tents like that?

[grumpyhack]

My first festival was the Bath Blues festival in 1968.

http://www.ukrockfestivals.com/the-69-bath-festival.html

Amazing line up and even more amazing to think that so many of those bands are still going and people are discussing whether Fleetwood Mac will make it to Glasto this year. Also happy memories of John Peel as the compere.

[Laura_Babs]

My first festival was the Bath Blues festival in 1968.

http://www.ukrockfestivals.com/the-69-bath-festival.html

Amazing line up and even more amazing to think that so many of those bands are still going and people are discussing whether Fleetwood Mac will make it to Glasto this year. Also happy memories of John Peel as the compere.

[pezzypops]

i thought there wasn't any festivals between '71 and the 'impromptu' festival in '78, at least not at worthy farm. i've never seen that pyramid stage either, this is the stage from '71:

and this is the one from '78:

i think this must be another festival.

[gizmoman]

The festival mentioned in the link is a free festival held on 07/07/1977 and it seems it was not on the current site, it mentions land managed by the National Trust, so we won't all be there in a few weeks after all. Still it's an interesting read and a reminder of much less regulated (and some would say) much better times.

[mandypants]

Thank you for posting this, I've just spent the last couple of hours reading every page!

[DaveMac]

Can't find any more 70's Festival general footage alas :angry:

Next best thing is a Micheal Eavis interview the 80's ... (with a bit of Stonehenge stuff at the end)

[shineongas]

This will be my first Glastonbury since I went to the Fayre at Worthy Farm in 1979. Driving into work on the Friday they announced the line up on the local BBC radio station (and you all complain about waiting until 21/05)!

Drove into work - got the day off - rounded up my mates and headed down the A37. Joined 12,000 others each paying a fiver to see a 'supergroup' containing Alex Harvey & Peter Gabriel jamming on each others songs and ending up with a 20 minute version of Its only rock n roll. Others on the pyramid stage - Bristol's own Pop Group & John Martyn (God could he play guitar).

Cider off the back of a waggon. The only thing 'corporate' was the Milk Marketing Board!

Great memories - I watch the BBC coverage each year and say 'in my day'. Well my days come again everyone get ready to be converted as I've seen the future of rock and roll and he's headlining on Saturday night (not sure how much 'future' he's actually got now that he's in his 60th year). But you'll all concur when you've seen the HEARTSTOPPINPANTSDROPPINHOUSEROCKINBRAINSHOCKINEARTHQUAKINGBOOTYSHAKINVIAGRATAKI

NHISTORYMAKINLOVEMAKINSEXIFYINELECTRIFYINLEGENDARY....E STREET BAND

Everyone have a good time.

Phil

[pezzypops]

welcome to efests, phil.

can't wait for the e street band :angry:

[strudders]

This will be my first Glastonbury since I went to the Fayre at Worthy Farm in 1979. Driving into work on the Friday they announced the line up on the local BBC radio station (and you all complain about waiting until 21/05)!

Drove into work - got the day off - rounded up my mates and headed down the A37. Joined 12,000 others each paying a fiver to see a 'supergroup' containing Alex Harvey & Peter Gabriel jamming on each others songs and ending up with a 20 minute version of Its only rock n roll. Others on the pyramid stage - Bristol's own Pop Group & John Martyn (God could he play guitar).

Cider off the back of a waggon. The only thing 'corporate' was the Milk Marketing Board!

Great memories - I watch the BBC coverage each year and say 'in my day'. Well my days come again everyone get ready to be converted as I've seen the future of rock and roll and he's headlining on Saturday night (not sure how much 'future' he's actually got now that he's in his 60th year). But you'll all concur when you've seen the HEARTSTOPPINPANTSDROPPINHOUSEROCKINBRAINSHOCKINEARTHQUAKINGBOOTYSHAKINVIAGRATAKI

NHISTORYMAKINLOVEMAKINSEXIFYINELECTRIFYINLEGENDARY....E STREET BAND

Everyone have a good time.

Phil

[eFestivals]

Terry Reid Glasto 71 , if you've never seen it your life is about to come permanently improved

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8vBn65wTR0

Terry Reid is playing Glasto again this year - on the Park Stage on Sunday. Having caught him when he played a few years back I highly recommend him, he's superb!

[DaveMac]

Terry Reid is playing Glasto again this year - on the Park Stage on Sunday. Having caught him when he played a few years back I highly recommend him, he's superb!

[HenrysCat]

[Peaceman]

Great stuff on here! My first was in 1984 and it definitely felt like there was a lot more space. There were, of course, far fewer people (officially 35,000) but the site was so much smaller! It was very relaxed, the cows wandered around until being put away on the Thursday night (I think). Few people turned up early, indeed I can remember lots of us playing football below Home Ground, near the Pyramid field on the Thursday afternoon. You could pay at the gate (we sat in a portacabin counting money day and night) and security would do a sweep of the site on Thursday and anyone found without a wristband was thrown out!

