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June 28th 1969.
Memories,. sweet memories ......

 stuart.godfrey

   Felt embarrased by my regulation school haircut, vowed I would NEVER cut my hair again, and didn't for about three years. VERY pleasant vibes all the way to the recreation ground, even better when we got there. The gentlest crowd I've ever been in, everybody was very mellow.
It was only a one-day event, toilet facilities and food outlets were OK although there was not much choice of food, just burgers and hot dogs, nothing much in the veggie line.

   We were there early and watched the place fill up with seemingly fascinating hairy people; can't remember much about the early bands except that the sound quality was really good for all the acts.

   Biggest early crowd reaction was for Led Zeppelin who came on ridiculously early: I remember looking around at the gaping jaws and popping eyes as Jimmy Page did his violin bow routine ...Plant was in terrific voice and he looked great - a real peacock figure amongst all the denim and leather. A flamboyant, extravagant performance - it was clear they were destined for
much bigger things.
   John Mayall seemed kind of flat after the Zep experience. His music was nice, acoustic (Turning-Point) stuff mostly. I recall the dominant bass sound, and the crowd reaction when Mayall sang "don't throw rocks at policemen" in "The Laws Must Change" - quite a few things got thrown, cans mostly, but I don't think anybody got hit.
Roy Harper was brilliant, singing "I Hate the White Man" and "Hell's Angels" where he was joined by a guitarist (Andy Roberts?) whoever it was, he was great.
   The Nice were very flashy (knife-throwing), Scots Guards playing bagpipes , but I enjoyed the Karelia Suite stuff. Chicken Shack went down a storm too, Stan Webb giving a typically extrovert performance with a lot of leaping about......the rest of the band just palyed
and watched him most of the time.
Fleetwood Mac seemed very mellow and relaxed, can't remember much about what they played as I was pretty out of it by the time they came on, but I felt very glad to be there.

   Somewhere during the day I had lost track of my girlfriend and other friends, but hitching home I was picked up by the same VW guy and my by now ex-girlfiend, which was cool. I wished them both well and for all I know they are still together.

   For me it was a great experience, life-changing in its way as I learned to relax, enjoy life and music a lot more, all that kind of stuff.
Only one regret - Jethro Tull didn't play.

   Oh, and no-one offered me any drugs. Must have been the short hair.
Stuart

Alan Lamb (nearly 15 at the time)

     Bath 69 was my first Festival. Then 16 I'd grown up just 3 miles from Worthy Farm so as well as the 2 'Bath' Fests I also attended the first 2 Glastonbury's and the 2nd IOW. You asked for any memories; From 1969 -Colosseum's Dick Heckstall-Smith's telling the audience that he was playing with Jack Lancaster's saxes because his had been left in Exeter the previous night. -John Peel asking a group of us to make way for his Dormer?/Transit? 'Peelmobile'. -Wonderful 20 minute set from Champion Jack Dupree,including the blues,'Chicken Shack'. -The sheer volume of Led Zeppelin -Despite the relatively small crowd,the tight exits causing many people to walk over the tops of parked cars at the end of the festival. -A great sunny day.

mike hodges

Mark Helme remembers things differently
    I was thinking the Bath festival of 69 recently for no good reason (I wasn't sure until I looked it up in Google whether it was 68 or 69). Anyway, I have a few memories which appear different from some of those mentioned. I remember the Mayall set, which had Marc Almond on guitar, and I certainly do not remember Mick Taylor being there. Honky Tonk Women was released a few days later, and I remember hearing it for the first time on the radio in a car going down to Bath, so it was already a done deal with the Stones. My memory is that quite a few things were thrown, but I do not believe it was connected with the words of any song (you couldn't hear them that well anyway) but a guy had been pulled over the front fence by some security people. Quite a few things were thrown, and the band stopped playing, and I think it was Almond who said they weren't going to play this fucking joint (or words to the effect). Anyway things quietened down, and the set continued. I think Fleetwood Mac were on pretty late, and my memory was that Led Zep were on late too - certainly not before Mayall. I think it was pretty dark by the time they came on (and the pictures seem to show that, but who knows). In the middle of the Chicken Shack Stan walk-about lots of people stood up, and so some things were thrown. In fact an apple hit me on my shoulder (which could have been worse) but I ate it, and was quite happy about that.

    I remember Christine Perfect being there too. Peel offered the crowd a lift back to London in his camper van, and a few hundred of us all slept in a tent policed by nasty looking guys with dogs - I don't remember getting much sleep, and getting a lift out of Bath was really hard. It took until about 5 until I got a lift, and then all the way home. I didn't get to go to the 70 festival, but have good memories of the 69 one. The cricket ground where it was held was nice a small, and most people got decent views I think. The weather was great, sunny, not too hot, no mud.
All the best
Mark

