The Clitheroe Pop Festival.

Clitheroe Castle. Clitheroe .1970-73.

Hi
Your excellent site brought back a lot of memories of growing up in Clitheroe and going to the festivals at the castle. But not all the
information seemed quite right and checking with some friends failed to fill in all the gaps (if you can remember the 60s/70s, you weren't
there, etc...). So, being back in Clitheroe last weekend I did some research at the library, where the clunky microfilm reader and the
collected volumes of the Clitheroe Advertiser & Times took me back in time...
The definitive story (according to the Advertiser):

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Poster courtesy Pete

Third Ear Band ,Michael Chapman, Kevin Ayres & The Whole World ,Dr Strangely Strange. June 6th 1970.     Local bands in the afternoon competing for prize for "most promising combo". They were Bodicea (sic), California Grass, Revolution, Saints and Sinners, Strange Brew and (the winners) Time After.     Then the pros in the evening: Third Ear Band, Dr Strangely Strange, Kevin Ayers & the Whole World, Michael Chapman. The event ran from 2.30-11.00 and entrance was 10 shillings. Apparently about 2000 fans turned up - sadly I wasn't one of them. The Advertiser noted in a strange, flowery review (quite at odds with the normally very dull house style) that "One South Walesian youth landed up in Blackburn Infirmary suffering from the effects of LSD". Pete

howdy -

I was born in Lytham, Lancs and came to two editions of the Clitheroe pop festival - missed the 1971 edition (which I believe had Edgar Broughton and Roy Harper amongst others) - the first in June 1970 had Michael Chapman & Band (fabulous), Kevin Ayres & the Whole World and Dr Strangely Strange and at least one other act from the Blackhill enterprises agency (may have been the Third Ear Band but I can't remember so far back). the weather was beautiful that afternoon.

Nigel Cross

Hi thanks for your site I found it very interesting as I played at the first one not sure of the date now but I can tell you that the band that followed us on stage were Barclay James Harvest playing songs from their album “Once Again” absolutely blew me away and have been a fan ever since.

Tony Ellis

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Poster courtesy Pete

Roy Harper, Mogul Thrash, Blonde On Blonde, Kevin Ayres & The Whole World ,Gasworks, Seth Bromley's Band, Bodicea , Tam Lin June 5th 1971.     Seth Bromley's Band, Tam Lin, Gasworks, Bodicea, Barclay James Harvest, Blonde on Blonde, Kevin Ayers and the Whole World, Roy Harper. Over 3000 fans - including me - paid 70p for that lot. No money wasted on publicity - a tiny advert in the previous week's paper said only "Roy Harper and others". Pete I'm sure there was a 71 one, as I recall that we were big Kevin Ayers fans and he came back for a second year!. Dave Dingle

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I went to three of the four festivals – ‘71, ‘72 and '73. I had a real battle trying to persuade my mum to let me go the first one. I wasn't long turned 14 and she feared the worst (sex, drugs, drink, kidnapping, certain death etc!). Fairly recently widowed she was not surprisingly keeping a very close eye on her youngest son. Mind you I'd be the same with my lad of a similar age now!! The trade off deal was that my mate Dave's dad had to pick us up before it went dark. Fortunately it was very close to Midsummer Day, so at least it wasn’t going dark at 6pm or whatever! Getting such lifts was a fairly big thing then, as the phenomena of "Mum and Dad's Taxi service" was still some years off. With this circa 8.30pm curfew we consequently missed the headline act - Roy Harper. Fortunately I was to see him a few years later at Preston Guild Hall - well worth the wait. I’ve also recently re-discovered his work and I’m baffled as to why he never seems to get mentioned in the same breath as people such as Syd Barret, Nick Drake and John Martyn – I really think he’s in the same league, but that’s just my opinion!

Anyway, back to the memories. We caught the Ribble Transport bus from Preston to Clitheroe. In those days (pre the 1974 local government reorganisation/county boundary changes) the bus even ventured into what was then Yorkshire for a while - obviously I survived the experience though. Arrived about lunchtime and I think the gist of the day was for local bands to do the early slots, with more well known acts hitting the stage in the late afternoon. Seem to recall one of these bands being "the Seth Bromley Band" (you just knew they weren't going to make it with a name like that eh!). Whilst taking a break between bands we went for a walk in the town. Vividly remember being approached by a hippy type girl of about 18 asking if we had any acid. I mean, even at the time I thought “do I look like I've got any acid” - I must have looked every bit my 14 years – I might as well have been wearing my school uniform!

