Streat. East Sussex.
6th-9th Aug 1970.
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Streat. East Sussex. 6th-9th Aug 1970. |
Big thanks goes to Kieran McCann for the donation of his collection of cuttings from the local press. Unfortunately in 1970 ( this being the second year that the festival was held in Plumpton ) some of the novelty had worn off for the local press. Although there is the usual litany of complaints , fears by locals that they will be murdered in their beds and Tory MP's complaining about the noise and drug taking carried on from the previous year- there are less details about the bands and festival logistics .
Day three reports - 8th August 1970.
Plumpton
guard on angry MP'S home.
A round
the clock guard is being kept by security guards on the home of
Hove M.P. Mr
Martin Madden
during the Plumpton pop festival.
Mr
Madden ,whose home adjoins the racecourse, is seeking a high court order
that could result in all future festivals being banned. Vandals
smashed a garden fence and made holes in the hedge around his orchard during
the last festival.
A security guard, employed by the festival organisers, said last night
" We have been given no specific instructions . But it is generally understood that we should all pay particular attention to Mr Madden and his neighbours. "
| Trouble
. " We obviously don't want to upset anyone, least of all Mr Madden . We aim to show him and everyone else in the village that festivals and trouble don't necessarily go hand in hand . No one really expects anything extraordinary to happen at pop festivals anymore. Even the traditional tales of drugs , sex and barefoot hippies are at long last dying a natural death " (editors note ; this guy would have had to eat his wordsafter the Isle ofWight festival just threeweeks later )
So it came as no surprise last night when the opening concert went
off without a hitch. The only people who might have cause for regret were
the the organisers, lamenting over the poor attendance.
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Canvas City ( above ) the scene at Plumpton after fans had put up their temporary homes. Neat and tidy like a patch of suburbia. |
According to a spokesman for the National Jazz Federation , about 12,000 fans were at the festival. But even if this figure is correct-which seems improbable -it is only half the total of the opening night last year.
Thousands.
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The scene makers. Clarke Hutchinson entertain fans as festival fever rises. |
It is just possible
of course that thousands of young people will surge into rural Plumpton over
the next two days.
But the organisers have a lot of ground to make up if they hope to even equal
last years' attendance of 60,000.
Stallholders at the festival are
also feeling the pinch . One bearded "shopkeeper said ' I have been to most
of the festivals this year and the market just seems to get progressively worse"
.
He added ' I have done more trade here tonight than at some other festivals
,but not nearly as much as I expected. "
The present three day pop extravaganza is better organised and equipped
than any other previous festival at Plumpton. Additional sleeping space and
better toilet facilities have been provided and there is more food and drink
available at reasonable prices.
Top of the bill at this afternoon
concert are Cat Stevens and
Fotheringay, followed by Taste
, Keef Hartley and Black
Sabbath tonight. Tomorrow it is the turn
of the Incredible String Band in the afternoon,
backed up by Deep Purple , Colosseum
and Yes in the evening .
The early festivals.
You can find out the complete
line ups of the first festivals if you follow the links below, but otherwise
information is fairly limited.
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Festivals 65-83
Most of these have fairly complete documentation .
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