Mark Pettigrew remembers it thus .....
    In 1969, I was a 17 year old schoolboy, growing my hair, crazy about music – and in the middle of ‘O’ levels!
I drove down to Bath, in my Morris Minor Traveller, on the morning of the Festival, from my home in Maidenhead, Bershire. With me were two friends, Tony House and Stan Wilson. I had only just passed my driving test, and this was going to be a challenge for both the car and me!
We drove along the old A4 out of the Thames Valley, through the rolling Wiltshire countryside, to Bath, stopping only at Marlborough for ‘minor’ repairs!
    The festival was held just on the edge of the city - on the Recreation Ground, – a unique location - surrounded by wonderful Georgian buildings. I remember there being two stages for the performers, both at the front of the crowd.
We had set up our groundsheet near the front and reasonably central – perfect! Within no time, Stan and Tony were rolling unusual cigarettes, which they insisted in sharing with everyone. People nearby were doing the same; soon the Rec. was covered in an exotic herbal cloud.
I wandered into the town before the start to buy food and drink – the on-site catering being rather limited. It was here that I bought my first copy of Rolling Stone magazine – I still have it.
    The music was amazing. In particular, Roy Harper, Led Zeppelin and best of all, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac.
I seemed to see Roy Harper at every festival between ‘68 and the early 70’s – and I was all the better for it! A great performance.
Led Zeppelin blew me away. I had wanted to see them for some time – the Melody Maker was reporting on amazing gigs in America - but I was not prepared for this! They hit the stage running, and played long, loud, and with a confidence that bordered on arrogance. The last time a band had made such an impact on me, was when I first saw Hendrix.
The amazing thing was that Led Zeppelin came on so early – I had only just finished my lunch! It was like an air-raid!
The rest of the day is a bit of a haze now – the bands were good, and just being there was enough. I was looking forward to the act that would end the day – Fleetwood Mac.
    Seeing Peter Green at that particular time was unforgettable. They played a wonderful laid-back set, long blues jams, with Peter Green’s guitar floating into the sky. The sun began to set behind the stage, and combined with the lighting, the band was bathed in an orange glow. Disaster struck when the power was turned off before the end of the set! The music had over-run the deadline, and the Blue Meanies had thrown the switch.
    It took a while to empty the site through the narrow exits and stairs, but we were happy enough. The atmosphere had been great all day, we were a small crowd, all music lovers, and relatively new to this festival thing. I remember the friendly nature of people around me, and a great feeling of belonging, of recognition of like-minded souls. This was evident at the Isle of Wight later in the same year, but seemed to vanish soon after.
It was a long but happy drive home. My car and I lasted the course! Home at 3am.
The next day I drove with Annie, my girlfriend, to the Albert Hall to see Led Zeppelin head up the Pop Proms!
Oh happy days!
Mark Pettigrew

Surfing the net and came across your site. I can't believe how small the stage was!!! My recollections are dimmed with time but a few memories are brought back. John Peel (the MC) asking the crowd to be sympathetic towards the police and ' if you see one....buy him an ice-cream'. Were there really
only three pipers on stage with Nice? It was a surprise to see the date of the show, 28/6/69....my brother's birthday. The only concert date that sticks in my mind is when I saw Jackson Browne at the Rosemont Horizon
Chicago 28/6/80 because of it being my brother's birthday. It's more poignant because I lost him in 2001. Back to Bath, Fleetwood Mac closed the show with a mixed bunch of 50's rock songs. I remember it well...I was
breaking my neck for a pee and my convulsions blended in well with the dancing. I dread to think how I would have managed wiith 'Man of the World'
Regards
Brian Rowe

Just stumbled across your site and after reviewing the recollections of the Festival I found my program on which I chronicled the appearance list:
1....Just Before Dawn, should have been 1st. (as a 14 year old categorised as - below average)
2....Deep Blues Band, should have been 2nd. (Good).
3....Colosseum (v. good).
4....Taste (v. good).
5....Roy Harper (v.g.).
6....Keef Hartley ( v.g.).
7....Edgar Broughton (rated as v.g. - hated them soon after!)
8....Liverpool Scene (excellent - always a favourite).
9....Champion Jack Dupree (good).
10..Chicken Shack v.g.).
11..Blodwyn Pig..(v.g).
12..The Nice (brilliant).
13..Led Zepplin (apparently their 1st festival (tres brilliant)
14..John Mayall (great).
15..Fleetwood Mac (again brilliant).
16..Ten Years After (best).
Roy Harper's appearance was not scheduled in the program.
All comments in parenthesis are embarrassingly contemporary.
Non appearances;
Babylon (due on 3rd - 12.35).
Clouds (due on 11th -18.00).

Regards
Andy Mogg.

Hi,
Regarding Colosseum at the Bath Blues Festival of 1969 - the site says unknown for bass and guitar.
The picture clearly illustrates Tony Reeves on bass and almost certainly their first guitarist, James Litherland, both on the first album. I was there, and can remember a phenomenal set with a terrific solo from Jon Hiseman, yeah boring (not)! Believe they opened with 'Walking in the Park',
their first single and a track from the first album.
Ref: 'Taste' at the same gig - pretty sure its Richie McCracken on bass, not Charlie.
Michael J. Amphlett

I've just been meandering through your site for that great event. 17 at the time my memories are clouded nowadays but i do have one particular recollection of a band called Liverpool Scene which featured the late Liverpool poet Adrian Henry and until i looked through your site i've been convinced that they were there. Am I mixed up, were they there, or did i see them somewhere else? I've got this vivid memory of Adrian Henry doing a Bob Hite and bouncing on the stage. We were to the left of stage and i remember the noise he made as he came down on the boards, you'd think he was about to go right through! Sadly i don't have any relics from the event but do have some long distance pictures of other events of that era such as free concerts in Hyde Park. Memories!

