Images of Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan et al @ Blackbushe 1978

[soph108]

my dad at 3.54 :)

[britbluesfan]

great playing & good memories ♪ of course i wish i was there haha looks awesome

[maccerinrdu]

I went down to London the night before, stayed with friends and we drove over. We really went for Graham Parker but Dylan blew us away. Walked to the station after the concert with a friend and eventually got a train to Waterloo where we slept on the stairs to the Tube under newspapers before the trains started running. Good times.

[ohiodixiechick2]

What happened to Bob dylan here? Fa;se title??

[sludgefingers]

The sick joke is that if you read the music press from that time it was all punk (or 'new wave') and in their world nothing else existed. Yet nearly all the many thousands of pple at this, the major gig of that year, had long hair/denims etc - all just real normal rock fans loving the music. We were badly let down by the music press and it was all we had - no newspaper coverage of rock and precious little TV, let alone any internet. That week's NME probably had Richard Hell on the cover.

[jjmc60]

@sludgefingers

So true! Great comment!

[billbrovold]

@sludgefingers

The thing about that is Television (a band Richard Hell co-founded) did a beautiful version of "Knockin' On Heaven's Door". Punk was what a lot of very stale musicians needed.

[sludgefingers]

@billbrovold I take your point a lot of it was stale but the baby was pretty violently thrown out with the bathwater. I saw the early '77 Clash tour and yes could I see the appeal. But not content with merely switching to a 'new' type of music the UK press felt compelled to try and dismantle the 'old'. Worse, I think deep down they knew a lot of what they were pushing was unlistenable shit (Eater, anyone?) but they had to show us all the way forward, sheep that we were.

[billbrovold]

@sludgefingers

Yes, what I was meaning, is the musicians weren't really the ones being so nasty., it was the press.

[jonnybrowne]

@sludgefingers Well said, mate. There was so much bullsh*t in the London-based music press about the new wave changing the world - the myth persists - and in truth it was a phenomeon confined mainly to London (where of course the music press was based) and, to be fair, Manchester. The truth is that most young people in the UK kept their long hair, wore denim and listened to rock. I was of the "punk generation" - I was 20 and living in London in 1976 - and nobody I knew became a punk.

[stratking69er]

With my luvly girlfriend ,we fought tooth and nail to get about 30 yards from the stage. I can remember joan armatrading doing a great set, but when eric clapton played I was in heaven........................­...until his Bobness came on....then we went somewhere better than heaven!!! i have to confess that I cried tears of joy. I was desperate to see bob at the isle of white in 69, but mum said no !! I then saw him 3 times at earls court. No one will ever come close to Bob Dylan.

[jjmc60]

@stratking69er

Thank you for the wonderful recollections!

"..tooth and nail.." - forgot about that bit!

[margotcaprile]

I was there too!!!!

at that time learning english in London, what a good time!!!!

can somebody tell me the title of the music is playing in this video??

thanks thanks xx!

[jjmc60]

@margotcaprile

Thank you for the lovely comment! The tune is called "Nicer Iff" - a play on the words "Nice Riff" and is my own.

[satinhell818]

year 1978 ,9 years before I born he..he hehehehe...

[MoLLyTiShxx]

My mum went to this - I am a big Bob Dylan fan and I am so jealous! She was right against the barrier at the front :( I want to find some pictures of the front to see if I can see my mum - anyone got any??

[angusthescribe]

I was supposed to set off fireworks at this concert but the wind got up and the safety crew drew a line under that.

Remember carrying drinks in a water cooled bucket between the delay towers for the sound crew, and arriving legless and empty.

As I recall this was the first time a 24 channel desk had been used at a live concert mix.

The day I had a back stage pass to Dylan and Clapton . Fantastic.

One of those days you just never forget.

Now 66 and still love them.

[hanghang71]

they should have made a film of this concert,i have heard so much about it

[AstralPlane1951]

I would love to have that playbill and the program Great collectors item..

[1951tank]

I was there too-----------those were the days. 32 years ago, where does the time go?

[ianthemaggot]

I was there... It was fun , no screens, loads to smoke, a bit of a lively crowd. I was told see all those people over there....they had bum tickets and had to wait outside! It hitch-hiked back up to Newcastle, walked into work with no sleep! Joan Armatrading was excellent..

I was with Steve and Dianne. I still have the badge somewhere!

Thanks for posting the imajes and stuff.

[jonnybrowne]

@ianthemaggot our memories are very similar. Graham Parker was great - I think of that day when "New York Shuffle pops into my head. I was with my mate Pete and his friend Keith. Badly stoned, the three of us slept in Keith's Morris Minor, which wasn't fun - I'm six foot one, Pete wasn't a slim man even then, and Keith was six foot six. Funnily enough, my wife, who I ws to meet a couple of years later, was also in the crowd, having driven down from Newcastle with her then boyfriend!

[redwest01]

Probably the best thing that has ever come to camberley

[Balbrenny]

That was the BEST day! 5 of us drove from Glenrothes in Scotland - left the night before and got there early. Can remember lots of it - Armatrading, Clapton, Dylan - but also other parts are just a smoke haze! Crowds of people but bumped into old friends! Slept in sleeping bags at the side of the car in the car park before driving home - remember waking up and seeing car headlights - cars passing REALLY close to my head - vaguely wondered if I should move before falling asleep again LOL

[hanumanguy]

Oh yeah, what a memory. I was 18, I went with my two brothers, 20, and 22 and the eldest brothers girlfriend. We left London about 4 or 5 am the morning. We got into the car park really early and slept for about an hour. I guess we were about 100 foot from the stage, which by Dylan time was about 98% of the way to the front! I think I was passed out was then woken up when clapton came on. We were well out of it for obvious reasons. By, thanks to my Dad for letting us borrow is red Jaguar XJ6!

