The 'Official' "I saw Jimi Hendrix in concert" Thread

[Steev]

Temple Stadium Philadelphia Pa 5/16/70 - PART II of III

OK - I just re-read this and dearly want to hit the delete button. But maybe I'm a bit like 1 or 2 of you & hopefully I'll not take such a big hit for being "out there". I've never discussed my feelings about this, my sweetest passion ever, with anyone else but myself in 38 years, except for my wife Sheri, so I'm privileged & thankful to have you guys here that I don't know, but know so well, to share this with. I was a child when I saw Jimi that day, but I didn't come home as one . . . . Read on - If you dare. Sorry in advance - for the length.
Peace out.
==============
We had spent the better part of an hour going over the "after concert" plans with little Jeff's dad, as he dropped us off at Temple. We were going to meet him at 10pm about a half mile away at the Cedarbrook Mall in front of Korvette's (a now defunct dept store). In fact Temple Stadium is now sadly gone also. His last words to us, "Don't make me wait. I have things to do early tomorrow."
==============
So, the sun is almost down, stars are coming out, Steve Miller is hitting the stage, probably around 9:00pm, I'm feeling MUCH better, so Little Jeff turns to me and says, Steve, don't forget my dad's picking us up at 10 o'clock. He'll kill me if we're late. Jeff there's no way I'm leaving until this is over. He's telling me, Steve I'll get killed. So I said, Well go meet him then & tell him I'll get home myself. (HOW I wished now, he'd just had gone) . . . . But he was worried about me, and I suspect he was a tad horrified to be tripping alone in a car with his father . . . Big Jeff was on my other side-GONE. Tilt sign under his eyelids. Huge smile, like a grizzly on V's, Totally immersed in the day, as I was.
==============
I was never-ever into the San Francisco scene.
I was listening to The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Zappa, King Crimson, Jethro Tull, Nazz . . . This music took me to places in my soul that I believe some people have never ever been to - or even knew existed. A possible creation point of all things dream-able, a place where ALL things are possible. The SF thing just meant nothing to me. I mean no disrespect. It was just my perception at the time. People dropping Acid & putting on Dead records for hours on end and when the entire day was over they'd turn to each other, slowly, and proclaim "WOW man". What a thrilling way to spend a day . . . . . I hung at plenty of my friends "happenings" (I was a couple years behind them-I always hung with older people) and more often than not, at the end of the day, other than the warmth of having spent time with friends, I basically came out of it as a day wasted I'll never have back. This is because I was learning to play and almost always had my 62 Stratocaster in my hand. I missed her whenever we were apart. I know I'm nuts, but this was very personal to me - & I'm just setting up my day at Temple. This was the most important day in my life. I was 15 and I was going to see a man who took me to Atlantis and brought me home "safely" with nothing but a guitar in his hands. And a little help from his friends.
I never consciously rejected the SF music scene. It just, at the time, bored me to tears. Some of the SF bands music truly transcended to wonderful places that exist only in the other world. Those songs are as beautiful to me as the day I 1st heard them. Lather, Wooden Ships, ALL CSN&Y songs, Box of Rain, lots of Workingman's Dead, even later Quicksilver, but I just could never embrace the "scene". It just seemed to me like a hoard of people with no place to go & nothing to do, so they all just did "it" together. I always thought Steve Miller was one of those that left SF behind . . . . . .
So his band is on stage and out of the PA comes the 1st familiar music I'd heard all day. They were sooo good. But just the same, as every song ended, I was dearly hoping it was his last one. By time they played Livin' in the USA I was in a spectacular groove. Friends we'd met & hung with all day were coming & going - always with a smile & a hug. The only problem I was having at this point, was keeping my concentration. Tripping never ever posed this specific problem for me again, but this was Hendrix. Fucking HENDRIX ! ! And I knew this day would come, and I finally made it! And I had planned to study every single fingering to take home with me, every single move, every expression in his eyes, in his lips, even his posture, and I was so fucked up. Every time I finally talked myself down, the concentration expended for the task actually brought on another wave, each more intense than the last. It was like, "Here we go again!" But I was finally starting to have a lot of fun. So, when little Jeff started on me again. . . . Steve, my dad's probably already waiting for us and it almost takes a half hour to walk . . . . I snapped & said Leave me the fuck alone dude. Go tell your father I'll get home myself and get the fuck out! I had already made plans to stay over big Jeff's that night anyway and as B.J. just stood there with that big grin on his face (I was so jealous) I knew he was with me & we'd be just fine. I'd been thru a lot of shit w/ L.J. though & loved him like a brother, so I apologized and asked what he wanted to do. Make your decision-now, and let it go. I don't have the energy for this, but I have to stay. So he was in. He was gonna see Hendrix with me! I believe he's still thanking me - wherever he may be . . .
So about 10-10:30 Steve Miller is done. I have no clue if he did an encore. I'd probably guess no & would probably be wrong. . . .
All I know is, a good 45 mins later, the entire stage is completely stripped of all things irrelevant to Jimi Hendrix, and nothing, including ANYTHING I just recalled in the last 20,000 words (or less :-) meant anything to me. IT WAS TIME. All previous memories and anxieties of the day are quickly turning to gray for now. But Jimi Hendrix is nowhere to be found. Little Jeff is trying his best to stay off my case, but it's already after 11pm & he's simply freaking. I then eliminated all thoughts about my 2 best friends from my life as I realized in a short time Jimi Hendrix would be there. The same Jimi Hendrix that left a crowd at Monterey gawking, without any words to say. And yet, a different Hendrix. A grown up Jimi. A Hendrix that about 6 days before had given us the "Band of Gypsy's" LP . . . I already knew every note of that sweet sweet record. The intro to Power of Soul from that record left me in a cold sweat & I had never heard anything like it. Just as I had felt after the 1st 20 or so listenings of Electric Ladyland, Axis: Bold As Love before it, and Are You Experienced before that one. There was no humanly way to coax music like that out of a 6 stringed instrument. And the man who had unlocked the key was on his way!
The announcer kept coming on saying Jimi was on his way, so everybody roared. But nobody showed. The crowd in its frustration began to push forward. There had once been a rope barrier about 10 ft in front of the stage which gave its life at that point. We were now being pushed up against the stage. I was about 15 ft back. So the MC announced that Jimi was here but he "can't" come on until we move back. Word filtered back, supposedly from a roadie, that Hendrix, in fact had not arrived yet and of course, in grand Philadelphia style the crowd largely ignored the MC & went ape shit. [Morons] So it went on like this for another 25 mins. All that mattered to me was this bullshit had to be cutting into Hendrix's playing time. And . . I was also discovering some interesting patterns forming on my hands I had never seen before. I was somewhat aware of Jimi's legal & band hassles from the interviews and knew he was on tour under a certain amount of duress. So I wondered for a moment if this place was endeared somehow to him, or was this just another date he wanted to "get it over with" and get out. I didn't have much of a chance to ponder this thought, because all of a sudden in mid thought, at about 11 or 11:30 out of nowhere some guy comes out and says . . . . . . . . .

