Totally British: 70s Rock

[dry_stone]

I paid £3 for the weekend ticket to the Isle of Wight festival in 1970.

Ok back then it was half of my week's wages and you could get 8 pints of larger and lime in a pub for £1: but Hendrix, The Who, The Doors, Free, Taste, Chicago, Family, Joni Mitchell, the Groundhogs, ELP, Miles Davis, Ten Years After, Melanie, Sly and the Family Stone, Jethro Tull, The Moody Blues, Richie Havens, Joan Baez, Leonard Cohen and loads more for £3!

One thing about being an old codger, you certainly got the opportunity to see some class acts when you were younger!

Edited to do a sum: if the average uk price for a pint is now £3 and you could get 8 pints to the pound in 1970, that means a £3 weekend ticket in 1970 would cost you the equivalent of 24 pints x £3 today, which is £72. To put that in perspective, the ticket I bought to see The Who on Thursday, including booking fees cost £78.

Edited June 22, 2013 by dry_stone

[lojo]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1371893938' post='2119197']


Why? Do you have a violent aversion to baseball?
[/quote]

That's not what I expected the first page of search to reveal, hope that comes up one day in a quiz

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1371899234' post='2119298']
Singapore Silk Torpedo.
[/quote]

Thanks. It's a great track and that performance is a good one, but it the only thing you ever get to see by them. It's a pity that the BBC don't appear to have footage of any other 70s Pretties songs.

[Dingus]

[quote name='dry_stone' timestamp='1371904269' post='2119362']
I paid £3 for the weekend ticket to the Isle of Wight festival in 1970.

Ok back then it was half of my week's wages and you could get 8 pints of larger and lime in a pub for £1: but Hendrix, The Who, The Doors, Free, Taste, Chicago, Family, Joni Mitchell, the Groundhogs, ELP, Miles Davis, Ten Years After, Melanie, Sly and the Family Stone, Jethro Tull, The Moody Blues, Richie Havens, Joan Baez, Leonard Cohen and loads more for £3!

One thing about being an old codger, you certainly got the opportunity to see some class acts when you were younger!

Edited to do a sum: if the average uk price for a pint is now £3 and you could get 8 pints to the pound in 1970, that means a £3 weekend ticket in 1970 would cost you the equivalent of 24 pints x £3 today, which is £72. To put that in perspective, the ticket I bought to see The Who on Thursday, including booking fees cost £78.
[/quote]

By way of comparison , I just looked online and Glastonbury 2013 tickets are £216 , and that event is probably the closest equivalent to IOW 1970 .

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1371913568' post='2119537']
By way of comparison , I just looked online and Glastonbury 2013 tickets are £216 , and that event is probably the closest equivalent to IOW 1970 .
[/quote]
I think that the closest they get to each other is there were a lot of bands at each and both were called festivals. I reckon that's where it ends. Glastonbury is the height of luxury compared with the IOW festival. People slept where they lay and the lack of food was a major problem. My brother shard a sandwich (we always went well prepared) with a girl who was crying she was so hungry! There was little food at the site and local shops soon sold out of all food and their shelves were so bare. Not to mention the hours of queuing for the ferries after it ended.
Kids today don't know how good they've got it. Oh, hold on a minute, that's another difference. There are a lot more older people at Glastonbury that there was at the IOW!

[Dingus]

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1371914442' post='2119553']
I think that the closest they get to each other is there were a lot of bands at each and both were called festivals. I reckon that's where it ends. Glastonbury is the height of luxury compared with the IOW festival. People slept where they lay and the lack of food was a major problem. My brother shard a sandwich (we always went well prepared) with a girl who was crying she was so hungry! There was little food at the site and local shops soon sold out of all food and their shelves were so bare. Not to mention the hours of queuing for the ferries after it ended.
Kids today don't know how good they've got it. Oh, hold on a minute, that's another difference. There are a lot more older people at Glastonbury that there was at the IOW!
[/quote]

I take your point entirely , but only meant to say that it was the equivalent in terms of being a major event and therefore comparable in terms of ticket prices . The first festival I ever went to was the Monsters Of Rock at Donnington in 1980 and there were few toilets , one burger van and a few stalls selling t shirts and programmes . That was it . And the ticket cost about the same as a double album did at the time . Festivals are unrecognisable nowadays from what they were even when I was young . The simple fact is that rock music and the culture which surrounds it was never the same after Live Aid . That was the moment at which rock entered the mainstream and was no longer focus of anti - establishment sentiment and the vanguard of social revolution .

[dry_stone]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1371919467' post='2119623']
..... The simple fact is that rock music and the culture which surrounds it was never the same after Live Aid . That was the moment at which rock entered the mainstream and was no longer focus of anti - establishment sentiment and the vanguard of social revolution .
[/quote]

Yes, I agree. Two significant events happened within six weeks of each other in 1985. On the 1st June there was The Battle of the Beanfield, which virtually put an end to the free festival movement in the country, then on the 13th July there was Live Aid; now almost 30 years on and we are still living with the legacy of what occurred back then.

