| Barbeque 67 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Rock, including rhythm and blues, blues rock, psychedelic rock and soul styles. |
| Dates | 29 May 1967 |
| Location(s) | Spalding, Lincolnshire, England |
| Years active | 1967 |
| Founders | Brian Thompson |
Barbeque 67 was a music event held in the market town of Spalding, Lincolnshire, in the East Midlands of England. Despite the presence of many well-known artists among its lineup, the event remains largely unknown. It is considered by some to have been the first rock festival. [1]
Towards the end of 1966, Grantham promoter, former footballer Brian Thompson, [2] set about booking Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band and the Move. Their management persuaded Thompson to also book three relatively unknown acts at that time, being Pink Floyd, the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream. [1] The event was held in Spalding at the tulip bulb auction hall, most likely the largest building in the area that could hold a large crowd. In addition, Zoot Money's Big Roll Band were booked along with a local covers outfit, Sounds Force 5, who were booked to ensure a decent turnout and were to perform in all changeovers between each band at the side of the stage. Advertising was national and massively underestimated, with thousands making their way to the market town causing national radio to warn travellers to turn back. Attendance numbers have been estimated with a venue capacity of 6,000 and twice as many unable to gain entry. [3] Tickets cost just £1 and covered accommodation came in the form of the Spalding Town F.C. stand next door. [4]
The Spring Bank Holiday was sunny and hot, which would have been very uncomfortable in a large crowd inside a metal shed. The event appeared to be unorganised and the sound terrible. Whilst the venue at the start for Pink Floyd was bare, this quickly became overfull with fans being trapped underneath the stage. [7] The two bands grouped under psychedelic started, Pink Floyd and the Move, followed by the two blues rock groups, Jimi Hendrix and Cream. Pink Floyd performed at the rear of the venue using a white bed sheet to project moving images. Hendrix had many issues, including tuning problems, was late on stage, meaning only a half-hour set, and finished by throwing his guitar into his speaker stack- the same red Stratocaster he would burn at Monterey the following month. [8] It was widely agreed that Clapton out-played Hendrix that day and that Geno Washington made a great show. [1]
 | This section needs to be updated.(August 2018) |
Whilst a groundbreaking event for its time in the Summer of Love ahead of the famous Monterey Pop Festival and possibly the first Rock music festival in the UK, the event remains largely unknown outside of its home.[ citation needed ]
The event became a one off in Spalding due to opposition from local residents. Thompson, however, moved to a location in nearby Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, for the 1968 event, Barn Barbeque Concert and Dance, which included Donovan, Fairport Convention, Fleetwood Mac and The Move. [9]
In 2009 the event was featured in the BBC TV programme Inside Out . [10] [11] In 2016 a blue plaque commemorated the event, placed at the Red Lion Hotel where Jimi Hendrix resided that night. [3]
The 50th anniversary of the event is to be commemorated in the town at The Punchbowl with a Jimi Hendrix Experience tribute band and local covers groups.[ citation needed ]
The event is the subject of a 2017 play, Barbecue ’67 Revisited, based on the concert by the Nottingham-based theatre group 'Excavate'. [12]
A radio play Barbeque 67 – The Original Summer of Love, written by Andy Barrett, was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 29 May 2022 and included reminiscences from Geno Washington, Zoot Money and Nick Mason. [13]
Spalding is a market town on the River Welland in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, England. The main town had a population of 30,556 at the 2021 census. The town is the administrative centre of the South Holland District. The town is located between the cities of Peterborough and Lincoln.
Joe Boyd is an American record producer and writer. He formerly owned Hannibal Records. Boyd has worked on recordings of Pink Floyd, Fairport Convention, Sandy Denny, Richard Thompson, Nick Drake, The Incredible String Band, R.E.M., Vashti Bunyan, John and Beverley Martyn, Maria Muldaur, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Billy Bragg, James Booker, 10,000 Maniacs, and Muzsikás. He was also one of the founders of the highly influential nightclub venue UFO.
The UFO Club was a short-lived British counter-culture nightclub in London in the 1960s. The club was established by Joe Boyd and John "Hoppy" Hopkins. It featured light shows, poetry readings, well-known rock acts such as Jimi Hendrix, avant-garde art by Yoko Ono, as well as local house bands, such as Pink Floyd and Soft Machine. The club operated for seven months from December 23, 1966 to July 28, 1967 at 31 Tottenham Court Road in Fitzrovia, followed by a further two months at the Roundhouse in Chalk Farm with the final show taking place on September 29.
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The Marquee Club was a music venue in London, England, which opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts. It was a small and relatively cheap club, in the heart of London's West End.
The Ricky-Tick was an influential 1960s rhythm & blues club in Windsor, Berkshire, England, host to many important acts such as The Rolling Stones, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd and Cream. It was set up as an R&B venue after founders Philip Hayward and John Mansfield saw the success in early 1962 of the Ealing Club. At the close of the Ricky-Tick Philip Hayward went on to open Pantiles Club & Restaurant in Bagshot, Surrey.
Frank Michael Jeffery was an English music business manager of the 1960s who is best known for his management of The Animals and Jimi Hendrix, whom he co-managed for a time with former Animals bassist Chas Chandler. A former associate of noted English pop impresario Don Arden, Jeffery was and remains a controversial figure.
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Sam Gopal were an underground British psychedelic rock band who formed in 1966 and released their first album, Escalator, in 1969.
Freddy Bannister, sometimes written as Freddie Bannister, was a leading British concert promoter during the 1960s and 1970s, and was the founder of the Bath Festival of Blues 1969, the Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music 1970 and the Knebworth festivals.
Tich Gwilym, born Robert Gwilliam, was a Welsh rock guitarist who was most notable for his Hendrix inspired version of the Welsh national anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, considered one of the most famous renditions of the song.
Klooks Kleek was a jazz and rhythm 'n’ blues club on the first floor of the Railway Hotel, West Hampstead, north-west London. Named after "Klook's Clique", a 1956 album by jazz drummer Kenny Clarke, the club opened on 11 January 1961 with special guest Don Rendell and closed nine years later on 28 January 1970 after a session by drummer Keef Hartley’s group.
The Flamingo Club was a jazz nightclub in Soho, London, between 1952 and 1969. It was located at 33–37 Wardour Street from 1957 onwards and played an important role in the development of British rhythm and blues and modern jazz. During the 1960s, the Flamingo was one of the first clubs to employ fully amplified stage sound and it used sound systems provided by ska musicians from the Caribbean. The club had a wide social appeal and was a favourite haunt for musicians, including The Who.
This is a summary of 1967 in music in the United Kingdom.
Brian Thompson (1938–2011) was an English goalkeeper, who played for Grantham Town, Loughborough and Peterborough United.
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