| Barbeque 67 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Rock, includingrhythm and blues,blues rock,psychedelic rock andsoul 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 ofSpalding, 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 firstrock festival.[1]
Towards the end of 1966,Grantham promoter, former footballerBrian Thompson,[2] set about bookingGeno Washington and the Ram Jam Band andthe Move for a Bank Holiday concert inSpalding. Their management persuaded Thompson to also book three relatively unknown acts at that time:Pink Floyd,the Jimi Hendrix Experience andCream.[1]
The event was held in Spalding at theTulip Bulb Auction Hall, most likely the largest building in the town 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 expected 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 theSpalding Town F.C. stand next door.[4]
TheSpring Bank Holiday was sunny and hot, which would have been very uncomfortable in a large crowd inside the venue, which was essentially a metal shed. The event appeared to be unorganised and the sound terrible. For the opening act, Pink Floyd, the audience was small, but the hall quickly became overfull with fans being trapped underneath the stage.[7] The two bands seen as "psychedelic, Pink Floyd and the Move, opened the show, followed by the twoblues rock groups, Jimi Hendrix and Cream. Pink Floyd performed at the rear of the venue using a white bed sheet onto which moving images were projected.
Hendrix had many technical issues, includingtuning problems, was late on stage, meaning only a half-hour set, and finished by throwing his guitar into his speaker stack, the same redFender Stratocaster he would burn at theMonterey International Pop Festival the following month.[8] It was widely agreed thatEric Claptonof Cream out-played Hendrix that day and that Geno Washington made a great show.[1]
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Whilst a groundbreaking event for its time in theSummer 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 nearbyWhittlesey,Cambridgeshire, for the 1968 event, the Barn Barbeque Concert and Dance, which includedDonovan,Fairport Convention,Fleetwood Mac and the Move.[9]
In 2009 the event was featured in the BBC TV programmeInside Out.[10][11] and in 2016 a blue plaque commemorated the event, placed at the Red Lion Hotel whereJimi Hendrix stayed that night.[3]
In 2017 the 50th anniversary of the event was 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 theNottingham-based theatre group 'Excavate'.[12]
A radio playBarbeque 67 – The Original Summer of Love, written by Andy Barrett, was broadcast onBBC Radio 4 on 29 May 2022 and included reminiscences fromGeno Washington,Zoot Money andNick Mason.[13]