Thanks for a great site. I'll look forward to seeng any film clips that ever become avaiable.

Back to the site.

Cheers,

Tony

A memory of Bath Blues Festival 1969.

Your page states: Led Zeppelin played mid afternoon - spectacular. The Recreation Ground is a natural amphitheatre with echoes coming back from the Georgian buildings in the background. My memory is of real ( not manufactured) echoes of Jimmy Pages guitar played with a violin bow. Absolutely. About 2 km across the park from the stage was Bath Town Hall and I always remember the look on Robert Plant's face when he was doing Whole Lotta Love and during the screech at the end he heard his own echo coming back - so he kept screaming - and listening to the echoes. I am sure that this gave birth to the album track ;-) Remember, this gig was prior to the album. The Nice - I remember the bagpipers! Ten Years After did "I'm going home" as usual. The show was a "whos who" of British Blues - apart from Jethro Tull. I seem to remember that the admission price was 22s 6d - but as I bought my ticket a few weeks in advance it only cost me 18s 6d - good value! PS looking at your Led Zep photo - I was about 10 rows back from the photographer, and about 20 yards to the right of stage ;-)

Cheers, Mike Le Voi

Thanks for the excellent site its important that these seminal events are as well documented as possible. I have been boasting that I was there at the Bath Blues festival 1969 ever since.... I was eighteen then and memories are dim now - especially since I had partaken of a small yellow pill on arriving in Bath. I had travelled down from Banbury Oxfordshire with three American GI friends from Upper Heyford. My best memory was lying back listening to Zep doing Zep II pre-release. I can confirm that the echo effect from the buildings behind us added to the brilliant sound. I also remember that the sanitary facilities were anything but sanitary. On the way home that night we were pulled by the "fuzz" (Police) but luckily they did not search the vehicle.
I also saw the Hyde Park concerts of Blind Faith and The Stones but missed Hendrix on the I.O.W.
Tony Perring.

Oh what days they were,for years I told friends and family it was 1968? the first real festival I had been to,travelled down in a morris minor with L plates,my mate sitting in but getting so stoned he could not of helped me if needed.We got in without paying by climbing a wall and running like the wind,the setting was unique right in the town with those lovely buildings,led zeppelin were definitely on in the afternoon,they stopped people in their tracks,there were some of the best blues bands around at the time and some good "folksy stuff" I recall us going into one of the local pubs everyone was just hanging out,sitting on the pavements and soaking up a great atmosphere, when along comes a lady in a tweed suit shouting out at the top of her voice "what you lot need is a damn good hosing down" never a truer word spoken, all the best to you, fabulous site.

love 

dave Buck .

Hi
 
I've just stumbled onto this site.
 
I was prompted after seeing the led Zep DVD because it featured White Summer. The first time I had heard it properly in 35 years.
 
I have somewhere a mono tape recording of the Nice and Led Zep playing White Summer etc. It was an awful recording but you could just make out the tunes. And the Bag pipes.
 
Jim North

Hi
Trying to confirm dates of events that I attended found the site.
Great.
I have a total of eleven photos which I took from on the stage of Blodwyn Pig and within the compound area of Led Zeppelin. Page playing a LP Gold top. [I may even be the guy in the white top to the right of the stage in the Strachan photos],Chicken Shack,The Nice and John Peel. I will get them scanned and email them to you ASAP.
I cannot find any mention of the two stage set up which worked well.
I also think that Clouds were due to play after TYA but I am unable to remember whether it actually happened.
Mike Wheeler

A limited edition of reprints of the 1969 and 1970 Bath festival posters can be bought online here
www.rockmusicposters.com
Rock festival memorabilia from various festivals can be viewed here

The pages below will eventually feature set lists, band line ups, press reports and recollections of the performances as well as links to other sites on the web as they become available. Thanks to Derek Manuel for his recollections of many of the acts and for prompting me to get the ball rolling after months of prevarication.

Contents
 

If you have photos, recollections, set lists, newspaper reports  or tapes of the event then email me at and I'll add them to the site. Contact email

Bands in order of appearance.(l to R)

Just Before Dawn.	Deep Blues Band	Colosseum	Roy Harper.	Keef Hartley.	Edgar Broughton
Liverpool Scene.	Champion Jack Dupree.	Chicken Shack.	Blodwyn Pig	The Nice	Led Zeppelin
	Taste	John Mayall	Fleetwood  Mac.	Ten Years After	Mc John Peel

Bands listed below most probably did not perform

Bath 69 reviews

Contact email

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