It should be remembered that the festivals were fairly low key events, attracting only a few thousand people to each one. The status of bands booked could perhaps be considered as a parallel to the English Football League of the time – most of the bands being very much of the second division, with perhaps a few pushing for promotion status. Looks like the Blackhill Agency (of Pink Floyd, Harvest records label, and Hyde Park festivals fame) provided many of them. This was also an era where even the big festivals only had one stage, unlike the “don’t like the act on one stage; well catch one on another” situation you have these days, with the likes of Glastonbury and Leeds/Reading etc. You had to wait for a band to strip down all its gear and for another to set up, possibly an hour or more then between shows.

Others have mentioned the Edgar Broughton Band being there, but if they were we missed them, and I definitely don't remember them being advertised or billed. Dave and I were big fans of Harvest record label acts via the “Picnic – a Breath of Fresh Air” sampler. The Broughtons were a featured band on this ‘double LP’ and I’m sure we’d have tracked them down had they been playing.

Somewhere in the attic is a copy of a magazine printed in advance for this event. It was a special edition of a local (Blackburn/Preston) version of Frendz, IT or Oz magazine – underground magazine style. Seem to recall it featured interviews with Harper and possibly Ayers. (the name of the publication was Albert :ed )

First of the big acts that day were Barclay James Harvest who turned up in their hire van from Oldham. Then, as now, I was an absolute fan of any band that used a Mellotron and I thought they were bloody wonderful. This made up for us missing them a few months earlier (my first ever gig) when they pulled out of their support slot with Caravan due to sound problems. Also think BJH were last minute replacements for the jazz/rock outfit Mogul Thrash who I think had just spilt up.

I also think the Pye Records label band Blonde on Blonde were on this particular year, but it could have been later. I remember they were fairly well known as they had an album out with sleeve notes by none other than radio DJ Tommy Vance. I think Vance praised the way that BoB didn’t rely on a "brace of Mellotrons" to enhance their act!! Also liked the way they mingled with the audience after their set.

Think the next act on was Kevin Ayers. Not long before he came on stage there was an appeal over the PA for someone to vouch for him at the festival gates as he didn’t seem to have an artiste’s pass, and he was obviously very reluctant to pay the 75p (or whatever it was) admission fee. This was not long after he'd dissolved his "The Whole World" band, although he MIGHT have still have had Mike Oldfield with him on bass (Oldfield not being much older than myself!). His set, with a small backing band, was mainly acoustic and pretty shambolic (perhaps not as sober as he could have been!?). Seem to recall some pretty odd ditties here and there such as ‘English Country Garden’. Still, very enjoyable all the same.

Steve Connolley

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Trees , Bridget St John ,UFO , Third Ear Band , Brinsley Schwarz ,MC5.

June 3rd 1972

compere Pete Drummond Suddenly upon a lonely castle keep, came a wandering band of nomads and all day they listened to funky minstrels, and at the end of the day the friendly council paid the bill. No - it's not a fairy story. Clitheroe Castle '72 might have been a festival-goers dream. The council gave the Clitheroe Young People's Recreation Committee the grand sum of £1,500 to set up an extravaganza in the castle grounds and they spent their money wisely to give a balanced show in which everyone could find something to enjoy. Trees started the show and played folk songs and jigs for an hour and a half on the town's little green painted bandstand. Bridget St John unfortunately suffered from under-amplification, but there was plenty of room at the front for those who wanted to hear her. She sang pretty songs to suit the day and ended with her single "It's Real" and the title track from her new LP "Thank You For." UFO burst on the stage with all the dignity of a third world war and proceeded to thrust their sexual organs at anyone interested, whilst playing at full power a bit of Trogg-type innvendo-ladden rock. Still, a lot of people liked them. Coming on at the freaky hour of twilight, the Third Ear Band bewitched everybody with music from Polanski's MacBeth. With swallows swooping above them they produced a more melodic sound than of yore. Brinsley Schwarz played their own set then offered to carry on when the MC5 didn't arrive on time. Like wine, they improve with time and towards the end people were leaping about among the bushes. But they seemed to lack some vital ingredient - the music was pleasant enough but never reached a peak though Bob Andrew's work on electric piano was excellent. Because everything was supposed to be unplugged by midnight MC5 could only play for half an hour but they came right out front and gave everyone a rocking finish to the day with good strong guitar breaks interspersed with corny phrases like "We've just got in from Detroit in the US of A." Trees, Bridget St John, UFO, Third Ear Band, Brinsley Schwarz, MC5. Pete Drummond compered. About 3000 fans paying 60p in advance or 80p on the day. As others have noted,the MC5 were very late arriving and to my everlasting regret I got fed up waiting and went home. Pete

