Hollywood music festival
Encyclopedia
The Hollywood Music Festival was held at Leycett
in the grounds of a farm near Newcastle-under-Lyme
, UK, on 23rd and 24 May 1970. It was notable for the first performance of the Grateful Dead
in the UK and also for the triumphant performance of the band Mungo Jerry
(of "In the Summertime" fame) and featured such notable bands as Free
, Ginger Baker's Air Force
, Colosseum
, Family
, Black Sabbath
and Traffic
. The company responsible for the festival was Onista Ltd ( who promptly went bust not paying festival staff) Onista was an offshoot of Eliot Cohen's Red bus company, with Ellis Elias and Elliot Cohen as the promoters.
This was the first of the major festivals held in the summer of 1970 and part of the festival was to have been filmed by the BBC
but the crews were rendered incapable of filming , possibly due to accidental LSD
dosing by persons unknown.Andrew Burgoyne of Burgoyne Film and Audio Services also filmed and recorded audio of some of the festival and was rumoured to be putting a final edit of it together some years ago. Film crews can be seen on 8 mm footage of bands taken by fans at the festival on several occasions, notably during Quintessence and the Dead's performances .A DVD and CD set was issued in 2010 featuring archive material from the Grateful Dead's set, and one number each from Free, Family,Screaming Lord Sutch, Family and Radha Krishna Temple along with a beautful biographical booklet of the event.
Wild rumours circulated in the music papers about the supergroup that Lord Sutch was supposed to be fronting, Eric Clapton
, John Lennon
, and others were supposed to join in a super jam, but none of these luminaries showed up, nor did scheduled acts such as the James Gang
and the Flying Burrito Brothers
which tended to dilute the overseas offerings.
Although the festival has generally tended to be eclipsed by the larger, better known festivals of 1970 such as the Isle of Wight Festival
and the Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music 1970
, it deserves to be remembered for its excellent organisation and lack of hassle as well as a great deal of memorable music. Traffic, José Feliciano
and Air Force more than made up for the no-shows and, overall, around 40,000 went to Leycett to hear some great music by some of the era's best UK and US bands.
Leycett
Leycett is a village in Staffordshire in the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme.Leycett was served by a railway station which was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway on June 28, 1880. The village hosted the Hollywood music festival in 1970....
in the grounds of a farm near Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme is a market town in Staffordshire, England, and is the principal town of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme. It is part of The Potteries Urban Area and North Staffordshire. In the 2001 census the town had a population of 73,944...
, UK, on 23rd and 24 May 1970. It was notable for the first performance of the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
in the UK and also for the triumphant performance of the band Mungo Jerry
Mungo Jerry
Mungo Jerry is an English rock group whose greatest success was in the early 1970s, though they have continued throughout the years with an ever-changing line-up, always fronted by Ray Dorset. They are remembered above all for their hit "In the Summertime". It remains their most successful and most...
(of "In the Summertime" fame) and featured such notable bands as Free
Free (band)
Free were an English rock band, formed in London in 1968, best known for their 1970 signature song "All Right Now". They disbanded in 1973 and lead singer Paul Rodgers went on to become a frontman of the band Bad Company along with Simon Kirke on drums; lead guitarist Paul Kossoff died from a...
, Ginger Baker's Air Force
Ginger Baker's Air Force
Ginger Baker's Air Force was a jazz-rock fusion band comprising Ginger Baker on drums, Steve Winwood on organ and vocals, Ric Grech on violin and bass, Jeanette Jacobs on vocals, Denny Laine on guitar and vocals, Phil Seamen on drums, Alan White on drums, Chris Wood on tenor sax and flute, Graham...
, Colosseum
Colosseum (band)
Colosseum is a pioneering British progressive jazz-rock band, mixing progressive rock and jazz-based improvisation.-History 1968 - 1971:The band was formed in September 1968 by drummer Jon Hiseman, tenor sax player Dick Heckstall-Smith and bass player Tony Reeves, who had previously worked together...
, Family
Family (band)
Family were an English rock band that formed in late 1966 and disbanded in October 1973. Their style has been characterised as progressive rock, although their sound often explored other genres, incorporating elements of styles like as folk, psychedelia, acid, jazz fusion and rock and roll...
, Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
and Traffic
Traffic (band)
Traffic were an English rock band whose members came from the West Midlands. The group formed in April 1967 by Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason...
. The company responsible for the festival was Onista Ltd ( who promptly went bust not paying festival staff) Onista was an offshoot of Eliot Cohen's Red bus company, with Ellis Elias and Elliot Cohen as the promoters.
This was the first of the major festivals held in the summer of 1970 and part of the festival was to have been filmed by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
but the crews were rendered incapable of filming , possibly due to accidental LSD
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
dosing by persons unknown.Andrew Burgoyne of Burgoyne Film and Audio Services also filmed and recorded audio of some of the festival and was rumoured to be putting a final edit of it together some years ago. Film crews can be seen on 8 mm footage of bands taken by fans at the festival on several occasions, notably during Quintessence and the Dead's performances .A DVD and CD set was issued in 2010 featuring archive material from the Grateful Dead's set, and one number each from Free, Family,Screaming Lord Sutch, Family and Radha Krishna Temple along with a beautful biographical booklet of the event.
Wild rumours circulated in the music papers about the supergroup that Lord Sutch was supposed to be fronting, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, and others were supposed to join in a super jam, but none of these luminaries showed up, nor did scheduled acts such as the James Gang
James Gang
The James Gang was a rock band formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1966. Though the band was not a huge commercial success, except in the Northeast Ohio area, the fame garnered by guitarist Joe Walsh has since made the group more notable.- History :...
and the Flying Burrito Brothers
The Flying Burrito Brothers
The Flying Burrito Brothers was an early country rock band, best known for its influential debut album,The Gilded Palace of Sin . Although the group is most often mentioned in connection with country rock legends Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman, the group underwent many personnel changes.-Original...
which tended to dilute the overseas offerings.
Although the festival has generally tended to be eclipsed by the larger, better known festivals of 1970 such as the Isle of Wight Festival
Isle of Wight Festival
The Isle of Wight Festival is a music festival which takes place every year on the Isle of Wight in England. It was originally held from 1968 to 1970. These original events were promoted and organised by the Foulk brothers under the banner of their company Fiery Creations Limited...
and the Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music 1970
Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music 1970
The Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music was a music festival held at the Royal Bath and West Showground in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, England on 27–28 June 1970.-Overview:...
, it deserves to be remembered for its excellent organisation and lack of hassle as well as a great deal of memorable music. Traffic, José Feliciano
José Feliciano
José Feliciano is a Puerto Rican singer, virtuoso guitarist and composer known for many international hits including the 1970 holiday single "Feliz Navidad".-Childhood:...
and Air Force more than made up for the no-shows and, overall, around 40,000 went to Leycett to hear some great music by some of the era's best UK and US bands.