Was remembering Newport Pop at Devonshire Downs in San fernando valley, anybody else go or remember the event. It was a good size gathering and its too bad nothing was ever recorded because the lineup was very cool. Peace In Music...
I was at the Newport '69 Pop Festival at San Fernando Valley State College, Devonshire Downs, Northridge, CA, Saturday, June 21, 1969, with my brother, a friend and two babes. Heres the way I remember it. The Festival was a three-day event that started on Friday and ended on Sunday. There were 40,000 people there Friday, 60,000 on Saturday, and 40,000 again on Sunday. Each day 10 different top bands performed. Unfortunately, I can't remember all the bands that played on Saturday, but among them were Buffalo Springfield, The Ike and Tina Turner Revue, Jethro Tull and Jimi Hendrix. Jimi was supposed to close out the show from 11:00 p.m. to midnight, but when he came on stage, a crowd of "bubble-gummers" were up front screaming and yelling at him. After somebody threw a pencil at him, he responded with, "Uh, f_ _k you!" and started playing nothing but blues. Around midnight, he said something like, "Looks like they're all gone now" and launched into his real licks. Like the cool guy he was, he gave us our money's worth and played until 1:00 a.m. Janis Joplin showed up right after Hendrix came on. She only came to say "Hi" to Jimi, but it was great to see them on stage together. They had covered the race track with canvas; some head accidentally started it on fire near the back of the crowd (and in the direction of the exit). As the flames leaped about 8 feet into the air, the crowd was so laid back or stoned, they just looked at it and kept watching the concert. A typical reaction was a long, drawn out, "Wow, man...". Fortunately, they got it extinguished. The Hell's Angels were acting as bouncers. During the concert, some guys were trying to sneak in under the fence. The bikers caught them halfway under and started beating and stomping on them. Someone DID have the foresight to record the music. There are posts of albums at the following sites, but some of them may be bootleg: http://www.me.umn.edu/~kgeisler/690622.html http://rockbootlegs.w.interia.pl/newport.htm http://www.prartwork.com/JethroTull/JethroNewportPopFront.jpg
Sounds like so much fun i love hendrix if i was alive back in 69 i would of went no matter what. Rock on guys peace music lives!!! Nick
Hey Nick, Nice to know you can appreciate some of the greatest music ever made. As long as you pick up on that and not some of the other stuff that made our generation famous (sex, drugs...). I am attaching a link to one of the most extensive sites you'll ever find on the 60's and 70's by a gal who was there, but be warned...it has some rough language mixed in. While you're enjoying all the one-of-a-kind pics and information on all the rockers, take note of how many of them aren't around anymore...and why. Some of us made it, and yeah, it was cool! I was one of those "hippies" (we didn't call ourselves that) hanging out on Hollywood Blvd and buying stuff at Hell Bent for Leather. I also hung out with the Heathens, the second baddest biker club in L.A. next to Hells Angels, so I've been there, done that. But I also remember the day Jimi died (9 sleeping pills with wine; choked on his own vomit in his sleep) and the day Janis died (overdose of pure heroin)...sad. She was only 27. So enjoy the good...screw the bad...maybe you'll get to be our age someday! Peace my man! http://www.hollywoodhangover.com/ ...and just for fun... http://www.hippy.com/glossary.htm Coast Wizard "When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace." - Jimi Hendrix
i was at newport 69, that weekend in la!!! it was a cool lineup!! i especially dug the hendrix superjam w/eric burdon, tracey nelson, etc. btw i wonder if anyone remembers the green power people...we were serving free food to the freex.. aron pieman kay http://www.pieman.org pieman@pieman.org please put "newport 69" if tou contact me via my email