[dry_stone]

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1371914442' post='2119553']
I think that the closest they get to each other is there were a lot of bands at each and both were called festivals. I reckon that's where it ends. Glastonbury is the height of luxury compared with the IOW festival. People slept where they lay and the lack of food was a major problem. My brother shard a sandwich (we always went well prepared) with a girl who was crying she was so hungry! There was little food at the site and local shops soon sold out of all food and their shelves were so bare. Not to mention the hours of queuing for the ferries after it ended.
Kids today don't know how good they've got it. Oh, hold on a minute, that's another difference. There are a lot more older people at Glastonbury that there was at the IOW!
[/quote]

I honestly cannot remember being hungry at the Isle of Wight in 1970; but thinking back, I didn't seem to eat much in those days anyhow. I do remember climbing the hill over to Freshwater Bay and skinny-dippin' in the sea, I'll never forget the toilets (and folks complain about the loos at Glastonbury!), although we had tickets we went and joined the thousands of ticket-less fans watching everything for free on the hill overlooking the arena (a bit of bad planning by the organisers that!). I also remember that the weather was beautiful over the five days we were there, but I often wonder what it would have been like if the weather had turned, it could have been a disaster area. I had no tent, just a sheet of plastic and a sleeping bag, a few cans of beans and a spare pully.

That weekend taught me a lot about life.

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='dry_stone' timestamp='1371929085' post='2119802']
I honestly cannot remember being hungry at the Isle of Wight in 1970; but thinking back, I didn't seem to eat much in those days anyhow. I do remember climbing the hill over to Freshwater Bay and skinny-dippin' in the sea, I'll never forget the toilets (and folks complain about the loos at Glastonbury!), although we had tickets we went and joined the thousands of ticket-less fans watching everything for free on the hill overlooking the arena (a bit of bad planning by the organisers that!). I also remember that the weather was beautiful over the five days we were there, but I often wonder what it would have been like if the weather had turned, it could have been a disaster area. I had no tent, just a sheet of plastic and a sleeping bag, a few cans of beans and a spare pully.

That weekend taught me a lot about life.
[/quote]
Yes, thinking about it (the old memories not what it was) it was the 1969 IOW festival that i was talking about with a lot of hungry people wandering around the island. I didn't go but my brother told me all about it on his return. They also showed on TV all the local shops with empty shelves. I know that nowadays the TV crew would clear the shelves themselves for a new story but the shops really did run out of food. I think that the nearest pubs were closed to the great unwashed who invaded the island. Nowadays they would be selling Hog Roast in the pub gardens and doing 'executive weekend festival breaks' but i think the locals were really concerned that their morals would have been corrupted by these scruffy hippies!

[Cosmo Valdemar]

Programmes such as this are just further proof, if any were needed, that I was born 30 years too late.

[EricOnBass]

I lived in Sheffield during the 70's and 80's and the City Hall used to be a great venue for rock.

During that period we saw Lizzy, AC/DC, UFO, Scorpions, Judas Priest plus countless others.

Can't really remember how much the tickets cost but none of us were flush back then and I don't remember worrying too much about affording it.

In hindsight we took it all for granted but as they say.. youth is wasted on the young!

[RhysP]

[quote name='EricOnBass' timestamp='1371933754' post='2119884']
I lived in Sheffield during the 70's and 80's and the City Hall used to be a great venue for rock.

During that period we saw Lizzy, AC/DC, UFO, Scorpions, Judas Priest plus countless others.

Can't really remember how much the tickets cost but none of us were flush back then and I don't remember worrying too much about affording it.

In hindsight we took it all for granted but as they say.. youth is wasted on the young!
[/quote]
That was when bands would regularly do 30-40 date tours of the UK.
When I first started going to gigs in the mid-late 70s that there was rarely a week went by that I wasn't going to see somebody.
I've got one of my old ticket scrap books in front of me (sad bastard that I am), some sample prices from 1979-1980 are:
Motorhead - £2.50
Hawkwind - £2.50
Yes - £4.50
Rainbow - £4.00
Girlschool -£3.00

Edited June 22, 2013 by RhysP

[discreet]

God, I'd forgotten about a lot of the bands I went to see in the 70s... Stackridge, Argent, Be-Bop Deluxe, Badfinger, Gong, Man, Budgie, UFO, Lizzy... mostly wearing an army greatcoat with a flagon of cider in each pocket. Happy days... er, I think so anyway.

Edited June 22, 2013 by discreet

[dry_stone]

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1371935156' post='2119907']
That was when bands would regularly do 30-40 date tours of the UK.
When I first started going to gigs in the mid-late 70s that there was rarely a week went by that I wasn't going to see somebody.
I've got one of my old ticket scrap books in front of me (sad bastard that I am), some sample prices from 1979-1980 are:
Motorhead - £2.50
Hawkwind - £2.50
Yes - £4.50
Rainbow - £4.00
Girlschool -£3.00
[/quote]

I saw Black Sabbath at the Cosmo in Carlisle in 1969 or 70, I think it was the Arts College Ball, cost 8 old shillings - that is about £0.40p. I first saw the Black Sabbath line-up as Earth, just before they changed their name, in a local village hall in Cumbria, cost 5 old shillings - that was a bargain at £0.25p, most of their set was stuff which would be soon released on their first album.