[strone955]

What memories. Went there from N Yorks on my Norton Commando with my girlfriend. Hey Helen, if you are reading this - been a while, still on two wheels. Had no idea who was on with Dylan until seeing this site, just remember the atmosphere, Dylan in the top hat, the sun going down behind the stage, singing Forever Young. Made quite an impression on me at 19. Thanks for putting this up.

[jjmc60]

Lovely story! Thanks for sharing it.

[nw2boy]

I was there aged 18. I can remember taking about 6 hours to get out of the car park and freezing whilst waiting.

[salguodmc]

I was there with my friends Howard, Paula, and Sue. I only went to see Graham Parker and the Rumor, Joan Armatrading was Fantastic and boy could she play, I fell asleep during Eric Clapton, but woke to a screaming Paula as Eric Launched into Layla. Bob came on and just as I was thinking anyone could sound great with this backing band, He sent the band off, and did six numbers just him and his strat, I must have been one of the the first to light my Bic Lighter. What a wonderful day to remember.

[Fenslodger]

Well, well. I only went to see GP+Rumour, too. They blew everyone else away. Although always even better in a smaller venue like The Rainbow or BBc stdios. Got some great pics. Armatrading was v good also - so nervous but so powerful. Slept the night on Waterloo station under The Sunday Times (the dossers' paper).

[Fenslodger]

Well, well. I only went to see GP+Rumour, too. They blew everyone else away. Although always even better in a smaller venue like The Rainbow or BBc studios. Got some great pics. Armatrading was v good also - so nervous but so powerful. Slept the night on Waterloo station under The Sunday Times (the dossers' paper).

[Penny266]

my dad was there!!!!

[timmo1782]

great pics, awful awful repetitive soundtrack though!

[Dreddnought]

So nice to see these pictures.

I was 19 at that time and went down with a mate, we were way back but as Eric Clapton came on we worked our way to the front and by chance found a spot for 2, 30 feet from centre stage. Loved it.

I remember thousands of spliffs lighting up exactly when Dylan came on and the smoke drifted across the stage. A priceless memory.

Thanks for posting this jjmc60 do you have any more photo's?

[GriefTourist]

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

[bmkfa]

way to go caro! you must have felt so independent. did boy friend make couple all these years later,or was he knocked out by the flying beer cans (full), thrown at anyone standing up

[carobootoo]

I was 16 and drove there with my boyfriend and some mates and managed to get right to the front - I've got some great photos somewhere of Dylan in his top hat. I remember it being really overcast until Graham Parker sang 'Hey Lord' and the sun burst through the clouds. Looking back I think it was pretty cool of my parents to let me take off and get completely stoned in the sunshine with a load of mates and have one of the best weekends of my teenage years.

[bmkfa]

was that marcy levee with clapton I always thought it was. voice like an angel

[bmkfa]

It was a strange year. Brought 2 tickets after queing for 20 hours in Oxford to see Dylan at Earls court for £5 each. The second ticket was for the love of my life.Unfortunetly she didnt know that and told me to get lost you spotty faced long haired freak! I arrived in Earls court and sold my spare ticket to a tout for £10. I was so far back I needed a telescope to see the stage. No one brought that ticket. My love missed a great concert . next day Blackbush tickets took me 5 minutes to buy

[bmkfa]

Blackbush! i was there.drove in my A60 pickup.had about 30 people on the back when i finally arrived. fell asleep outside that huge fence. 6am sat morning we were let in,everyone just ran my dream arrived and only 100 yards from the stage.dylan as perfection! Must apologise here for the guy I gave a lift home to and realised I was going the wrong way so dumped him at the next junction! he did well to get off . I broke down and arrived home after a 7 mile walk .greatest concert I ever went too

[moseleian]

ALI BALLY BASH BAM ROCK A BILLY BOOM

[moseleian]

THOSE WERE THE DAYS MY FRIENDS!!

[shelljoline]

When i see these pistures, i feel the great wide world open*so many right feeling people!

Thanx***

[showmoke]

GREAT GIG!! I walked there from my house in Farnborough. The Dylan set was just amazing. I heard a quote a few years ago that Dylan considered that this gig was his best ever! I can see why - it was just an electric performance with Clapton heading a 10 piece (approx.) backing band for Bob. Apparently everyone thought that Dylan would be arriving by helicopter to avoid the crowds, but in fact he was lying down on the floor of a special coach to avoid detection!

[thrutone]

not as good as a night at the bells

[keaton7732]

i was 1 year old, that year.

if i would have the time machine... hahahah

[sailingwest]

Its all a bit of a blur now and was then too, travelled over with my two pals for this gig from Dublin hippied up to the max.What a buzz .got any skins man lol

[bodhranbliss]

Travelled from Manchester to see this. Slept on the pavilion at the cricket pitch in the village.

Great.

[imovieshow]

I have vivid recollections of this concert and am sad that it has never been part of the albums we can have to enjoy!

[NickDuvet]

It had a great atmosphere that day. Being an aerodrome, there was so much space. I remember playing frisbee! Clapton's set was memorable and Dylan was on form too. When he played Like A Rolling Stone, that was a classic festival moment. We had a fire going at that point. Good times.

[smillingjimmyc]

god is that long ago,great days!!

[bryan669]

I was there too! what an event. lived in camberley at the time and it was incredible. Can't remember too many details (i wonder why??). Jim baker and Chris Pyle and others from the galini's mob.Where have all the good times gone?

[sameasitev]

Totally awesome man, brings back the memories from 30 years ago. i was there, near the front, about 20 feet of the stage front and center. What a fabulous time, and a terrific festival.