Van Der Graaf Generator at the Weeley Festival 1971 (Part One)

[JDsmiffy1]

I was there too. We slept in the arena and lived on sarnies and Watneys Party Sevens. My mate (asleep) was stood on by a Hells Angel called "Lurch from the Cotswolds" as he made his way onto the stage to make a plea for peace after the fights and fires. The toilets were a huge trench with a tarpaulin around! Great memories, can't believe it was 40 years ago! Looking at Glastonbury today it's a joke in comparison with the Rooneys etc in their Hunter wellies and the mostly crap music. ( U2 haha )

[professoricon]

@JDsmiffy1:

There are some great articles and pix from the festival on the BBC website.

[JDsmiffy1]

@professoricon - Yes, I have printed off the Inside Out page with all the comments. I missed the actual programme unfortunately.. Cheers, Paul

[billwhittaker]

weeley started the where's wally craze if i remember ???

[professoricon]

@billwhittaker:

Some people believe it was earlier than Weeley.

[doublemartiny]

Was there. Waited for King Crimson to come on. They were late. Fell asleep under a hotdog van. Suddenly the opening bars of " In the House of the Crimson King" rang out. I woke up with a start, sat up, banged my head on the sump and saw stars! Great days!!!

[professoricon]

Lost = a relatively melancholy love refrain.

[colinnice]

yes remember it well. slept in the open a few nights aged 20, was a great festival until the trouble began between the 'Hells Angels' and the stall holders..many of the bikers were aggressive and took liberties..molesting females as they passed by..trashing stalls etc the stall holders retaliated by ganging up and smashing their bikes casusing the bikers to run for their lives..happy memories of a time gone by

[HighPlainsDreamer]

Does anyone have any photos of Weeley or have contact details for anyone with photos of Weeley?

[dickimmint]

If you go to Weeley Festival 1971 you might find something that you are looking for regards

[professoricon]

Try:  ukrockfestivals-dot-com/weeley­-festival for lots of stuff. Also BBC have some good reports from Weeley if you do a search on their website.

[HighPlainsDreamer]

The little blue crystals were way beyond playing albums.

[foolover21]

Oh to be 19 again and relive the Weeley festival, I went with my friend and I went off to the loo on the first day and didn't see her for 24 hours, spent most of the time stoned, remember hitching home to Southend and walking for about 30 miles, would'nt have missed it for the world, fucking awesome

[HighPlainsDreamer]

I was there too. Does anyone remember the 'little blue crystals'?

[professoricon]

No I don't remember them - did they play their latest album?

[HighPlainsDreamer]

The 'little blue crystals' were way beyond playing albums.

[blakeylad]

@HighPlainsDreamer If you mean what I think you mean, they knocked me out for 12hrs!!!! ha ha ha

[HighPlainsDreamer]

@blakeylad

Me too - at least 12 hours, during King Crimson and Rory Gallagher, at night and still going during Grounhogs the next day. This was a life changing experience - Riders on the Storm.........

[blakeylad]

@HighPlainsDreamer

If you mean what I think you mean, I was knocked out for 12hrs. we had a camp in the woods. I went to lot's of festivals, this I remember for the Hell's Angels, not so much the music.

[doublemartiny]

Was there. Laid down under an ice cream waiting for Crimson to come on. Fell asleep. Woken by opening bars of Schizoid Man and bashed my head on the sump. Never been the same since. Me or the sump. Start of Virgin Records, wasn't it?

[tonlitt]

it's certainly nowhere near mersea island, that is about 20 miles from Weeley.

[professoricon]

Whoever made the cover got that wrong. I was at the festival, aged 15.

[telemacherT2]

Hells Angels must've shipped their Harleys Over There after

the Frog Jump Over Here.

[dickimmint]

bought our tickets from the hells angels the price five bob now that was a bargain

[foolover21]

we had no tickets but the fence fell down and we just walked in

[dickimmint]

we were sat near the left of the stage the hells angels kept going past scary

[rambutan03]

I was there too but it seems to me this is the most forgotten ever - Why?

[professoricon]

It is overshadowed by the Isle of Wight festival.

[pilockk]

we were there 1971 next to stage mc5 6 oclock in morning great a,

larm

[professoricon]

Do you remember me - I had long dark hair.

[pilockk]

i do i do you had long dark hair how could oforget you