A short history of the festivals can be read by clicking on the left hand image , which is taken from the 1974 program , kindly supplied by Steve Hambleton .

The Indoor festivals .1969-1971

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9-26-69. Pavilion Gardens. Buxton.

Fleetwood Mac, Family, Third Ear Band , East Of Eden ,Edgar Broughton Band , Stackwaddy , Spirit Of John Morgan and Glass Menagerie . (some of these bands may not have appeared on the night ) Organised by the local rugby club , this was billed as a Progressive Blues festival. 10,000 were rumoured to have attended.

I went to an all night 'festival' in Buxton, I think in 1969. The concert was held indoors, in a Victorian pavillion of some kind. I don't remember the complete line up, but stand-outs for me were Fleetwood Mac (with Danny Kirwan), The Edgar Broughton Band and Glass Menagerie. It was a great night, but freezing cold when we left the next morning! MJ Lindsay right: This Zigzag article about Stackwaddy mentions their Buxton Festival gig , click to read .

   I went to the indoor festival in 1969 and I remember that Family and The Third Ear Band also played. Family’s set was incredible with Roger Chapman at his best. I agree with our friend, when we left the next morning, it was absolutely freezing. But we had a great night, an amazing atmosphere with brilliant music.
Best Regards
Mitch Mitchell
Mexico City.

Hi there:
I was just looking at your site with information about the Buxton Blues festivals. I was lucky enough to attend the first one. I had met Fleetwood Mac's Jeremy Spencer a few times (his father and mine both worked for the RSPCA) and I wanted to see him perform. It was my first full immersion experience with freaks and I had a great time. Family were wonderful, and Fleetwood Mac did a good set. I had to go outside while they were playing Albatross, and the sky was alight with lightning, which added to the atmosphere. I visited the small stage a few times and I thought Atomic Rooster played there that year. I also remember seeing "Charge", a local Derby art college band play, but
maybe that was the next year. They went down to London to find fame and fortune, got one write up (in Melody Maker perhaps?) and then faded. But I still have a single they produced. Ah, the nostalgia.

John Pepper

I'm delighted to have found your site - I went to what I now see was the '69 Buxton Festival (on my Norton 'chopper', thankfully no photos survive), but was previously struggling to remember what year it was. I have no memory of Stackwaddy and Glass Menagerie - and had thought that the line-up included East Of Eden. Oh dear.

Family were indeed terrific, as was Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac (saw him in Shropshire with The Splinter Group recently and would love to see him play Buxton again). The Edgar Broughton Band got everyone stomping as ever; I seem to recall that they played Out Demons Out, but again, my memory may be deluding me.

I also recall that John Peel was master of ceremonies, and told long and not entirely funny jokes. Everyone laughed though. For their own reasons.

One other recollection; in the early hours of the morning it got very cold outside in the ornamental gardens. But it was nice talking to the rhododrendrums.

Hmmmm.
Luv, Steven Myatt

Hi,
 
Really glad to find this site. The '69 Buxton Blues Festival stands out in my mind vivid as yesterday. Can't comment on the small stage, but full facts on main stage.
 
Sat incessently smoking Gitanes with my mate Tim. Sat on the hard floor (used amongst other things for roller-skating in the '50's).
 
Bands were:
Glass Menagerie - did a cracking version of "All Along the Watchtower", with Hammond L100 taking the lead. I believe they did two sets. Bass player with floppy hat, black Fender Precision bass and two angled Marshall cabs side by side. Organ player looking like Ian Anderson.
 
Spirit of John Morgan - also did two sets, with John Morgan variously playing Hammond L100, Piano and Accordian. Nice version of the humorous "Yorkshire Blues" by "Fagan" Whittaker, the lead guitarist, playing mean licks on cherry red Gibson 335 through Carlsboro stack. Rest of band played through Simms-Watts gear.
 
Family - absolutely blew me away - opened with "The Weavers Answer". John Weider on bass, Jim King on saxes/ flute (must have been one of his last gigs with the band). That gig converted me into a lifelong fan. Rob Townsend on huge bright yellow Ludwig kit with 28" bass drum - superb solo with tympani sticks. Band still using their Marshall set-up, including PA - sounded bloody good. Got a well-deserved and genuine encore - easily the best band of the night.
 
