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Thanks to Fumbles webmaster for confirming the date of this festival http://www.fumbleontheweb.com/years/1973.htm

Last update April 2005

The Clitheroe Pop Festival.

Clitheroe Castle. Clitheroe .1970-73.

Michael Chapman Band, Kevin Ayres & The Whole World ,Dr Strangely Strange.

June 1970.

howdy -

I was born in Lytham, Lancs and came to two editions of the Clitheroe pop festival - missed the 1971 edition (which I believe had Edgar Broughton and Roy Harper amongst others) - the first in June 1970 had Michael Chapman & Band (fabulous), Kevin Ayres & the Whole World and Dr Strangely Strange and at least one other act from the Blackhill enterprises agency (may have been the Third Ear Band but I can't remember so far back). the weather was beautiful that afternoon.

Nigel Cross

Trees , Bridget St John ,UFO , Third Ear Band , Brinsley Schwarz ,MC5.

compere Pete Drummond

June 3rd 1972


Suddenly upon a lonely castle keep, came a wandering band of nomads and all day they listened to funky minstrels, and at the end of the day the friendly council paid the bill.
No - it's not a fairy story. Clitheroe Castle '72 might have been a festival-goers dream. The council gave the Clitheroe Young People's Recreation Committee the grand sum of £1,500 to set up an extravaganza in the castle grounds and they spent their money wisely to give a balanced show in which everyone could find something to enjoy.

Trees started the show and played folk songs and jigs for an hour and a half on the town's little green painted bandstand.

Bridget St John unfortunately suffered from under-amplification, but there was plenty of room at the front for those who wanted to hear her. She sang pretty songs to suit the day and ended with her single "It's Real" and the title track from her new LP "Thank You For."

UFO burst on the stage with all the dignity of a third world war and proceeded to thrust their sexual organs at anyone interested, whilst playing at full power a bit of Trogg-type innvendo-ladden rock. Still, a lot of people liked them.

Coming on at the freaky hour of twilight, the Third Ear Band bewitched everybody with music from Polanski's MacBeth. With swallows swooping above them they produced a more melodic sound than of yore.

Brinsley Schwarz played their own set then offered to carry on when the MC5 didn't arrive on time. Like wine, they improve with time and towards the end people were leaping about among the bushes. But they seemed to lack some vital ingredient - the music was pleasant enough but never reached a peak though Bob Andrew's work on electric piano was excellent.

Because everything was supposed to be unplugged by midnight MC5 could only play for half an hour but they came right out front and gave everyone a rocking finish to the day with good strong guitar breaks interspersed with corny phrases like "We've just got in from Detroit in the US of A."
 


The one that really burnt into my head was the June 1972 edition - grey cold dull day but it didn't quite rain - opening were trees (fantastic folk rock group with singer Celia Humphreys - very Fairport like), Bridget St John (on John Peel's Dandelion records), U.FO. with Pink Fairy to be Larry Wallis on lead guitar), Third Ear Band (with Simon House on violin), Brinsley Schwarz and top of the bill MC5. Pete Drummond compered and spun the discs.

The MC5 attracted a lot of bikers who hated all the quiet stuff - the MC5's car blew up at spaghetti junction and the hells angels had to go and pick em up (this was corroborated about 2 years ago by the MC5's english bassist) - in order to avert a potential mini-altamount, the organisers got the Brinslies to do another set - my memory now is of course severely distorted but it felt like they played about five versions of 'Brown Sugar' - finally the 5 arrived about 20 to midnight and kicked out the jams for about 5 minutes - the original singer and drummer quit soon after this gig and Sonic Smith and Wayne Kramer carried on till the end of the year with drummer Ritchie Dharma (who'd been in Chapman's band in 1970 and was later with Mick Abrahams) and english bassist as mentioned Derek ? but the Clitheroe set was still cool - remember them doing 'Rambling Rose' but god knows what else.

I always wished they could have got the Pink Fairies - ah well - good memories of this fest - always - well done to the cats at the clitheroe town hall for letting the kids have their say!
best
Nigel Cross

Fumble,Stackridge,Greenslade,

Sutherland Brothers and Quiver,

Longdancer, Byzantium.

June 2nd 1973

    Yes once again the festival season is upon us , and may they remain with us always - despite the statutory accompanying cloud burst -if they are as good as the one at Clitheroe Castle on Saturday .
    But it didn't rain all the time- there was some sparkling sunshine too and some good in-between -the groups-music form DJ Pete Drummond. The setting in the Norman castle ground was picturesque and with an audience of about 3,000 the atmosphere was cozy.
Instead of holding up their hands in horror, the council is the only one in the country to sponsor a festival and the organizers , The Young Peoples Recreation Committee managed to to make a small profit to put by for next year.
   Starting with a bit of country rock from Byzantium the bill built up in excellence . Longdancer had to fight two battles - with the PA and the weather. Unfortunately they lost because the gentle sound of the three acoustic guitars and a bass guitar is not likely to hold a soaking audiences attention .
  The Sutherland Brothers and Quiver are something special, they must be to get people up singing and dancing in driving rain . The lads leaping about bare chested and the lady slithering on her bottom down a grass slide didn't need the shelter of a rain coat to appreciate songs like "The Pie "," Change The Wind "or "Sailing ". Peter Wood's piano accordion coupled with the happiness of Gavin and Iain Sutherland’s voices made a really distinctive sound .
  Greenslade needed the sun in order to succeed because they generate excitement rather than excitement and luckily it appeared in company with a rainbow. With at times three of the group. Dave Greenslade, Dave Lawson and bassist Tony Reeves on keyboards they conjured up magical joy.
  They played all the memorable numbers from their LP -Sundance"An English Western", "Drowning Man" and "Melange" and managed to recreate them well considering they and all the other bands were using Wishbones Ash's PA specially loaned for the day.

Stackridge with their eccentric dustbin lid chorus line, Salvation Army style drumming and tootling flute keep their music simple but effective. Songs about "Dora The Female Explorer "or "The Galloping Gaucho" soon had an enthusiastic line of men in the audience dancing Tiller Girl fashion .
  During "The Stanley" and "The Jig", excellently fiddled by Mike Evans even a security guard was seen to tap his feet.
  Fumble brought the evening to a rocking and rolling close and the people of Clitheroe were left in peace until the next disturbance to hit the street- the weekly cattle market.

Penny Bosworth

Byzantium

Byzantium

Phil gets loaded

Clitheroe crowd

Photos courtesy Garry Bodenham © click on the images to see larger versions .

Hi
Travelling from Fleetwood..
I remember seeing the MC5 headline at the Clitheroe pop festival though I am trying to find out if it was this year 1973 or was it one either side of this date..I also remember UFO and Roy harper being on the bill oh and a couple of skinheads who got in and were beating up some hippies.
I still can't belive I saw the MC5 I must have been 16 then.Any info?
Thanks

Dave Black

First festival though was a really cool small one held at Clitheroe Castle in Lancashire, must have been 71, Kevin Ayers, Edgar Broughton, Brinsley Shwartz I think, I first heard Arlo Guthrie's Alices Restaurant Massacre over the PA at this one.

Tony Raine

Any info to add regarding this and the other Clitheroe festivals? , apparently the MC5 headlined on June 3rd 1972 , supported by Roy Harper and UFO and possibly Barclay James Harvest - can anyone provide any more info on this event ?

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