The Archive
Formatted at 1920 X 1020 minimum - Updated July 2021
This site is dedicated to the memory of Roger Hutchinson, who inspired me to delve deep into the magic of the free festival and who passed away Sept 3rd 2010.
R.I.P. Roger .....
R.IP. Phil Shaksby, aka Phil The Beer ,who passed away April 2010 .
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Harlow Free Concerts 1973-1988 |
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Fairport Convention at Harlow 1974 © Stephen Bragger |
In
the mid 70s Harlow Town Council, ( dominated by Labour with the exception
of four Liberals) decided to use the town's park for the purpose of holding
free rock concerts.The council funded the exercise , which was one of a few
controversial initiatives they espoused such as providing free television
licenses for their constituents !
Apparently other events (for which we do not yet have dates ) included 10cc,
Mungo Jerry and The Bay City Rollers.
The main instigator of the
free concerts was councilor Chris Crackett, the events appear to have run
consistently from 1973 to 1981 with other seasons occurring right up to 1991
Concerts were held in the late 70s featuring local bands and also in the 1980s , we now have , thanks mainly to the wonderful folks mentioned below , in addition to the generosity of the Harlow Museum and the Harlow Gazette, enough details to flesh out most of these events .
Any more details would be appreciated .Any info to add ?-well don't just sit there , Contact us
Thanks to Steve Goldsmith , David Devine of Harlwo Council and Steve Baker for much of this information.
1973
The Groundhogs
Exact date of this concert is unknown and whether there was a support band or not is also uncertain . This could indeed be the Groundhogs show with Strife held in May 1974, can anyone confirm ?
Nice set of photos on Flickr from this gig. Click on the link below to see more.
May 26th 1973
Hackensack , Atomic Rooster .
Our intrepid correspondent Stephen Goldsmith writes
The Atomic Rooster and Brinsley Schwartz dates were the first ever concerts I attended. I was 12 at the time so my father went with me. The thing is I have no idea why we went.
At that particular time of my life I was more interested in what Slade were up to than the progressive rock ramblings of Atomic Rooster and pub rock blues meanderings of Brinsley Schwartz and Chicken Shack. And my father’s musical tastes didn’t venture much beyond traditional rock ‘n’ roll and trad jazz.
I think it possibly had to something to with the fact they were free and my father’s eye for getting something for nothing.
Given that I was 12 at the time and it was 38 years ago - besides Vince Cranes’ very long hair and a potbellied guitarist in Chicken Shack (or was it Brinsley Schwartz) I remember little about the dates. However, by all accounts, approximately 6500 attended the Brinsley Schwartz / Chicken Shack concert.
The Harlow Gazette (the local newspaper of the day) had this to say about the Atomic Rooster concert
“Pop fans of all ages - including toddlers and senior citizens - crowed the park to hear three hours of progressive rock groups Atomic Rooster and Hackensack. The old festival spirit lived again as young people - mostly squatting on the grass in front of the stage - clapped along with the music or got up and danced [ on the grass may have been nearer the truth]
Harlow Gazette 31 May 1973
16th June 1973 . Chicken Shack, Brinsley Schwarz.
Right : Chicken Shack © Harlow Gazette/Harlow Museum |
Pink Fairies, Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come .
The Pink Fairies gig was especially memorable, as after a few bars of the second number, Russel Hunter, the drummer collapsed and lay motionless on the stage. Duncan Sanderson, the guitarist walked over and kicked his inert form a couple of times, then returned to the microphone and announced: "Sorry, 'is motor's bust!", and with that they left the stage, leaving the roadies to clear up the mess...
Arthur Brown's set there was also quite fun. No-one at the front would sit down, so no-one at the back could see. Arthur was exhorting people to sit down, in his own inimitable way, and got quite excited. He jumped off the stage, microphone clasped firmly in hand, and took half the PA with him!
Gareth Williams
August 1973 .
Mungo Jerry, Budgie ,Judas Priest,Stackridge, Trilogy.
( this show was held at Harlow Tech not the park, thousands turned up and the hall could only fit 400. )
September 22nd 1973 .
Grave New World ,Hawkwind.
( these were possibly separate shows, one band per weekend)
1973
May 26 Atomic Rooster, Hackensack
June 16 Brinsley Schwartz , Chicken Shack
June 30 Arthur Brown’s Kingdom Come, Pink Faries
July 14 Mungo Jerry, Fang (*Suzy Quatro )
July 28 Babe Ruth, Wellington
August 11 Budgie or (Hawkwind as verified by the Harlow Gazette 12 July
1974)
(*Suzy Quatro replaced by Mungo Jerry)
The Atomic Rooster and Brinsley Schwartz dates were the first ever concerts
I attended. I was 12 at the time so my father went with me. The thing is
I have no idea why we went.
At that particular time of my life I was more interested in what Slade were
up to than the progressive rock ramblings of Atomic Rooster and pub rock
blues meanderings of Brinsley Schwartz and Chicken Shack. And my father’s
musical tastes didn’t venture much beyond traditional rock ‘n’
roll and trad jazz.
I think it possibly had to something to with the fact they were free and
my father’s eye for getting something for nothing.
