Crater Festival - Oahu - early 70's

Was you there?

If you missed it here's a short rundown...

HUGE party in a dead volcano

The party lasted 3 days

I think it was the last public appearance of Country Joe and the Fish

Music never stopped!!!

You could get high just breathing the air, the cloud hung around for several days!

if you was there, give me some input here, help a old hippie to revive the old memories

 

1971. I had just moved to Oahu after three years in Greece and saw this flyer in Waikiki for the Crater Celebration to be held in the Diamond Head crater over the weekend. It promised music, food, crafts, fun and a chance to be part of a large love-in. And it was free!! So off I marched towards the tunnel entrance to the crater, but someone said there was a short-cut over the rim of the crater and a steady stream of people were making their way up the side. I followed them and there was this naked guy standing at the top screaming "I am God" at the top of his lungs down into the crater. A couple of cops were making their way up to intercept him. They probably wanted to meet God! Once inside the crater it was crowded, smoke was in abundance, and the music was hard, loud and continuous. It was a real happening. I enjoyed the day, got sunburned, high, made a mental note again to become a rock star, saw some bodacious Ta-Ta's and just grooved on being a teenager. Three months later I joined the Navy. It seems like the kind of people who made events like the old Crater Celebration don't exist anymore. Professional promoters, fucking lawyers and insurance companies have bled the essence out of all that was once beautiful in America. Now general admission is $125.00 and it's a beer and wine crowd. I'm glad you and I at least had a chance to fine tune our lives with such a beautiful experience that was the true Crater Celebration. Aloha my friend!

 

I wasnt there and country joe had many other gigs after that.For a great trip check his web site.Just google country joe and the fish,its great.There is a petition to sign to get them into the rock hall of fame.Spread the word and get more people to sign it and listen to their music at te same time.

 

I made it to 5 of them while I was there 74 to 77 and the fish played every one of them.The crowd was stopped at the tunnel...if you had alcohol with ya you had to dispose of it at the enterance...so the was a big party out side the tunnel...cuz no alcohol was allowed in yet you could openly carry what ever drugs and weed you had into the party.Yeah I still have a lot of pics and a few pieces of clothing from all the ones I attended.Thanx for the blast to the past flashback.

 

I was at the first one--I think it was 68 or 69.Santana played and David Carradine was with barbara Hershy (called herself Barbara Seagull) and they did some musical stuff.What was interesting to me ,beside all the kindred souls,were all the guys with crewcuts and shiny shoes snapping pictures of anyone and everyone as fast as they could.There was a rumor around that the govt under nixon was going to start rounding long-haired people up to put in internment camps.I was fried and had a great time meeting other folks from communes from differant islands that I hadn't seen for a while.Somewhere ,deep in the bowels of govt,there's a goofy looking picture of me flat on my back,smiling up at a mean looking govt agent.Man ,I wish we could go back sometimes!Such is life eh?

 

I think I made it to two of them---I remember a Japanese guy with the most sly grin you've ever seen holding up a "show your t*t$" sign as people came in--in the early 70's , that was a novel concept. But it worked occasionally.

Drugs flowed everywhere--it was hot--a guy from my ship took too much acid and said he could control the wind. I almost believed him.

Between the shows I was at I can remember these artists: Canned Heat--Richie Havens--Fleetwood Mac--i remember a 2nd stage at the other side of the crater and a band was playing "Grazin in the grass is a gas baby can you dig it?"

I'm sorry to say that's all I remember--i missed a great show.

 

I was at two or maybe three Crater Festivals in '71 and '72.
Bands I remember seeing were Santana with Buddy Miles. That show was released as an album. I also remember Little Feat who I'd never heard of before that day. I think they might've been there on the same day as the Santana/B. Miles. The first time I went to the festival me and some friends climbed up the side thinking we would avoid any entrance fees. We'd just seen Jethro Tull at the HIC the night before and spent the night wandering around Waikiki. Letting the orange sunshine wear off, we slept in the park. In the morning we started hiking, but when we reached the rim of the crater there was some security guard at the trailhead. We must've paid because we got in.
I remember there were three stages and lots & lots of people. My memories blend together from one festival to the next, but I remember heat and thirst and eating mangoes in a shady spot. I also remember following a small crowd of naked women. I was a freshman in high school at the time and I had not seen too many live, naked girls yet. I got an eyefull that day. I also remember a guy wandering around with a cooked carcass of something over his shoulder, he said it was a goat, and as he walked through the crowd people were ripping off hunks of it and it tasted good! Other memories--a skydiver making a crash landing in the crowd, either him or people he landed on had to be carried off to an ambulance, someone from the stage saying that John & Yoko were in the crowd and if everybody chanted their names maybe they'd get up and perform, but I guess they weren't there.