What was the first major festival you ever went to?

[thebrig]

Apologies if this has been done before, but because festivals are quite topical at the moment, especially with all the comments ([i]good or bad[/i]) about Glastonbury, I was wondering what your recollections are of the first major festivals you ever went to, and what were the lineups.

I know our opinions on how great they were are mostly relative to our ages and musical era's, so I'm not saying the earlier festivals had better lineups etc, it's just a bit of fun to share our musical memories.

For me, Reading 1973 was the first one I went to and the lineup was:

[u]Friday[/u]
Rory Gallagher. Jo'burg Hawk, Commander Cody, Capability Brown, Greenslade, Stray Dog, Alquin, Embryo

[u]Saturday[/u]
The Faces, Andy Bown, Status Quo, Strider, Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Chris Barber, Lindisfarne, Magma, Fumble, Riff Raff, Tasavallan Presidentti, Quadrille, Claire Hamill, Dave Ellis

[u]Sunday[/u]
Genesis, The Spencer Davis Group, Jimmy Witherspoon, Mahatma, Jon Hiseman's Tempest, George Melly, Stackridge, Medicine Head, Jack The Lad, Tim Hardin, Ange, John Martyn and Danny Thompson, A J Webber



And I did Knebworth for the first time in 1976 where the lineup was more about quality rather than quantity.

Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, 10cc, Todd Rungren’s Utopia, Hot Tuna, Don Harrison Band

Edited June 26, 2017 by thebrig

[Graham]

Reading 2002 for me

I remember Foo Fighters headlined the Saturday, Prodigy the Sunday - who I didn't see as I wasn't fussed with them back then so The Offspring before them were my Sunday night headliner.

I think The Strokes headlined the Friday? Can't remember though as I didn't watch them, I did see Feeder though who headlined the second stage that day; it was the second performance they'd done since the drummer committed suicide, the first being a small warm-up show the day or so before. I remember the look on Grant Nichols face when they opened with Can't Rewind and the whole tent was singing it back to them, must have been a very emotional gig for them.

[BrunoBass]

I have no desire whatsoever to go to a big festival.

[Dad3353]

Godshill, '68...

[quote]...Ford Farm near Godshill was the site of the first ever Isle of Wight Festival in 1968. It attracted 10,000 people to see acts such as Jefferson Airplane and the mystical Arthur Brown....[/quote]

Here's the flyer...; note the price: 25 shillings (£1.25p for the youngsters...). Happy daze.

Edited June 26, 2017 by Dad3353

[Bobthedog]

Embarrassingly perhaps, the first commercial festival I went to was the Big Feastival last year. Assuming that counts.

The first "festival" I went to was Bobfest - a private festival with a stage, full lighting and sound engineers, three bands, camping, food, bars toilets, magicians, jugglers and masseuses. My wife and I organised that one on our land, also last year, for 300 people.

I am told that is also how Glastonbury started.

Edited June 26, 2017 by Bobthedog

[Steve Browning]

I've only ever been to one major festival. Isle of Wight 2011. I only went then because I was playing for the band closing the festival on the Sunday night. Dead nice backstage, mind.

[bassbiscuits]

Mine would be Womad 1994, in Reading.

Seem to remember spending most of it listening to trance music from people like Transglobal Underground, Banco De Gaia and Astralasia. Apparently the line-up also included Gil Scott-Heron, Jah Wobble and Lee Scratch Perry, but i appear to have missed all that lot. Oops.

[Roland Rock]

I was 16 and it was amazing

[Img]http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg580/christopher_brown14/rackbags/1990%201_zpskbiafnto.jpg" class="ipsImage" />

[chris_b]

[quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1498475001' post='3324789']
For me, Reading 1973 was the first one I went to and the lineup was:
[/quote]
You saw me then. One blink and you'd have missed us though.

My first festival was Reading in 1966. Cream's first big gig was on the Sunday, but I went on the Friday. Saw Geno Washington, Spencer Davis Group and headlined by the Small Faces.

[Monkey Steve]

I had to google it to see which came first - Monsters of Rock at Donnington (August 1985) or Knebworth (turns out that was June 1985 so that one wins). I'm discounting Status Quo's farewell gig at Selhurst Park in 1984 - it was an all day event, but billed as Quo with a lot of support bands, not a festival.