John Peel DJ'ing the whole evening. Initially using a Marshall 100 watt PA, which broke down. The organisers substituted a pathetically small rig. Eventually John did a Pete Townshend, hurled the speakers across the stage, shouting "That pissing PA" - uncharacteristically uncool for him!  Not to worry, the Fleetwood Mac Orange PA was soon set up, which John used during a very long wait while the band were "tuning up". We were told to be quiet while some roady took a tape of middle C on the piano to enable the band to tune. The joke (shaggy dog variety) that John actually told ended with the line "People in glass houses shouldn't stow thrones" - get the rest of it from him!
 
Fleetwood Mac - initially a little nervous, then launching into some raucous boogie, with Green playing through a really weird stack - Fender Dual Showman amp perched on top of a variety of ageing Fender cabs of different shapes and sizes. He wore these tight orange cord/ velvet trousers. which really accentuated how thin he was. What impressed me was how LOUD Mick Fleetwood was - this was before the days of drum amplification. Seemed to be a dual between Spencer wanting the audience on their feet and Green wanting them to sit down. Excellent, doing a load of stuff from "Then Play on". I met the band (minus Peter) two years later and they told me how much they had enjoyed this gig.     
 
Last band on were the Edgar Broughton Band (still a 3 piece then), with Edgar playing a battered red strat through Marshall stack - loud and totally Beefheart like through their WEM PA. Remember them doing "Out Demons Out" and "Drop Out Boogie".
 
Neil Griffin

I went to the Buxton Blues Festivals of 1969 and 1970 which were intimate events, with everyone crushed into the Pavilion Gardens.  The metal pillars of the Pavilion obscured the view if you were unlucky.

Although Fleetwood Mac topped the bill in ' 69 I was there to see Family (following their performance at the Isle of Wight in August?). Great vocals from Roger Chapman (who never disappointed) and I also enjoyed East of Eden. Names I noted on the back of the ticket were Family, East of Eden, Fleetwood Mac, Glass Menagerie, Edger Broughton, Spirit of John Morgan and Grisby Dyke?.  Festival started 8pm, finished 7:30am and cost 25/-. 

Regards,
Graham Wadelin       

1970

6.6.70.            Until Tomorrow Overnight concert in Buxton, finishing 6am, Colosseum, Taste, Atomic Rooster, Liverpool Scene *, Barclay James Harvest *, Matthews Southern Comfort, Brinsley Schwartz, Strawbs , Daddy Longlegs . Compere John Peel.

* Group did not perform.

Music press review

The normally quiet country town of Buxton was shaken to its foundations by the sounds of Colosseum, Taste and Savoy Brown at the "Until Tomorrow "all night musical festival on Friday at the Pavilion Gardens . The festival organisers had to struggle from one problem to another . First the Liverpool scene broke up a week before and then on the night stand Savoy brown were delayed , Barclay James Harvest failed to turn up at all and the last minute stand in group Daddy Longlegs didn’t arrive until 4-30 am . It would have taken a genius to sort that lot out ,but somehow they managed to get the bands onstage without long delays – though not necessarily in the right order. The Strawbs , playing the second session of the night , gave many people a pleasant sur[prise with some really good sets – ending in a parody of Cliff Richard and the Shadows which had the audience standing and shouting for more .

Matthews Southern Comfort were also superb but didn’t get the reception they deserved . Playing their own brand of heavy rock Atomic Rooster followed the country style of Matthews southern comfort and got the place bopping again,.

The trouble with all night festivals such as this is that by the time the big name bands come onstage everyone is too tired or too drunk perhaps, to appreciate the music . That’s probably why Taste fell so dead and even Colosseum had a hard time reviving the inert bodies in sleeping bags that formed most of the audience.
Even the inexhaustible John Peel slipped away to catch a couple of hours sleep in the back of his land rover.
Came the dawn and Savoy Brown followed by Daddy Longlegs, brought the show to an end at about 6am.
Penny Bosworth

Eyewitness reviews

Also remember going to a Buxton Festival 1969/70 I was going around with the Liverpool Scene at the time and went to see Jon Hiseman's Colosseum which the LSs ex roadie was personal assistant to JH ! Anyway I remember the Strawbs with Rick Wakeman doing a classical set on the piano !! also the great act of Matthews Southern Comfort with Ian Mathews brilliant, plus there was a gig by a band name I can't remember but they actually bought a hit single !!!(JUST Remembered Brinsley Schwartz) ... very big in NME at the time.
Many regards

I can add only a little to your fascinating site: I went to a couple of the early Buxton gigs, the one in 1970 and one the following year which was headlined by Ginger Baker's Airforce and included Barclay James Harvest promoted from the newcomers hall the year previously.
I also believe there was an early Genesis performance in the beginners hall. I believe the festivals were entitled "Until Tomorrow"..... and my mate had his Mini nicked while we were there!

