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The 1970 Isle of Wight Festival was held
between 26 and 31 August 1970 at East Afton Farm an area on
the western side of the Isle of Wight. It was the last of
three consecutive music festivals to take place on the
island between 1968 and 1970 and widely acknowledged as the
largest musical event of its time, greater than the
attendance of Woodstock. Although estimates vary, the
Guinness Book of Records estimated 600,000, possibly 700,000
people attended. It was organised and promoted by local
brothers, Ronnie, Ray and Bill Foulk. Ron Smith was site
manager and Rikki Farr acted as compere. |
The preceding Isle of Wight Festivals,
also promoted by the Foulks, had already gained a good
reputation in 1968 and 1969 by featuring acts such as
Jefferson Airplane, T. Rex, The Move, The Pretty Things, Joe
Cocker, The Who and Bob Dylan in his first performance since
his 1966 motorcycle accident. |
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A compilation of
footage, interviews and memories of
the 1970 Isle Of Wight Festival.
Footage of Jimi Hendrix, Arthur
Brown, The Who, the venue and much
more. |
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The 1970 version, following Woodstock in
the previous year, set out to move one step forward and
enlisted Jimi Hendrix. With Hendrix confirmed, artists such
as Chicago, The Doors, Lighthouse, The Who, Miles Davis,
Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Jethro Tull, Sly & the Family
Stone, Ten Years After, Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Free
willingly took up the chance to play there. The event had a
magnificent but impractical site, since the prevailing wind
blew the sound sideways across the venue, and the sound
system had to be augmented by Pink Floyd's PA. There was a
strong, but inconsistent line up, and the logistical
nightmare of transporting 600,000 people onto an island with
a population of fewer than 100,000. |
Political and logistical difficulties
resulted in the organisers eventually realising that the
festival would not make a profit and declaring it to be "a
free festival", although the majority of the audience had
paid for tickets in advance, and the event was filmed
contemporaneously. |
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