The Archive

Formatted at 1920 X 1020 minimum - Updated July 2021

This site is dedicated to the memory of Roger Hutchinson, who inspired me to delve deep into the magic of the free festival and who passed away Sept 3rd 2010.

R.I.P. Roger .....

R.IP. Phil Shaksby, aka Phil The Beer ,who passed away April 2010 .

Big BIG thanks to our sponsor Neil !

For information on today's festivals see eFestivals.co.uk


 

Harlow Free Concerts 1977.
Spurriers Park- Harlow.

 

Harlow 1974 © Stephen Bragger

         

Any more details would be appreciated .Any info to add ?-well don't just sit there , Contact us

Thanks to Steve Goldsmith , David Devine of Harlow Council and Steve Baker for their invaluable help in providing data on these concerts.



1977

June 4th 1977

The Glitter Band, Hotline

June 25th 1977

Eddie and the Hotrods ,

(*replaced AC/DC, Artful Dodger)


July 9th 1977

 Caravan, Sorham, Touplanx

(*replaced Climax  Blues Band )


July 30th 1977

The Real Thing, Burn



By now I had left school and was out to work and I was therefore no longer required to go on the annual family holidays . They were no longer a hindrance so I got to see all the bands this particular year.

The Glitter Band, were well past their sell by date by the time they appeared here and it showed- it wasn’t a memorable concert.

AC/DC are one of my all-time favorite rock bands. However, I have no recollection of them ever being billed to appear at Harlow Town Park. I certainly have no reason to disbelieve the fact that they were actually booked as they were doing the usual London pubs and clubs around then.

In my defence, it was 35 years ago and my memory is not what it used to be, or alternatively, it was probably just before anyone, including myself, knew who they were.

To put things into perspective, three years later they recorded Back in Black, went global earning big bucks and headlined Monsters of Rock at Castle Donnington. A gig I most definitely remember.

Eddie and the Hot Rods were on cracking form that night and able deputies, sitting nicely on that edge between punk rock and amphetamine fuelled R and B. The highlights for me were Teenage Depression, Get out of Denver, 96 Tears and Gloria [which sparked off an obsession with all things Van Morrison]

Caravan, My abiding memory of this concert was watching some old fogy dancing around manically like he was having an epileptic fit, I say old he was probably the same age as I am now, 50. This is another band that I have come to appreciate later in life .
A scribe at the Harlow Gazette had this to say about their performance, no mention of the old fogy:
" Not a lot has been heard of the rock group Caravan in Britain since 1970, but their appearance at the Town Park on Saturday certainly pulled in the crowds"

Stephen Goldsmith



Free Festivals List

Any info to add- well don't just sit there ! Contact us

Free festivals and small fayres held in the United Kingdom between 1967-90.

1967-69.

 1970-79  
1980-92

 

  • Windsor Peoples Free Festival 1972-74
 
 Free festival related articles
Pay Festivals- Benefits for Travellers aid.
 

Main list of Free festivals 1970-1985

Free rock festivals of the 70s and 80s

Publications

ffhf

We are proud of the contribution we have made to Andy Worthington's sociological history of Stonehenge and the free festival scene in the UK .This new book gives a fascinating insight into the various counter cultural obsessions with the Stones and provides a variety of new perspectives to many of the key events surrounding the Henge such as the Battle Of The Beanfield and the more recent attempts hold a celebration at the Stones during the Solstice.

 

Find out more about this great book by clicking on the image on the left and visit the Heart of Albion Press web site .

Sending details of a small book I've just self-published which might be of interest to some readers of your admirable site.

Related Articles

The aroma of a free festival -by Roger Hutchinson

Dome construction instruction sheet (download-140k)-by Roger Hutchinson

Travellers Tales Convoy Steve's tale of how the freaks outsmarted the fuzz at Greenham common.

Zorch -House band for the free festival set ? A fanzine page on the UK's first electronic band .

Tibetan Ukranian Mountain Troupe-surreal pranksters of the Traveller community .

Acidia Lightshow Lightshow for Windsor festival and Stonehenge in the 1970s.

Traveller Daves Website - Chock full of of free festival photos !

Many, many thanks go to Roger Hutchinson , Big Steve , Roger Duncan, Celia, Will , Chazz, Jeza ,Chris Hewitt ,The Fabulous Time Tortoise , Peter Piwowarski - ( 70s music site/photos ) Martin S, Steve Austin ,Traveller Dave, Herb, Tim Brighton, Vin Miles, Haze Evans , Noddy Guevara, Chris Brown, Janet Thompson, David Stooke, Gary Gibbons , Nigel Ayers, Rich Deakin ,Glenda Pescardo,Justin Warman,Brian F, Steve Bayfield, Kev Ellis, Paul Seaton and many other minor contributors for their help in providing the archival material related to these free festivals which has at enabled us to construct the site .

Any info to add ?-well don't just sit there , Contact us


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