September 22nd 1973 .

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.

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Free festivals and small fayres held in the United Kingdom between 1967-90.

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Main list of Free festivals 1970-1985

Free rock festivals of the 70s and 80s

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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. 'Waiting for Utopia- The Albion Free State, Windsor Free festivals and Radical Britain' is available as an e-book and paperback through Amazon: I have featured the book and its contents on one of my blogs too: https://wordpress.com/post/johnkruseblog.wordpress.com/7530 With many thanks in advance John Kruse

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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 .

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