clippings courtesy Pete

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The one that really burnt into my head was the June 1972 edition - grey cold dull day but it didn't quite rain - opening were trees (fantastic folk rock group with singer Celia Humphreys - very Fairport like), Bridget St John (on John Peel's Dandelion records), U.FO. with Pink Fairy to be Larry Wallis on lead guitar), Third Ear Band (with Simon House on violin), Brinsley Schwarz and top of the bill MC5. Pete Drummond compered and spun the discs.

The MC5 attracted a lot of bikers who hated all the quiet stuff - the MC5's car blew up at spaghetti junction and the hells angels had to go and pick em up (this was corroborated about 2 years ago by the MC5's english bassist) - in order to avert a potential mini-altamount, the organisers got the Brinslies to do another set - my memory now is of course severely distorted but it felt like they played about five versions of 'Brown Sugar' - finally the 5 arrived about 20 to midnight and kicked out the jams for about 5 minutes - the original singer and drummer quit soon after this gig and Sonic Smith and Wayne Kramer carried on till the end of the year with drummer Ritchie Dharma (who'd been in Chapman's band in 1970 and was later with Mick Abrahams) and english bassist as mentioned Derek ? but the Clitheroe set was still cool - remember them doing 'Rambling Rose' but god knows what else.

I always wished they could have got the Pink Fairies - ah well - good memories of this fest - always - well done to the cats at the clitheroe town hall for letting the kids have their say!
best
Nigel Cross

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Seeing as I got through '71 unscathed I had little problem persuading my mum to let me go again in '72. Not quite as clear on travel arrangements this time, but I guess it was a bus there and lift home with a parent before the festival's end. I think Dave and I were accompanied with a pal called John this year and it may have been his old fellah on taxi duties. Pete Drummond was the compere and he was pretty well known as a Radio 1 DJ - almost up there with the legendary John Peel as regards status and musical taste. I've still got the local press cuttings from this year, from the ‘on-the- day’ special edition of the local newspaper, so my memories are helped by journalistic 'facts' (!).

The line up was as others have said - Bridget St John arrived in an old (even at the time!) big Rover car, a ‘100’ model or similar. Don't recall her set at all, although I think I sat through it. Trees similarly washed over me. They were a little bit better known as they'd had a track a couple of years earlier on the CBS label’s "Fill Your Head with Rock” sampler, which only cost about 30 bob, and every cheapskate young rock fan seemed to have a copy!

First band that made an impression with me that day were the Third Ear Band who were doing their Polanski Macbeth stuff. VERY atmospheric and really suiting the castle/medieval environment. Not much stage presence though – think it was the bassist that stood rock solid for a great chunk of the set with his back to the audience! Their music has stood the test of time really and wouldn’t be out of place with a modern day lover of 'world' and ambient music.

Next on I think were UFO. Now this was what I was really into at the time. I always wondered who they had on lead guitar at this gig, and from this website I’ve found out that it was Larry Wallis from the Pink Fairies/future co-founder member of Motorhead with Lemmy. Another reviewer here doesn’t speak that highly of them, but I reckon they really rocked the place. Great mock sex acts too, similar to what Bowie was doing with Mick Ronson the Ziggy Stardust tour. Unlike a band I mentioned earlier you just knew that this band were going to make it, and for a short while in the mid to late 70s (the Michael Schenker era) they were up there with the likes of Black Sabbath, Van Halen, Rainbow , Rush etc,

I think Brinsley Schwartz must have come on in the early evening. They weren’t really to my taste at the time, although I came to appreciate their style of soft rock in later years. I was familiar with the legend of the Schwartz though – the ill-fated over-hyped trip to America. They had Nick Lowe on bass and didn’t some of the other guys form Graham Parker’s Rumour band? Suppose it would be really easy to Google/Wikipedia the gaps in my memories.

Sadly, due to the parental curfew we missed the MC5 – now that would have been a band to name check in future years and tell your grandchildren about!!

Steve Connolley

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Paul Roberts Band (substituting for Spirogyra, who pulled out), Byzantium, Amazing Blondel.

2 September 1972.

An extra event tacked on to a Clitheroe Castle Fete. A grand total of 781 fans (I was the 1).

Pete