The Archive.

Updated September 2009- New photos of the Dead , the site and Family

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THE HOLLYWOOD FESTIVAL. Madeley, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, May 23rd and 24th 1970.

    Local press accounts . DAY 1.

Evening Sentinel 24th May 1970. Tight  guard on festival tickets theft.

    As thousands converged on the Hollywood Music Festival site at Leycett today , a tight security guard was imposed following the discovery that 750 tickets have been stolen from the students union building at Keele.
 

Police were also on the look out for forged tickets which may be circulating. They warned non ticket holders not to accept offers of reduced price tickets or tickets on sale at the roadside.           All tickets were scrutinized as the crowds entered the Lower Farm site and spot checks were made by police within the compound . Two possible stolen tickets were also discovered. Two youths had accepted reduced price tickets from a man who gave them a lift. They were allowed to stay because the ticket numbers were not in the missing list.

   St John ambulance men , working in shifts of 18, were quietly busy , treating more than 20 people for minor cuts, headaches and stomach upsets. They also treated two possible drug overdoses, but these could not be confirmed.

Vicar present.

One of the early arrivals was a sporty looking Rev Eric Stopford, who said he was combining business with pleasure. As chairman of the rural council and Vicar of Madeley he was on official business , but he also appeared to be enjoying himself in his unusual surroundings.     A fractured sewage pipe posed a minor problem for the councils surveyor and Public health inspector Mr Kenneth Thorley. "Everything seems to be going well now and I am sure the council were right in taking the hard line they did over toilet facilities", he commented.     Two minor thefts were reported - the loss of electricians tools and a disappearing sleeping bag, otherwise the police had no other incidents to deal with .

Student guard.

   As an army of 75 Keele university students were signed up to to guard the stage area from any possible invasions . Meanwhile the crowd were patiently waiting for  the arrival of the groups who operated from a huge scaffold - erected by three men in the space of one day. The only problem which seemed to arise was the large amount of litter which has gathered . With danger of broken glass and waste paper causing grass fires the fire brigade said that they were keeping close watch on the situation .
 

Cornwall, Brighton , Aberdeen and Barrow in Furness were the homes of just some of the visitors and one Swedish student had interrupted a tour of the country to attend the event.     They had been attracted to Finney Green by a nation-wide campaign by the organizers, Onista Limited, as subsidiary of the London based Red Bus company, and most of them agreed on one point - the reason they had come was because of the fantastic groups appearing during the weekend.  For some the sky will be their roof this weekend while others chose to sleep just where they happened to be at the time when they are most tired. What was most impressive was the workmanlike manner in which many set about ,making their homes in  general  it was smooth operation - far smoother than  many had expected.

 

Hard core with soft centre ?            The majority of youngsters who flocked into Leycetts pop festival  " HIPPIEDROME " today certainly looked hard core weirdies- but there were those who exhibited a soft centre.       About 40 in the early hours decided to pack up their beds , blossoms and bells because it was too cold. Even though all had paid the 30 shillings fee they considered the damp chilly conditions made camping unbearable .      But that was the voice and attitude of a small group . For the rest, many of who, were unshod, unkempt and uninhibited the festival was going to be their scene for the next 24 hours.

Spread out .

   Shortly after mid day more than 20,000 carefree kids had started to spread themselves out across the undulating amphitheatre which vibrated to the twanging sound of turned in progressive music.
Some turned a grassy embankment into a small dance e floor.
Others gulped from beer cans, milk bottles and flasks.

   Having taken the temporary precaution of evacuating livestock form his farm , on whose land the festival is sited. Farmer Ted Askey today became part hippie.

"Since I cant do my work," smiled the jovial farmer, " I might as well get into the big party spirit"

  By dusk last night hundreds of small tents had sprung up all over the farm.
Those who were not so fortunate enough to posses their own tents made use of the four 100 yard long marquees., or the huge dome mobile theatre. Bodies lay everywhere . Some were in large groups , huddled together for warmth while others lay around the smouldering embers of a wood fire. 

Hollywood festival menu

Many thanks go to Garry Marsh for his fantastic archival material which has enabled us to construct most of the site. Also to Martin Williams for his oral history and colour photo of the stage and site ,Simon Phillips for all the Grateful Dead archival material and Bob Colover for the film footage .

    We have been endeavoring to collect audience or sbd tapes of the performances at this festival , so we can effectively review the performances, provide set lists and band line-ups. The intention is to also display as many personal histories of the festival as possible.

  If you can contribute in any way, with tapes, reviews from the music press, photos or personal histories, please Contact us.