'68 Newport Pop Festival ---- Anybody ??

[Taboma]

I know the list of potential candidates on RDP is extremely limited, although you might have heard about it from Mom or Dad, or even grandpa, or ma.

This two day event hosted some great groups, was really BIG deal but otherwise in the annals of music concerts will be remembered as "How not to run a concert".

Here's a couple of snippet quotes from an article about it, and there's more where these came from if anybody's interested.

" The Newport Pop Festival 1968
The first Newport Pop Festival was held at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, California, on the weekend of August 3–4, 1968. It is believed to have been the first pop music concert with over 100,000 paid attendees."

" Three days after the 1968 event, the Costa Mesa City Council vowed to prevent a Newport Pop Festival encore. "To say that we would not like it back here would be the understatement of the year," said Costa Mesa Mayor Alvin Pinkley "

I wasn't one of the attendees, I was hired help and was paid to keep the lights on, as the saying goes.

 

[coolchange]

I remember it, but I did not attend as I was a little kid. What I do remember seeing and driving by, and looking at all the dirty hippies was Newport 69.
Is that an original poster? that’s a hell of a lineup

 

[rivrrts429]

Gram Parsons and David Crosby, The Byrds. Hell of a lineup!

 

[old rigger]

Gram Parsons and David Crosby, The Byrds. Hell of a lineup!

Crosby was fired from the group the year before, Parsons quit the band just before the festival.
Would have loved to see the Paul Butterfield Blues Band.

 

[Taboma]

I remember it, but I did not attend as I was a little kid. What I do remember seeing and driving by, and looking at all the dirty hippies was Newport 69.
Is that an original poster? that’s a hell of a lineup

Original poster I found online, I lost all my saved memorabilia ( Including polaroid's of this event ) in the '07 Witchcreek fire.

 

[rrrr]

I think that was the show where Country Joe and the Fish debuted their anti-Vietnam war anthem, but not sure.

Great lineup.

 

[sintax]

cant say I was there, since i was born in the 80s

but it is one of those legendary concerts. I've listened to that Grateful Dead set prob 10 or so times

 

[Taboma]

I think that was the show where Country Joe and the Fish debuted their anti-Vietnam war anthem, but not sure.

Great lineup.

YES they did ----

Here's a pretty good story written about the event. I was just a hire sparky who ended up being overrun by the masses as I worked with another hired hand trying to restore water to all the area hose bibs so they had water inside the event. No sooner we'd get it repaired and back on and some asshole would cut it or break it and start another flood. Finally we gave up, moved outside the fence perimeter and started hosing them down with spray nozzles on fire hoses. They loved that shit and soon it turned into a huge wet T-shirt event with mud wrestling and wallowing. Finally we setup large rotating rainbirds.
It was a complete 2 day mis-planned and managed shit-show.

 

[rrrr]

YES they did ----

Here's a pretty good story written about the event. I was just a hire sparky who ended up being overrun by the masses as I worked with another hired hand trying to restore water to all the area hose bibs so they had water inside the event. No sooner we'd get it repaired and back on and some asshole would cut it or break it and start another flood. Finally we gave up, moved outside the fence perimeter and started hosing them down with spray nozzles on fire hoses. They loved that shit and soon it turned into a huge wet T-shirt event with mud wrestling and wallowing. Finally we setup large rotating rainbirds.
It was a complete 2 day mis-planned and managed shit-show.

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That must have been a great experience. Nice memories.

I've had a blast several times at mismanaged shitshows.

 

[Taboma]

That must have been a great experience. Nice memories.

I've had a blast several times at mismanaged shitshows.

One thing for sure, the highlight for myself and a large growing crowd of crew and roadies was the impromptu wet t-shirt contest and mud wrestling that ensued shortly after we started getting them hosed off .