Deep Purple (and I remember it being a Deep Purple gig, the first after reforming, rather than a festival per se, but Google shows me it was actually billed as Knebworth festival that they were headlining), Scorpions, UFO, Mountain, Blackfoot, Meat Loaf, Mamas Boys and Alaska. I remember a lot of rain, mud, and waiting around for Deep Purple to come on.

Monsters of Rock was actually far more memorable, not least for it being the first time I'd seen Metallica.

[thebrig]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1498478951' post='3324845']
You saw me then. One blink and you'd have missed us though.

My first festival was Reading in 1966. Cream's first big gig was on the Sunday, but I went on the Friday. Saw Geno Washington, Spencer Davis Group and headlined by the Small Faces.
[/quote]Which was your band Chris?

[chris_b]

I was with Andy Bown. That was the year our manager, Billy Gaff, sponsored the whole festival. All his bands played.

[Woodinblack]

Glastonbury 1981. My sister took me (as I think that gave her a reason she could go). Still appreciated it.

No idea who was playing, but it was fantastic.

[leftybassman392]

Lincoln folk festival 1970 (the one nobody seems to remember ), followed by Weeley in 1971.

[FinnDave]

The only festivals I have been to have been free festivals. Stonehenge sometime mid 70s would have been my first. Here & Now are the only band I remember playing, there weren't any 'name' bands, it wasn't that sort of festival!

[Stylon Pilson]

Reading 1999



It always tickles me to see Coldplay's name down there at the very bottom of the list for the second stage. You'll also spot Muse in there, if you've got your magnifying glass available.

S.P.

[Maude]

Monsters of Rock 1995
Line-up

Metallica,
Slayer,
Skid Row,
Machine Head,
Corrosion of Conformity,
Therapy?
Slash's Snakepit
White Zombie
Warrior Soul.

I used to like the fact it was one day, one stage. You didn't have to rush from one stage to another trying to catch the bands you wanted to see.
Not really fussed about festivals now, too much money, too much going on, not enough time to see it all, and far too mainstream of I'm honest.

Edited June 26, 2017 by Maude

[Urban Bassman]

My one and only festival was 1979 seeing Zeppelin at Knebworth.

Haven't felt the need to go to another one as I doubt it could be surpassed.

Happy days!

[Highfox]

Notting Hill Carnival (street festival)
1978, still decidely dodgy after the riots the years before.

[The59Sound]

I think festivals are great value when you consider one headliners normal ticket price for a gig would be close to £100.

[bonzodog]

Monsters of rock in late 80s. Line up was
Iron Maiden
Kiss
Dave Lee Roth
Megadeth
Guns and Roses
Helloween

Great festival apart from the endless glass bottle throwing within the audience which put a dampener on it. Saw lots of people hit on the head with bottles. Also the year two people died during guns and roses due to being crushed which no one knew about till next day.

[paddy109]

Glastonbury1990 - although most called it Pilton Festival.

I went because Happy Mondays were playing. Had an amazing time and went a number of years after this until I had my tent stolen and the atmosphere seemed to change from being quite laid back to tense, very expensive and a ball ache to get tickets!

[Cato]

Monsters of Rock '92.

Almighty, Thunder, Wasp, Skid Row, Slayer and Iron Maiden.

In '93 I staryed going to Glastonbury every year for the next 6 or 7. Absolutely loved it, it opened my mind to all sorts of music I'd never really given a chance to.

[project_c]

Do illegal raves in the early 90s qualify as festivals? They definitely looked and felt like festivals. But with even more unwashed sweaty people than your usual festival.

[thebrig]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1498481648' post='3324878']
I was with Andy Bown. That was the year our manager, Billy Gaff, sponsored the whole festival. All his bands played.
[/quote]I actually remember watching Andy Bown at Reading, in fact, I bought one of his albums on the strength of seeing them/you at Reading, unfortunately I probably sold it along with all my other vinyl when the dreaded CD's came along.

Dare I ask, is there any old footage of your performance?

Edited June 26, 2017 by thebrig