[Steev]

Temple Stadium Philadelphia Pa 5/16/70 - PART III of III

And now . . . JIMI HENDRIX!
I couldn't breathe-Literally! Jimi Hendrix walked out to the front of the stage holding a dark Stratocaster with a white neck and was draped in a BEAUTIFUL kind of American Flag outfit and he spread his arms out in "Welcome". I had never seen him in this outfit, neither before, or since. So, until I saw Temple pics I thought I had maybe made up the American Flag scenario . . . His Flying V sat patiently behind, waiting for Red House . . .
He rapped for a minute and said something about the Liberty Bell being cracked and after a quick tune-up, Mitch Mitchell began pounding and out came Sgt Pepper. Never being a huge fan of this version, though I understood the fanfare aspect, I concentrated on clearing my head up a bit. Had I experienced hallucinogens prior, or was a bit older I'd have taken lots in stride, but as fantastic as I felt, right then I actually just wanted to be straight for this concert. I can't explain it. This was highly personal, and I felt this might be a once in a lifetime happening. Little did I know . . . . I really didn't want to see the Wild Sex Freak from Borneo. But I was still in another place, a very beautiful place, and I resigned myself to "Lie back and enjoy it". And all of a sudden, it was very very nice. I'll relate one or 2 more quick things & I'll get out of here.
I can't believe you got this far in the 1st place!
So I studied him. And I heard him. And I felt him. And I want to tell you. As I studied his face, he was not a guitar burner, but a man (this will become very important in a minute) and I saw this frustration - 1st, as I perceived it, in having to be there when I felt he obviously wanted to be somewhere else (like in a studio) and 2nd, possibly that he was wondering if we all came to see Jimi the clown & would we hate him if he didn't do Foxy Lady. And for a split second I perceived him thinking, Damn, What the fuck am I doing here?
I could be way off here - But I think not. And here is where the evening changed. EVERYTHING changed.
Three minutes later after a very rare and unbelievable Johnny B Goode, played with the help of his Ivory's, as he was getting into Machine Gun, he went thru a "shift" I'll call it, as he went inside himself, and found & unlocked what he always does, and that exact same energy that was looking down on us a minute earlier was specifically calling on him to "make" us hear & feel what was in his heart. I don't know if I'm being clear-so try this: In one split second, EVERY fiber in his body & soul became dedicated to the task of offering us the "gift" of his heart. There was all of a sudden, nothing else-for Hendrix, or for me. And me thinks, instantaneously, it was a thorough joy for him to be able to be there, knowing he was literally blowing our minds. And he was getting off on it. And lo & behold I felt tears running down my cheeks. He was locked into this frame of mind thru the entire show, until right near the end as he was finishing Voodoo Child and the reality that the show was coming to a close kicked in.
I also want to throw in here; There is something very different and very special about hearing music in an open air setting. Inside a building, the music bounces off walls and there is a special reverberation/echo inherent in the sound. When you are outside, the music passes thru you ONE time, and dissipates into thin air, never to be heard again. And that sound is indeed a very special noise.
Was Hendrix just an entertainer? Absolutely. Was he just a Rock guy getting his rock thing off? Yep. Did he care if you dug it or not? Possibly and probably. I've heard him on more than one occasion say, "If you don't dig it, that's cool, but if you open your heart & mind to it for a minute, you just might dig it".
Which brings me to the only other thing worth mentioning here. And it's just this. I always felt close to Jimi in a spiritual way. As did we all. And he was different than any rock star before him or after. I'd already seen more than 25 bands by that point since the 1st time I snuck out to see Canned Heat at The Electric Factory when I was 13 . . . .
Still, not knowing what to expect, I [literally] expected to see a God walk out on stage that night. That's what you all made him. A God. But as I watched him & reflected later on the way home (another story unto itself) and even as I ponder these thoughts today. Who I saw that day 38 years ago May 16, 1970 was NOT Jimi God. It was Jimi a Man. It was a fucking guy with a guitar slung over his shoulders. The difference between him and us was, he never took the damn thing off - because for HIM, he just couldn't. He was just a guy who could have been ANYBODY who decided to take the opportunity, since he finally had the spotlight during that short & ILLUMINATING 4 years, and wanted to do something special with his small but brilliant moment in time. He was a guy who thought he might want to leave us with, because it might help . . . . .

