Woodstock Music Festival

Woodstock Music and Art Festival, Festival of Music and Art in Woodstock), a famous rock festivals. Was 15, 16, 17 Aug., 1969 at a farm town of Befel, New York,.Visitors - about 450 thousand, of whom 1,500 journalists. At the festival were made by such singers, musicians and groups like The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Janice Joplin, Joan Baez, Jimmy Hendrix, Grateful Dead, Ravi Shankar, Carlos Santana and others. Opening Remarks took Max Yasgur, owner of the farm in which the festival was held, he said: «I am a farmer, I can not speak to the audience, before such a large gathering of people like this. This is the largest crowd ever to assemble in one place. You have to come three days of fun and music. And I hope that apart from music and entertainment nothing is ... »

The festival known as "Woodstock" because it originally planned to hold him in the town of Woodstock in Ulster County, but the city is not suitable territory for such an event, for fear that arrive more than a million spectators.The event almost broke down, but Sam Yasgur persuaded his father, Max, to allow a concert at the family-owned field, located in Sullivan County, about 40 miles southwest of Woodstock. Although the show was planned for a 200,000 visitors arrived more than 500,000, most of them without tickets. A highway in the direction of the concert was overcrowded. People abandoned their cars and go walking several miles to get to the show.

During the festival 3 people died: one from a heroin overdose, the second was shot down by a tractor fell from the third highest construction and has been 2 unconfirmed birth. The festival has identified a number of landmark events - the end of an era hippie, the beginning of Sexual revolution.

Among the stars invited to Woodstock were group The Who and Jim Hendricks. Due to disagreements with the organizers on payment of The Who to be raised at the scene until 4 am. One of the most memorable performances, The Who was executed song "See Me, Feel Me", the sun rise as soon as solist Roger Deltri began to sing. Also while at the group stage, political activist Abby Hoffman interrupted the speech to a crowd shouting slogans yuppie, but was removed from the scene Guitar Group leader, Pita Taunshenda, to the joy of the audience. At the end of set Taunshend broke the guitar on stage and threw into the crowd. This point has contributed to the emergence of The Who as a superstar and helped their album "Tommy" to become multipy. Jim Hendricks, made a huge impact, including an alternate version of "Star-striped flag." Song was something incredible, was in the midst of the Vietnam War and sound effects, which Hendricks benefits of a guitar called parallels with the sounds of violent conflict. The two execution found the greatest fans in the history of rock music.
In 1970, was released a documentary film «Woodstock. Three days of peace and music », won in 1971« Oscar ».

Subsequently held commemorative festivals: Woodstock 79, Woodstock 89, Woodstock 94 (25 anniversary), Woodstock 99 in conjunction for the anniversary Woodstock festival of 1969. Obviously, the next will take place in 2009. However, all these anniversaries are not followed either in comparison with the original. The atmosphere of peace and universal friendship and love has been lost with the departure of the sixties. And the music and performers were no longer ones (although some performers from the first festival ever and anniversaries, such as Joe Cocker). It also strongly criticized exposed festivals (high prices for drinks and food and ban meat yield itself, the lack of an adequate level of medical care).