[Paul S]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1371935779' post='2119916']
God, I'd forgotten about a lot of the bands I went to see in the 70s... Stackridge, Argent, Be-Bop Deluxe, Badfinger, Gong, Man, Budgie, UFO, Lizzy... mostly wearing an army greatcoat with a flagon of cider in each pocket. Happy days... er, I think so anyway.
[/quote]

I hadn't forgotten about them - I am still listening to them! Yes happy days.

I went to a couple of great rock venues locally from about '72 onwards - Queens Hotel in Westcliff and the Kursaal in Southend. The latter in particular had some great bands - Humble Pie in the 'Rocking The Filmore' era was possibly one of the best, also Deep Purple on the 'Burn' tour. At the Queens' an early gig was UFO on their first tour with a young unknown blonde guitarist from Germany just before the album Phenomenon' was released. Mind you I saw some pretty awful bands - does anyone recall ever seeing a prog-ish type band called Frupp? Very ambitious guitarist on record, played very quickly. Live he didn't quite

[discreet]

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1371979516' post='2120188']
...does anyone recall ever seeing a prog-ish type band called Frupp? Very ambitious guitarist on record, played very quickly. Live he didn't quite[/quote]

...manage to finish his phrases?

Edited June 23, 2013 by discreet

[Paul S]

what do you mea

[discreet]

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1371979922' post='2120197']
.
[/quote]

.

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1371979516' post='2120188']
Mind you I saw some pretty awful bands - does anyone recall ever seeing a prog-ish type band called Frupp?
[/quote]
Yes i saw them a couple of times. Not really my cup of tea but any live music was better than nothing in those days. They were regulars on the college circuit in the 70s.

[Dingus]

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1371979516' post='2120188']
I hadn't forgotten about them - I am still listening to them! Yes happy days.

I went to a couple of great rock venues locally from about '72 onwards - Queens Hotel in Westcliff and the Kursaal in Southend. The latter in particular had some great bands - Humble Pie in the 'Rocking The Filmore' era was possibly one of the best, also Deep Purple on the 'Burn' tour. At the Queens' an early gig was UFO on their first tour with a young unknown blonde guitarist from Germany just before the album Phenomenon' was released. Mind you I saw some pretty awful bands - does anyone recall ever seeing a prog-ish type band called Frupp? Very ambitious guitarist on record, played very quickly. Live he didn't quite
[/quote]

Does anybody remember that documentary from about 1975 about the Kursaal Flyers on a college tour across the U.K ? It was absolutely fascinating , and would be a really intresting historical document nowadays . Maybe BBC 4 will show it at some point .

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1371993073' post='2120394']
Does anybody remember that documentary from about 1975 about the Kursaal Flyers on a college tour across the U.K ? It was absolutely fascinating , and would be a really intresting historical document nowadays . Maybe BBC 4 will show it at some point .
[/quote]

I remember that. Unfortunately my main memory is of how underwhelming I found the Kursaals musically. They were (amongst others) being touted as the exciting new face of British music. I was not impressed. Luckily it was nearly time for punk.

[Dingus]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1371993569' post='2120399']
I remember that. Unfortunately my main memory is of how underwhelming I found the Kursaals musically. They were (amongst others) being touted as the exciting new face of British music. I was not impressed. Luckily it was nearly time for punk.
[/quote]

The music wasn't particulaly my cup of tea either , to be honest , but I thought the film was an interesting insight into that world at that time .

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1371993073' post='2120394']
Does anybody remember that documentary from about 1975 about the Kursaal Flyers on a college tour across the U.K ? It was absolutely fascinating , and would be a really intresting historical document nowadays . Maybe BBC 4 will show it at some point .
[/quote]
Was that the 'Naughty Rhythms' Tour?

The Kursaals were on a couple of them along with Dr Feelgood, Brinsley Schwartz, Kokomo, Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers etc

[Paul S]

I wasn't a great fan of the Kursaal Flyers, either. Saw them a couple of times at the Blue Boar pub, which was 'their manor' but it was mainly strutting and posing. Dr Feelgood - the other local band - were the real deal, though. And are still amazing to see live - saw them a month or so back.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1371993953' post='2120402']
The music wasn't particulaly my cup of tea either , to be honest , but I thought the film was an interesting insight into that world at that time .
[/quote]

TBH I'd probably enjoy the programme a lot more if it was reshow now. At the time I used to eagerly devour anything on the TV (mostly on BBC2) that had pop/rock music in it. A lot of the time I'd be disappointed, but occasionally there would be real gems. I think my biggest pleasant surprise was a Carpenters live set with some great drumming and a couple of fantastic sounding guitar solos.