You gotta tell the children the truth. They don't need a whole lot of lies.
Cause one of these days, baby - They'll be running things . . .
So when you give them love - you better give it right.
Woman and Child - Man and Wife
The best love to have is the Love of Life.

Sadly & profoundly, we did not get to hear the quiet storm that was coming till after he passed 4 short months later. But my point: He was just a man I saw at Temple that night. Not a God. A man who came and gave us every fucking thing he had. A man who ALWAYS had an axe in his hands, fighting like a farmer. Just a guy with something on his mind. Something he thought was worth telling. And a showman who wanted to send us home with our jaws hanging open. He succeeded multiple times over. A man who did things a million people would have said nobody could have ever done. The people who never took that chance. Who never stepped up to face the "dare". The People who have never visited that special place - buried deep in their hearts. And knowing Jimi Hendrix was a man, was the reason I went home that night and was never ever afraid to pick up my guitar again. And when that show was over and everything fell quiet - It became the loudest sound I had ever heard in my life.
I'm going to make the decision here to omit the ride home 3 hrs late, 3 of us tripping in Little Jeff's fathers car, or that I ended up in Big Jeff's bathroom staring at myself until 5:30 that morning, questioning EVERYTHING that came B4. Thanx for asking me to finish this. I hope it was worth it. I'm exhausted. And very happy to have had the opportunity, even if it was a bit long.
Thank you all for being "out there"
Thank you Johan for the Post & for the other thing as well. You're the best
Peace & Long life 2 U all. Thank you Jimi.

[Steev]

Whew - I just re-read this . . . .
The only thing keeping me from deleting it is that it just came out that way.
Quickly.
It's just how I felt about things back then.
[It's also how I feel now!] So sue me
It was a day of MANY "First's" that day . . . .
Thanx for celebrating it with me this way
If you guys celebrate Memorial Day, have a fine holiday.
Otherwise, Have a Great weekend.
Peace always-me

[Emilovious]

Thank you Steev.
I don't know what else to say but
thank you, beautiful story.

[MourningStar]

Yes, great story. Man, that was some choice mesc. you were on!
(indulged in some of it myself 'back in the day'.)

[Steev]

Yeah. A pretty religious experience (Some of it was like your avatar MS)
Another quick 4 or 5 concentrated years & I was pretty much over it.
Almost . . . . . That's a groovy smiley ya got up there. Where can I get one?
Anyway. I never ever really spoke about that day to anyone, except to say/boast Yeah, I saw Hendrix. And of course, the general response would be, No WAY man ! ! ! You saw Hendrix ? ? ?

PS: The actual concert (The MUSIC) was one of the best played ones I heard that year. There was no "scene", no importance of "Camera's rolling, as was the case at the next gig (Berkley-2 weeks later) or any expectations other than the scene Jimi created there at the moment. He came on did his thing & was gone. How I dearly wish there was a better tape of it . . .
And he certainly knew how to play to the "Camera" factor (if he was in a good mood) for all it was worth.
All I know, for a kid who was just 12 by 2 months when Purple Haze 1st hit me out of that old tube radio, I think I was more fortunate than I know to have been there that day & I'll never forget it.
Maybe we should open up "Rainbow Corner" post where folks can share some of their more "illuminating" experiences . . . . Or not

[RamesesII]

I saw Jimi in 1967 at Finsbury Park Astoria when he was touring as a support act to the Walker Brothers (I was a big fan of the Walker Brothers at the time). Engelbert Humperdinck was on the same bill and some other acts I don't remember although I think Cat Stevens might has been there too.

Don't really remember too much about it - Jimi played the guitar with his teeth of course and he had on an orange shirt which my friend noticed still had the creases in it from taking it out of the box so it must have been brand new. We were in the fifth or sixth row so had a really good "seat" - although nobody stayed in their seats much as it was far too much fun to jump up and down screaming.

Sadly I don't have any pictures and the programme disappeared years ago.

Not as good a memory as some of the others here but one I treasure.

[MourningStar]

I saw Jimi in 1967 at Finsbury Park Astoria ...Not as good a memory as some of the others here but one I treasure.

Wow! Wish I was at that one. Thnx for sharing.

BTW - This was the performance that has been documented to have been the first (of only three) guitar burning incidents and you don't recall this???!!!?

[RamesesII]

Wow! Wish I was at that one. Thnx for sharing.

BTW - This was the performance that has been documented to have been the first (of only three) guitar burning incidents and you don't recall this???!!!?

I do seem to have a memory of that and also him doing unmentionable things (in those days) to the amps and fornicating with his guitar of course - although it could be my memory playing tricks on me after watching so many videos. It was a long time ago and Finsbury Park Astoria is now a mosque I'm told. Pity it couldn't be kept going as a rock venue. I used to live up the road from it and it was my local cinema - it had the most beautiful inside I've ever seen in a cinema. It was like walking into a scene from the Arabian Nights. Just beautiful.