Given that I was 12 at the time and it was 38 years ago - besides Vince
Cranes’ very long hair and a potbellied guitarist in Chicken Shack
(or was it Brinsley Schwartz)
I remember little about the dates. However, by all accounts, approximately
6500 attended the Brinsley Schwartz / Chicken Shack concert.
The Harlow Gazette (the local newspaper of the day) had this to say about
the Atomic Rooster concert
“Pop
fans of all ages - including toddlers and senior citizens - crowed the park
to hear three hours of progressive rock groups Atomic Rooster and Hackensack.
The old festival spirit lived again as young people - mostly squatting on
the grass on the grass in front of the stage - clapped along with the music
or got up and danced [ on the grass may have been nearer the truth]
Harlow Gazette 31 May 1973
I t would appear that the Harlow Town Park entertainments team of the day
, and the good people of Harlow really had not got their heads around progressive
rock. As the local press review for the Brinsley Schwartz concert testifies:-
“There were pop fans of all ages in the park - from tiny tots to senior
citizens and all seemed to be enjoying the three hours of music from these
two groups. Commented Mr. Kilburn “I can’t get over how marvelous
the young people in Harlow are - there was very little litter - and absolutely
no trouble they really are peaceful “
“Adding to the comments the entertainments officer Mr. Alan Southgate
said it was a complete success. The first concert was probably a bit way
out for the youngsters but I think they understood this one much better.
Harlow Gazette 22 June 1973
I am not sure whether I saw Arthur Brown’s Kingdom Come and the Pink
Fairies, but eyewitness accounts report that the crowd was 10,000 strong
and that Russell Hunter did indeed pass out - with sunstroke about half
an hour into the Pink Fairies set. This meant that the crowd had to be content
with listening to the DJ for an hour and a half until Arthur Brown’s
Kingdom Come came on
I am guessing that Arthur Brown’s Kingdom Come were everyone’s
cup of tea, Pat Roberts a scribe for The Harlow Guardian (the local newspaper
of the day) described the Arthur Brown’s Kingdom Come set as thus:-
“Their music was as weird as their dress. Sometimes it was powerful
and throbbing - and other times the guitars and organ wined and screeched.
Most of the stage show was impossible to understand - it stumbled its way
around, a mammoth hypodermic needle and a space ship.
The next free concert on July 14 will feature the more easily understood
Mungo Jerry and Australian band Fang “
Pat Roberts the Harlow Guardian 6 July 1973
Given the above description I guess I didn’t attend, I think I would
have remembered a mammoth hypodermic needle and a space ship.
I did not go and see Mungo Jerry or Babe Ruth as I was away on the annual
family holiday. However, The Harlow Gazette offers the following account
of the Babe Ruth concert
“Topping the bill though is at Harlow’s fifth pop concert on
Saturday was Babe Ruth a new progress rock grouping which attracted a crowd
of about 5000 youngsters. Their supporting g group was a five piece band
from Leicester, Wellington, which recently the semi-finals of the annual
Melody Maker contest.
The Harlow Gazette 3 August 1973
I am not sure who appeared on the August 11. I guess the local council or
may be the Harlow Guardian could not make their mid up, in the review of
the Arthur Brown concert the Harlow Guardian had Budgie down to appear.
By the time they got to the Babe Ruth review it was Hawkwind. A Harlow Guardian
article a year later tells me it was Hawkwind
Harlow Guardian has Mungo Jerry appearing at Harlow Town Park not the Harlow
Tech as indicated on your current web page
Unable to find any press reviews for the Mungo Jerry , Budgie or Hawkwind
concerts.
Any info to add- well don't just sit there ! Contact us
Free festivals and small fayres held in the United Kingdom between 1967-90.
1967-69.
1970-79 |
1980-92 |
Main list of Free festivals 1970-1985
Free rock festivals of the 70s and 80s
We are proud of the contribution we have made to Andy Worthington's sociological history of Stonehenge and the free festival scene in the UK .This new book gives a fascinating insight into the various counter cultural obsessions with the Stones and provides a variety of new perspectives to many of the key events surrounding the Henge such as the Battle Of The Beanfield and the more recent attempts hold a celebration at the Stones during the Solstice.
Find out more about this great book by clicking on the image on the left and visit the Heart of Albion Press web site . |
Sending details of a small book I've just self-published which might be of interest to some readers of your admirable site.
I have featured the book and its contents on one of my blogs too:
With many thanks in advance John Kruse
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Tibetan Ukranian Mountain Troupe-surreal pranksters of the Traveller community .
Acidia Lightshow Lightshow for Windsor festival and Stonehenge in the 1970s.
Traveller Daves Website - Chock full of of free festival photos !
Many, many thanks go to Roger Hutchinson , Big Steve , Roger Duncan, Celia, Will , Chazz, Jeza ,Chris Hewitt ,The Fabulous Time Tortoise , Peter Piwowarski - ( 70s music site/photos ) Martin S, Steve Austin ,Traveller Dave, Herb, Tim Brighton, Vin Miles, Haze Evans , Noddy Guevara, Chris Brown, Janet Thompson, David Stooke, Gary Gibbons , Nigel Ayers, Rich Deakin ,Glenda Pescardo,Justin Warman,Brian F, Steve Bayfield, Kev Ellis, Paul Seaton and many other minor contributors for their help in providing the archival material related to these free festivals which has at enabled us to construct the site .
Any info to add ?-well don't just sit there , Contact us