Cheers,
Geoff

8-7-70.   Sound 70 A second all nighter was held on August 7th with the following lineup Keef Hartley Big Band , Manfred Mann Chapter 111 Mungo Jerry , Climax Blues Band, Tea and Symphony , Rock Rebellion and Elias Hulk. Compere Pete Drummond

September 1971

Edgar Broughton, The Groundhogs, Eggs Over Easy, Bees Make Honey and Brewers Droop.

Compere Pete Drummond

Festival held on Friday night,10th or 17th. Held in two halls inside the Pavillion Gardens. I remember seeing Edgar Broughton,but can best remember The Groundhogs,with Tony McPhee, if I remember correctly,headlining and
bringing the gig to a close.There is no way the Festival would have gone ahead these days as it was very crowded and I can only imagine what the Fire Authorities would make of it today.

Alexender

I was at Buxton in 1971. I thought it was August but maybe I was wrong.
Temperature was just above zero and whole place was shrouded in fog - but apparently that's normal in Buxton for 11 months of the year.
I remember being greeted by a gang of Hell's Angels, standing in the road opposite the queue to get in threatening to kick shit out of everyone.
Inside it was so crowded it was dangerous. A couple of times the crush between the two halls was so scary we went outside. There was no Health and Safety in those days!
I remember seeing Edgar Broughton (always exactly the same set culminating in 'Out Demons Out'), Groundhogs (always played their hearts out), and a few lesser groups -Eggs Over Easy, Bees Make Honey and Brewers Droop.
Things came to an end earlier than expected (2.00 am?). We tried to get some kip on the floor but it was impossible.
Set of at about 04.00 to drive back to Leeds.
 
This is what I remember best.
 
On the way back, in the fog, I slammed the brakes on as a little kangaroo hopped across the road in front of me. It buggered off into the bushes. Naturally, no-one believed me and I have had the piss ripped out of me for years.
I have since discovered that there is a colony of feral wallabies living in the Peak District which escaped from someone's private collection.
So there - Chris Swindells and Steve Tomkinson!
 
Pete

It's hard to believe that my Mum & Dad let me and my best mate Nigel go to the Progressive Blues Festival at Buxton's Pavilion Gardens in 1971.  We were only just barely 14 years old but I guess I bugged the shit out of them until they agreed to let us go under the supervision of my big brother Martin and his mates. Of course he told us to shove off as soon as we got there.  My clearest memories are of boring old Edgar Broughton in the smaller auditorium and The Groundhogs in what I'd always known as the skating ring.  It was all very overwhelming and we spent most of our time just wandering about trying to avoid certain individuals who scared us for one reason or another. 
 
Does anyone remember a show at The Pavilion Gardens about a year later - 'Status Quo' put on by the Buxton chapter of the Derbyshire Young Farmers Association (The YFA had underestimated general interest in their annual "Do").  It was brilliant, the place was overrun by the Afghan coat & Patchouli oil mob, as well as Grebos from all around the region. Then there was this dejected looking brigade of about 100 young farmers in their Sunday best, all scrubbed up and pink, wondering what the hell was going on.

John Allen

Hi

Its late and I cant remember a great deal, but here goes

Paid £1 per spliff from a cool dude who had a top hat with a sign on saying "charge here" I remember standing up to cheer Mungo jerry absolutely stoned out of my head fell down and woke up just as they were finishing. I have vague recollections of the Strawbs playing maybe 69/70 ish and Ginger Bakers Air Force they were so cool; think Free put in an appearance around that time as well. Wow what a fab time coming from Buxton it was fab to see all these cool people in town. Gosh it was wet when we moved up to the moors the following years and I think those nasty Hells Angels spoilt it one year; but I would have been out of my head so who gives a fuck dude.

Have a respectable job now but your fab site has opened doors I have kept closed for decades, most bizarre thing is my 14 year old daughter Laura listens to Cream, Hendrix et al and does not realise that I was there

Thanks so much for the memories

Kind Regards

Keith S

Who can help flesh out the festival with reviews , information, recordings and photographs ?

Contact email if you can help.