[murray451]

"I wasn't allowed to go.....,"

Sometime around the 20th August, 1970, my cousin turned up at our house on the way to a "rock festival". He was 16 and stoned, had borrowed his fathers car without his knowledge or permission, without insurance, without a driving license and with not a single thought for the consequences and was en route from Cheshire to the Isle of Wight. He said I could come along so I went off and asked my Mum. Then I asked my Dad......, The answer from both was a nonnegotiable "no". Looking back, I respect their decision, I was after all only 14, I would probably have made the same decision in their position. But I cannot help but wonder what course my life had have taken if I'd gone.

And I also still regret the loss of my one and only chance to see Jimi play. I was stunned when a few weeks later he was dead. My parents to their credit were sympathetic.

[MourningStar]

... But I cannot help but wonder what course my life had have taken if I'd gone.

Your life would have been 'radically' different! I know this from personal 'experience'. Everyone I personally know that saw Jimi are in agreement. The apocalyptic/prophetic title of Jimi's 1st album was not by accident. Many that did not see him also went thru transistions just from the music alone.

[MourningStar]

OK - Someone has to go 1st so I'll volunteer. I posted this here before. I guess all was lost during the 'face-lift' so here it is again :

My 1st post. I live in California and have been into Jimi Hendrix since the release of "Are You Experienced?" when in my early teens. For my 1st post I thought I would share with you all my first Jimi Hendrix concert experience. The 1st of many concerts I attended was his L.A. Forum gig in 1969. My parents gave in to my constant begging and drove me to the arena (too young to drive). They took in a local drive-in movie to wait out the show. I had my little cheapo Kodak Instamatic with me. Cat Mother And the All Night Newsboys came on first. Must have been a forgettable performance because I am unable to retreive the memory cells for this act. However, the next act, The Chicago Transit Authority, I recall fondly. A very good performance. Such that I became a fan all thru the Terry Kath years. At the time I never heard of them, but their cover of "I'm A Man" remains in memory. Also, they were so good I had decided to get as close to the stage as possible eventually getting to the very front row. Finally, it was time for Jimi. Oh, man! I was too close! The only thing I could hear was the guitar for the entire performance. Eventually the entire arena had wanted to get as close as possible and I and everyone around me were being pushed forward in a human wave. Finally we could go forward no more as we were now being crushed against the stage. Noel & Jimi were pleading to the crowd. Years later I bought a cd of this concert (it was part of a box set) and the pandemonium I have described is captured on it.

Here's a photo I took :
*

*

... a few more words regarding this 'Experience' :

I remember being so excited that now I was finally seeing 'The Man' in person. Everything/everyone was focused on Jimi. I cannot even recall Noel, and the only thing I remember about Mitch was the double-bass kit and that his hair was tied in a pony-tail and ONLY because I have a very blurry photo of Mitch. For me (and most everyone else), being in the presence of Jimi was like being at 'The Burning Bush'. Other than the audience mayhem it was impossible to focus on anything other than Jimi for even a second. It was like, if you did not focus on him and keep your eyes on him you would 'miss' out on something. I vividly remember that Jimi did not do much of the theatrics that I was expecting. This fact did not disappoint me at all. At that time I had already been playing drums for about 4 years and I was more focused on his guitar performance and I was very pleased that he was concentrating his performance on that level. Of course, the highlight for me was hearing Jimi perform 'The Star Spangled Banner'.

When the show was over it was hard to accept that it was over. I just stood there numb and with ringing in my ears and heart-beat a little faster than normal thinking, 'is it really over?'. I remember when I left the arena and went outside there were thousands of people lined up against the outside arena walls. I asked one a girl 'what are all these people doing here?'. She said 'we did not have tickets so everyone was listening to the concert thru the walls.' I said 'far-out!' and proceeded to look for my parents at the designated meeting area.

[murray451]

I didn’t get to see Jimi Hendrix in concert......,

A few days before the Isle of Wight festival my cousin turned up at our house to stay the night, en route from the north of England and bound for the festival. He was very stoned, had borrowed his fathers car without permission, insurance or a valid driving license and suggested to my mother that I go along with him to see among others, Jimi Hendrix.

I was 14 - my mother said “no”.

A few weeks later Jimi was dead and I was devastated. Mum was genuinely sorry that I didn’t get to go but even though she didn’t need to, she again explained her reasons. I respected her decision then and I still do but hey, did I miss out or what.......?

[Herman Cherusken]

By most accounts, Isle of Wight was cold and rainy, and with a acid trippy and really tired Jimi the performance was far from one of his best. In retrospect and as a cult thing to have done, yes. But in 1970 with most brits having his hit songs in mind, and not aware of the "new" repertoire, I believe it in large part to have been a disapointment. Heck, it took myself a long time to appreciate anything from Isle of Wight, used as I was by listening to his three first albums, until I grew to immensively love his Machine Gun and In From The Storm...

But again, out of a pure cult thing to have done, and as a hard core Hendrix Lover, you sure did miss out on that night...

[murray451]

I did get to see the premier of the IofW movie at the National Film Festival in London and by that time we were much more aware of the new direction and repertoire. I was lucky to get a ticket for the premier! But yes, "I never saw him play" still sticks in my mind in quotation marks.

An old girlfriends sister saw him play at Peterborough and she told me he put hist guitar through the ceiling...., no idea if that's true or not!

[Herman Cherusken]

A bunch of good stories by people who saw and hung out with Hendrix but also experienced lots of other bands, like Pink Floyd at RAH in 1969. Man, those where the days: http://www.flickr.com/groups/hendrix...7600291778341/

[firstrays]

WORTHING PIER PAVILION

THURSDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 1967
(As Recalled In February 1995)


Please Remember This Was 28 Years Ago And I Was Just 16
- This Is How I Remember Events.



