The Archive.

Updated Sept 2006, Jefferson Airplane setlist and recollections.John Fahey photo.

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The Camden Festival free concerts .

Camden festival

Parliament Hill Fields .Hampstead Heath May 1968-69.


  A series of one day free concerts held under the auspices of the Camden Council. I was lucky enough to attend the Pink Floyd show , but there were also others held over several years and I would like to glean the exact details so we can get a comprehensive list on the site.

1968

9-04-68 - Jefferson Airplane and Fairport Convention.

Euge Gannon was at this one

It was pouring for the Jefferson Airplane and I remember Grace Slick saying 'what is wrong with you people, it's raining, go home'.The Jefferson Airplane show had to be early in the evening or in the Summer as it was still light. There were not too many people there due to the heavy rain. I was a blues fan and would not been too interested in a hippy band but I wanted to see what the hype was all about .I think they did a few numbers before I quit to go for a drink.

Chris Jones was also there and gives this detailed account.

I went to the Parliament Hill JA/Fairport gig with a friend, and these are our recollections:
Parliament Hill, London UK
(free concert, Fairport Convention opened - Sandy Denny was late getting from the airport)
It was actually on Wednesday 4 September - I recently found an old diary which recorded the occasion and this is what I put in it at the time:
"Saw Fairport Convention & Jefferson Airplane at Hampstead Heath - fucking far out - pissed with rain - went with Ray Day."
Paul Kantner thanked the few hundred of us who were there and said (something along the lines of),

"You folks are marvellous to come when it's raining so hard. Back home in San Francisco nobody would have turned up. We're used to it being eighty in California."
Then Grace said, "If it ain't eighty, it ain't hot."

Grace was beautiful. The band were hot (Fairport convention were pretty damn good too).
Part of the reason that the number who witnessed the event was so small was that there was almost no advanced publicity. My friend Ray and I found out almost by accident - and felt extremely lucky to be one of the few people
who were there to see and hear it. We were able to get very close to the stage - it was almost like a private performance.
Ray remembers the setlist as follows (I don't really remember the details at
all - hmm, wonder why?)


Paul was wearing an Afghan, Jack was wearing the cardigan he wore on Pointed Head, Grace had a black number on.
They had a big stack of Marshall Amps which Fairport used afterwards.
Sandy turned up when the Fairports were playing Stormy Weather.

CJ


1969

MM 1969

MORE FREE CONCERTS
Three free concerts featuring top underground groups will be held at the Bandstand, Parliament Hill Fields, London during May.
Tomorrow (Friday) the first concert, part of Camden Borough Fringe Festival will run from 10 pm to 3 am with Pink Floyd, Pretty Things, Roy Harper, Pete Brown and his Battered Ornaments, Jody Grind and Musica Electronics Viva.
On Sunday May 18 from 2 pm to 8 pm the groups will be Procol Harum, Soft Machine, John Fahey, Third Ear Band, Blossom Toes, Forest and possibly Fairport Convention.
On May 30 from 10 pm to 3 am they will be Fleetwood Mac, Group Therapy, Edgar Broughton Band, Spontaneous Music Ensemble, Duster Bennett and Bridget St. John.

Stage at Camden 5-18-69

All 1969 Camden festival photos courtesy Repfoto © to see more click on the link

At the all nighters refreshments will be available and lighting provided All the groups will be playing free and there will be no charge for admission.

Menu

  • 5- 09- 69-:Pink Floyd ,Roy Harper, The Pretty Things, Pete Brown's Battered Ornaments & Jody Grind.
  • 5-18- 69 :Procol Harum, Soft Machine, Third Ear Band , Yes & Blossom Toes.
  • 5-30-69:Fleetwood Mac. Taste ,Edgar Broughton, Duster Bennett . (This concert was disrupted by drunken elements in the crowd)

Who can help flesh out these free concerts with reviews , information, recordings and photographs ? email if you can help.

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