Happy days! All in all, a very different festival to now. But it had to grow and it still keeps a lot of the old spirit. That's why I still work there every year.

[bamber]

Doesn't look like anyone's posted a link to this site in this thread,

Enjoy!

Paul Misso, Photo collection

[William of Walworth]

Great stuff on here! My first was in 1984 and it definitely felt like there was a lot more space. There were, of course, far fewer people (officially 35,000) but the site was so much smaller! It was very relaxed, the cows wandered around until being put away on the Thursday night (I think). Few people turned up early, indeed I can remember lots of us playing football below Home Ground, near the Pyramid field on the Thursday afternoon. You could pay at the gate (we sat in a portacabin counting money day and night) and security would do a sweep of the site on Thursday and anyone found without a wristband was thrown out!

Happy days! All in all, a very different festival to now. But it had to grow and it still keeps a lot of the old spirit. That's why I still work there every year.

Edited May 11, 2009 by William of Walworth

[bamber]

Doesn't look like anyone's posted a link to this site in this thread,

Enjoy!

Paul Misso, Photo collection

[Pinhead]

After some time dossing at work on Google and Streetmap, I located the original site for the 'missing' 1977 Glastonbury Festival, just South of Glastonbury Town and Street (unsurprisingly), and South-West of Pilton.

The site referenced in this thread mentions it was at "Street Hill", and that, "The site was a local hill known as Street hill a few miles from Glastonbury, an unspoilt belt of densely wooded hillsides, the festival site consisted of a long clearing with woods either end, a dramatic view of the moors along one side of the site and a long thick hedge seperating the clearing from the road."

Putting two and two together: "Street Hill Somerset" search brings back a reference to Walton Windmill on Street Hill :-

http://www.windmillworld.com/uk/walton.htm

Looking around Street using Streetmap, I can find Walton Hill with the windmill indicated just South of Street :-

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=34626...p;A=Y&Z=115

Its a long, wooded ridge as described, but importantly, there is a right of way (the 'Street'), running along the top, pursuant with several of the photographs of the festival from the original reference, e.g. http://www.ukrockfestivals.com/Glasto-77-bank.html

Oh hum, might do some work now . . . Might not!

[pezzypops]

here it is in google maps: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&sour...mp;t=k&z=16

[DaveMac]

Actually there are even more of Paul Missos's photos here.

http://www.paulmisso.co.uk/detail.asp?CategoryID=122

Edited May 14, 2009 by DaveMac

[beamends]

Well I've scoured the pictures from 79 onwards and it seems I completely failed to get in a single one! It's going to be interesting returning after 25 yeas or so. It's amazing to think we used to just decide to go on Monday or Tuesday - someone would get the tickets (from the the local record shop) and off we'd go! And the space............ I used to just put my tent up and never go back to it - the Westbury crowd used to congregate at the top of the stage field and just stay there in any available tents. It really was how I remember it. Or the bits I do - I didn't realise that I've seen (well, maybe!) the likes of Van Morrison - from 4 years the only acts I can actually remember seeing are Judy Tzuke and Randy California. Judy Tzuke because that year they had Pink Floyd's PA - then the biggest in the world we were told, and when she did "Here He Comes Again" the vocals were swished around between the four stacks - like wow man!! And Randy California - we just went down to the stage to see how bad he was with a name like that - and he was fantastic! We were dancing around with little old lady in full County set tweeds! She'd come to disapprove, but admitted to really enjoying seeing all the "young people" having a good time with no trouble. One of the other highlights was when a girl fell into the toilets - it's difficult to laugh when you feel like throwing up! I wonder if the poor lass is still traumatized? One other memory was standing watch a couple have a right good falling out while rolling a small cigar. A chap next to me was coming out with an amusing commentary, so when I'd had a go I was about to offer him when his radio went off - it was the first year the Police were on-site! And the three-legged dog that used to tear round the site.....

What a different world it was then - you can't just have fun these days without someone in a hi-viz vest a clip board sticking their unwelcome nose in.

[caramello]

i thought there wasn't any festivals between '71 and the 'impromptu' festival in '78, at least not at worthy farm. i've never seen that pyramid stage either, this is the stage from '71:

and this is the one from '78:

i think this must be another festival.

[ShadyBlueBell]

Just been looking on the internet at Glastonbury stuff and found this website:

http://www.ukrockfestivals.com/glasto77.html

The pictures got me really, really excited, just to think that we are all going to be there soon, in that same place.

There's some other cool sights with old Glastonbury photos/stories, but does anyone know of any that I can look at? I love looking at this stuff!

[ShadyBlueBell]

Just been looking on the internet at Glastonbury stuff and found this website:

http://www.ukrockfestivals.com/glasto77.html

The pictures got me really, really excited, just to think that we are all going to be there soon, in that same place.

There's some other cool sights with old Glastonbury photos/stories, but does anyone know of any that I can look at? I love looking at this stuff!

[DaveMac]

Fantastic thread this should be kept up on the front page

Edited May 13, 2009 by DaveMac