Myself and a few other friends used to go to most shows on a Thursday, usually at The Pavilion - sometimes moved to the Worthing Assembly Hall, no matter who it was. Prices ranged from 5/- to 6/6 depending on popularity.
I would have to admit I had never heard of Jimmi Hendrix — as advertised in The Worthing Herald, so 6/- must have seemed a lot at that time for an ‘unknown act’.

The evening started with, as usual, record hits of the time played over the PA.
Then the local support group did about an hour of middle of the road songs.
Then there was a break while the group’s equipment was changed over, again records played over the PA.

I would have to guess at the time the main act took the stage at about 9:30?
Jimi wasn’t well known and so the hall, although busy, was not packed and even the area in front of the stage was fairly clear; and so it was easy to see the stage from anywhere on the ‘dance floor’.
The curtains were open all the time and when the equipment was ready the compere introduced “The Jimi Hendrix Experience”

Out from the left hand wings walked three guys, immediately Jimi walked out I, and I would think the rest of the hall, were ‘gob smacked’.
Everybody else on the stage wasn’t there, he was spectacular, I had never seen anything like it before.
Jimi was dressed in his military jacket and dark trousers, looking very similar to the photo on page 57 of the Tony Brown book ‘A Visual Documentary’.
I cannot remember what Mitch was wearing but I seem to remember Noel in a bright orange shirt with a ‘frilly front’ (and was it checked hipsters?).

As equipment goes, there were the Marshalls, Noel had a Fender bass, and Jimi a right handed sunburst with rosewood neck Stratocaster.

During the show Jimi broke a string but finished the song. He apologized several times as he only had the one guitar with him that night, so we had to wait while Jimi and the roadie fitted a new string and tuned it up.

Of the numbers played, in there was Hey Joe, Rock Me Baby, possibly Like A Rolling Stone, a long slow blues (Catfish Blues?), plus others. The set must have been very similar to the songs played at The Flamingo Club, 4th February ‘67.
All the stage theatrics were carried out throughout the show, behind the head, making love to the guitar etc.
On the final number, Wild Thing, the guitar was slammed against the amps and then flung to the floor with a few foot stomps to follow up and a couple of lifting up by the tremolo arm and bouncing routines.

Exit stage left, I do not remember an encore, but I could be wrong.
Overall and looking back the band were very relaxed, raw, and enjoying themselves — much the same as most people report around this time.

One things for sure — my life was never the same again, even today.

As a footnote — approx. 22 years later I discovered someone who was also at the concert and collected Jimi’s autograph. Paul Harrison has since moved to Spain, but I do have a photocopy of that autograph.

After the concert The Experience went back to London to record ‘Manic Depression’ - not, I hope a reflection of Worthing - or then again

And the JHE fee for the night — £189!

[I wrote to Worthing Leisure in 1996 but they did not keep any records of the event]

firstrays - Mick Coyne

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...s/Worthing.jpg

[firstrays]

THE BRIGHTON DOME

SATURDAY 2ND DECEMBER 1967
(As Recalled In February 1995)


Please Remember This Was Nearly 30 Years Ago And I Was Just 17
This Is How I Remember Events – I would welcome additions or
Corrections from anyone who attended these concerts.

There was a limited amount of local publicity before the shows, in the Brighton Evening Argus, and even less about the show after.
I had learned about the tour through the Jimi Hendrix Experience fan club. So in advance I had purchased a 12/6d (62 & a half pence) ticket, which was quite near and centre to the stage.

So to the day and having been dropped off earlier in Brighton by my parents I arrived at The Dome stage door about 4:45 in the evening.
After looking round for a while it was turning dark and as I was standing alone a short distance from the stage door at just after 5 o’clock a car drew up, facing me, across the pavement from the stage door.
The car was a Ford Zodiac Mk 4, metallic silver and an ‘E’ registration (1967).
The passenger door was opposite the stage door and as it opened just one person got out of the car, and I could see it was Jimi Hendrix.

As he shut the car door and walked round the front of the car towards the stage door I walked towards him and called “Jim”. I don’t know why, perhaps because of the excitement of the situation, but I didn’t say Jimi.
Jimi stopped as he got on the pavement and the car pulled away. As I walked towards him he looked stunning and immediately he reminded me of all the old red indian photos I had seen.
Jimi was wearing a headband with lots of beads and necklaces round his neck. He wore a brown fringe jacket; similar to the one Noel is wearing in the photo on page 77 of the book ‘The Hendrix Experience’ by Mitch Mitchell. The boots Jimi had on were also fringed and similar to the ones Mitch is wearing in the photo mentioned above. Lastly I seem to remember green trousers.

I asked Jimi for his autograph and handed him my open Jimi Hendrix Experience fan club membership card and fan club red platignum pen. We were all alone and it was magical, although little was said.
As Jimi went to sign he looked at the card a little oddly but signed it. He then passed the card and pen back but as he did the pen fell to the ground. “Sorry man” he said, I couldn’t believe how polite he was as we both went to pick up the pen. Jimi reached it first and apologised again as he handed it back with those oh so long fingered hands.
Jimi then went in through the stage door and I just stood there for a few moments, stunned, still with no one else around. Eventually when I did come back to earth I cursed to myself several times, and still do today…
Why didn’t I say more? – Why didn’t I ask to go in with Jimi for a while? – Why didn’t I have a camera?

After a while I decided to go and have a look at the car that had dropped Jimi off and was now parked at the back of The Dome.
Looking inside there wasn’t much but on the back shelf there was a poster about 24” x 12” and it appeared to be of stiff cardboard and not paper. The design was quite clear under the street light and it looked great, a brightly coloured drawing of Jimi and the boys in an (Asian) Indian type scene. Of course at that time I didn’t realize it was a copy of the cover of Axis: Bold As Love.
I hung around the car for sometime and went back to it several times that night. I was tempted more than once to break a window and take the poster(!). I also remember writing with my finger in the condensation on the car ‘Hail King Jimi’.

By about 5:45 there were quite a few fans around the stage door and back of The Dome. Did not see any other ‘stars’ arrive but around 6 o’clock a couple of the ground floor windows were open and these turned out to be the dressing rooms and could see Mitch & Noel amongst others.
I couldn’t get very close because of the other fans but the boys were chatting for sometime. I never saw Jimi in the room though.

As I only had a ticket for the second show I stood outside one of the fire exits so I could hear what was going on. The other groups were of no great interest to me but when Jimi took the stage at about 7:40 I stood by the doors for the entire set.

The numbers they played that night seemed to be much the same at both shows. There was, in no particular order, Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, Hey Joe, Purple Haze, Foxy Lady, slow one – possibly Wind Cries Mary, I Don’t Live Today and I think I remember The Burning Of The Midnight Lamp at least at one of the shows. Possibly there could have been other but it was a relatively short set.

Directly the Experience had finished I made my way to the entrance as the first show fans poured out.
Once we were allowed in I brought a programme but I cannot remember how much it cost
I believe the second show kicked off around 8:40. I was only there to see one group and I would guess The Jimi Hendrix Experience too the stage about 10:00-10:15?

By the time Jimi took the stage he looked completely different to when I saw him earlier.
Jimi was wearing a black jacket, dark trousers and the hat, very similar to the picture on page 77 of the book ‘Jimi Hendrix – A Visual Documentary’ by Tony Brown. I cannot remember the shirt or what Mitch and Noel were wearing, although I think Noel was wearing a hat as well.

Jimi played a white right-handed Stratocaster with a rosewood fret board and I don’t remember him changing guitars during the set.
As I have said the songs were about the same at both shows. I remember Jimi took off his hat at one point for a very short time and hung it on the microphone stand, possibly to play the guitar behind his head. But the theatrics were not as physical as when I saw him at Worthing 10 months earlier, the music was just louder.

The show finished about 11:00 and as we left The Dome I reflected on the meeting with Jimi and the chances I had missed.
But I will never forget that meeting – the spectacular vision, the feeling I experienced, the quietness and shyness of Jimi.

I never saw Jimi live in concert again but his music still carried on moving me – perhaps even more now than it did then.

Thank you Jimi – we miss you.

firstrays - Mick Coyne
(All my Hendrix contributions are dedicated to Victoria, thank you)

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/m...s/Brighton.jpg

[thefrenchowl]

Isle of Wight 1970... It's not all about Jimi...


""There's no doubting I was a bike nut very early on in my youth. Got the bug when I was around 13 years old to my father's great dismay. He had hopes I would go on to great things and do what the war and being an Italian emigrate prevented him to achieve, i.e. join the most prestigious engineer's school in France… That was not to be! I sort of drifted from school to school until he more or less forced me into signing 5 years into the French Air Force in September 1969. To start with, it was like normal schooling if a bit more army orientated and we only had one month leave in the summer…

So, summer of 1970, 19 years old and all of August to meself. I join my brother Philippe in Biot, somewhere on the Mediterranean coast. There's an avant-guarde music festival in a sort of natural amphitheatre on the side of a hill …There we see one of the first concerts of David Allen's Gong, a guitar renegade from the early phases of Soft Machine… The story goes he was so far out that the English customs would not let him back in Britain after a Soft Machine gig on the continent and he had to stay put in France… Weird concert if I ever saw one… The crowds were mostly Sunday rockers I suppose and not used at all to that sort of music… They booed and booed at the end of each piece - even myself would not call them songs ! David and his numerous crew would just stand there, arms crossed and unperturbed, waiting for the booing to somewhat slow down and…restart another nerve wracking piece… Anyway it came down that quite a few began to appreciate what was going on the stage or plain did recognise a brave band when they saw one! So it ended up as the band played this apocalyptic music in relative silence, while the battle between booing and ecstasy went on and on in between numbers…Great show!!! While there, I learned from my brother that Hendrix was to play at the Isle of Wight. Philippe could not go because, after Biot, he'd be off chasing some elusive girlfriend (aren't they all?) but I'll have to go.

Being only a "caporal" (one step above being the lowest of the lowest in the French army), the pay was not too good but I could just about afford a return ticket to Dover. I will have to hitch hick for the rest of the journey…Now…That was my first ever trip to England so my grasp of the Kent geography was not as it is now. I decide to head to Portsmouth alongside the coast line which was then terrible, all small roads, I could only catch rides for ten miles or so at a time as it seems all the traffic was local. And usually long waits in between…the dumps… Took me nearly three days but at last I'm on the Isle. It is about a week before the festival but the place is already heaving with party goers so, no chance for another hitch, it's walking time again across the Isle as the grounds are on the other side. By now I am nearly penniless, just enough left to buy a ticket, what an idiot! As Gordon will certainly know, my sense of preparation is as good now as it was then, i.e. I've got no tent, no sleeping bag, no change of clothes…It's gonna be a long week under the skies! Obviously I'm already a sad picture but still with quite short hair thanks to the army. The site was on the left side of the road, with some tracks going uphill toward the hill that overlooked the sea…. Hippies have taken over: I enter -no joking- Morrison Drive, turn left, about level with the back of the steel fenced arena, into Heroine Alley and reach the hill top and sit down in a nice summer evening, light a fag and look at the sea. Not five minutes have elapsed when a bloke comes to me…He must have recognised my hair do and the army issue cigarettes, Gauloises brand but even stronger than the regular shop item. He's French all right, and a sergeant in the French Occupation Army in Germany, older chaps will remember that period. He came on his Triumph Bonneville. We discuss motorcycles and rock music for a while and he later invites me to share his tent if not his food.

Eventually, the festival starts…Sadly for me, the sarge soon finds an English lady to ease his loneliness and I have to leave his hospitality… more nights under the moon. It's not so bad as it's party time all around the clock and one can join any number of groups tightly huddled around bonfires when the arena's music stops, usually quite early in the morning. I would not categorise meself as a hippie, always been too individualistic for that matter. In fact never managed to join for real any sort of grouping, and some of the things I witnessed or otherwise did there put an even bigger wedge against that thought if it was ever to enter me brain… Between the thieving and the looting, the lack of site facilities - I promise you, Shipley's 5 stars in comparison- no running water, no showers that I saw, toilets, I just let you imagine… 'Twas far more convenient to go for a swim in the sea -if you had somebody to look out for your clothes- and have a simultaneous wash and dump in it… Anyway, 2 or 3 days after leaving me sarge, I'm a really sorry sight, hungry as well, ready for anything in order to eat and catch on some sleep.

If there's some pleasure in it somehow, I can stand for anything and, happily, the music's OK if not genial, the bands playing quite long sets. Style wise, it's still mostly what old-timers refer as the Blues Boom, Hard Rock has not fully shown its ugly face yet, guitarists are upfront but not overindulged and lyrics are more like a filler, certainly not the main thing. A giant 3 hour set by the Who, so full of energy, makes you soon forget about what awaits you outside once it'll be finished… Sadly, the Doors are not up to that level… They're well on the way down and a black bearded Morrison's very aloof… He'll soon end up forever in Paris and it shows. Also saw what must have been the 1st concert of E.L.P. (Emerson Lake & Palmer)… There was a rumour that Hendrix might join them to then form H.E.L.P., which actually is what we needed on that dreadful night! When I saw the 2 cannons on the stage, I knew we were in for some theatricals, not music, and sadly it's still with us 30 years down the line.

But you can't watch everything… Got to find some food. The road to the nearest village is always heaving with revellers. The small supermarket has bouncers at the doors and only allows so many people in. Still, there's too many of us and not enough of them so the by now free festival extends to free food as well. On the way there one day, I bump into an acquaintance from Dijon and, hearing of my distress, he tells me to join him… Another step down into reality: it's on the back of the main stage, there's a bunch of about 30 French people there and they have built a shed of some sort, about 15 feet by 15 feet. The walls being straw, 2 bales high so you can only crawl in it and stolen corrugated steel sheets form a roof… In the middle is a big fat bastard, King of his Castle. He never goes out, naked all the time, and pimp like, waiting for others to bring him food and women… The ace in his sleeve is that he's got all money and drugs, surrounded by his helpers that go out to sell it for him while he fornicates the festival away… The final nail in the hippy coffin… The only rosier note is that the festival is drawing to an end so I won't have to suffer for much longer… I still end up partnering this 8 year old English kid, more streetwise than I'll ever be; he sells the stuff while I'm supposed to look out for the patrol guards and their dogs.

And Hendrix in all that? Well, it's quite early on the Monday morning when he finally steps on the stage. My leave expired on Sunday midnight so I'm already AWOL… I was actually sleeping in the arena so missed a couple of songs. But the sound is awful, the amps catching a radio show from time to time, Jimi looks and sounds very tired, not much magic… As usual in those cases, he falls back heavily on longish blues jam mode, interrupted by long silences while Mitchell takes over with drum solos. Cox just seems not interested at all frankly, a bit too "square" for my taste. I put it down to tiredness and think to meself there'll be other times, little did I knew…

Anyway, as soon as he's off, I hit the road back to the ferry, shoeless by the way… I'm in a deserted Ryde in the early hours but an old chap is already fettling his front garden. He takes pity on me, offers a nice cuppa tea, a pair of shoes and a tenner with his address so I can send it back… Well I arrived back at the air base on the Thursday. Rather than tell them I was with me girlfriend which was the standard excuse when AWOL and so avoid severe punishment, I told them -and they could plainly see from my state- where I really was so I ended up with 40 days in the nick… Not quite the usual nick, this was after all a school, but after lessons, you went to the kitchens for some potato peeling and loads of washing, then were locked up for the night in a special room. The very room I was still locked in when on the 18th, I learned about the loss of that guitar magician… Really the end of an era.

So long, Patrick""

[RobbieRadio]

Temple Stadium Philadelphia Pa 5/16/70 - PART III of III

And now . . . JIMI HENDRIX!
I couldn't breathe-Literally! Jimi Hendrix walked out to the front of the stage holding a dark Stratocaster with a white neck and was draped in a BEAUTIFUL kind of American Flag outfit and he spread his arms out in "Welcome". I had never seen him in this outfit, neither before, or since. So, until I saw Temple pics I thought I had maybe made up the American Flag scenario . . . His Flying V sat patiently behind, waiting for Red House . . .
He rapped for a minute and said something about the Liberty Bell being cracked and after a quick tune-up, Mitch Mitchell began pounding and out came Sgt Pepper. Never being a huge fan of this version, though I understood the fanfare aspect, I concentrated on clearing my head up a bit. Had I experienced hallucinogens prior, or was a bit older I'd have taken lots in stride, but as fantastic as I felt, right then I actually just wanted to be straight for this concert. I can't explain it. This was highly personal, and I felt this might be a once in a lifetime happening. Little did I know . . . . I really didn't want to see the Wild Sex Freak from Borneo. But I was still in another place, a very beautiful place, and I resigned myself to "Lie back and enjoy it". And all of a sudden, it was very very nice. I'll relate one or 2 more quick things & I'll get out of here.
I can't believe you got this far in the 1st place!
So I studied him. And I heard him. And I felt him. And I want to tell you. As I studied his face, he was not a guitar burner, but a man (this will become very important in a minute) and I saw this frustration - 1st, as I perceived it, in having to be there when I felt he obviously wanted to be somewhere else (like in a studio) and 2nd, possibly that he was wondering if we all came to see Jimi the clown & would we hate him if he didn't do Foxy Lady. And for a split second I perceived him thinking, Damn, What the fuck am I doing here?
I could be way off here - But I think not. And here is where the evening changed. EVERYTHING changed.
Three minutes later after a very rare and unbelievable Johnny B Goode, played with the help of his Ivory's, as he was getting into Machine Gun, he went thru a "shift" I'll call it, as he went inside himself, and found & unlocked what he always does, and that exact same energy that was looking down on us a minute earlier was specifically calling on him to "make" us hear & feel what was in his heart. I don't know if I'm being clear-so try this: In one split second, EVERY fiber in his body & soul became dedicated to the task of offering us the "gift" of his heart. There was all of a sudden, nothing else-for Hendrix, or for me. And me thinks, instantaneously, it was a thorough joy for him to be able to be there, knowing he was literally blowing our minds. And he was getting off on it. And lo & behold I felt tears running down my cheeks. He was locked into this frame of mind thru the entire show, until right near the end as he was finishing Voodoo Child and the reality that the show was coming to a close kicked in.
I also want to throw in here; There is something very different and very special about hearing music in an open air setting. Inside a building, the music bounces off walls and there is a special reverberation/echo inherent in the sound. When you are outside, the music passes thru you ONE time, and dissipates into thin air, never to be heard again. And that sound is indeed a very special noise.
Was Hendrix just an entertainer? Absolutely. Was he just a Rock guy getting his rock thing off? Yep. Did he care if you dug it or not? Possibly and probably. I've heard him on more than one occasion say, "If you don't dig it, that's cool, but if you open your heart & mind to it for a minute, you just might dig it".
Which brings me to the only other thing worth mentioning here. And it's just this. I always felt close to Jimi in a spiritual way. As did we all. And he was different than any rock star before him or after. I'd already seen more than 25 bands by that point since the 1st time I snuck out to see Canned Heat at The Electric Factory when I was 13 . . . .
Still, not knowing what to expect, I [literally] expected to see a God walk out on stage that night. That's what you all made him. A God. But as I watched him & reflected later on the way home (another story unto itself) and even as I ponder these thoughts today. Who I saw that day 38 years ago May 16, 1970 was NOT Jimi God. It was Jimi a Man. It was a fucking guy with a guitar slung over his shoulders. The difference between him and us was, he never took the damn thing off - because for HIM, he just couldn't. He was just a guy who could have been ANYBODY who decided to take the opportunity, since he finally had the spotlight during that short & ILLUMINATING 4 years, and wanted to do something special with his small but brilliant moment in time. He was a guy who thought he might want to leave us with, because it might help . . . . .

You gotta tell the children the truth. They don't need a whole lot of lies.
Cause one of these days, baby - They'll be running things . . .
So when you give them love - you better give it right.
Woman and Child - Man and Wife
The best love to have is the Love of Life.

Sadly & profoundly, we did not get to hear the quiet storm that was coming till after he passed 4 short months later. But my point: He was just a man I saw at Temple that night. Not a God. A man who came and gave us every fucking thing he had. A man who ALWAYS had an axe in his hands, fighting like a farmer. Just a guy with something on his mind. Something he thought was worth telling. And a showman who wanted to send us home with our jaws hanging open. He succeeded multiple times over. A man who did things a million people would have said nobody could have ever done. The people who never took that chance. Who never stepped up to face the "dare". The People who have never visited that special place - buried deep in their hearts. And knowing Jimi Hendrix was a man, was the reason I went home that night and was never ever afraid to pick up my guitar again. And when that show was over and everything fell quiet - It became the loudest sound I had ever heard in my life.
I'm going to make the decision here to omit the ride home 3 hrs late, 3 of us tripping in Little Jeff's fathers car, or that I ended up in Big Jeff's bathroom staring at myself until 5:30 that morning, questioning EVERYTHING that came B4. Thanx for asking me to finish this. I hope it was worth it. I'm exhausted. And very happy to have had the opportunity, even if it was a bit long.
Thank you all for being "out there"
Thank you Johan for the Post & for the other thing as well. You're the best
Peace & Long life 2 U all. Thank you Jimi.

No need to feel embarrased about what you said. I felt the same way you did a number of times. Thanks for the story.