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Michael Eavis Takes Charge
Now called ‘Glastonbury Festival’, 1981 was the year that Michael Eavis took the helm. The event raised £20,000 for the Mid-Somerset ‘Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament’ following ticket sales of 18,000 at £8. Festival-goers were treated to performances by New Order, Hawkwind, Taj Mahal and Aswad, whose collective dressing room was Mr Eavis’ farmhouse. The Pyramid Stage was re-built out of telegraph poles and ex-MOD metal sheeting to form a permanent structure that would double as a cowshed and animal food store during the winter months.
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Comments
I was there, just left school, wow how lucky my Dad sorted out dropping us off and a caravan on the farm next door to stay in... i remember some strange acts like Gong, but also meeting John Cooper Clark and New Order. Saturday night New Order played, I had been a big Joy Division follower so N O were top of my list, but they didn't hang around and play any encores as the hairy hells angels arrived at the front of the pyramid demanding Hawkwind! in those days there was no fencing or security so i nipped around the back of the pyramid to meet the band, great talking to them and then i thought of autographs, the only thing i had for them to sign was my new Siouxie Soux t shirt, Hooky wasn't too happy as he said she had been slagging them off in NME, i asked Gillian to sign, she said 'what do i write? i've never done one before', nearly 30 years later i still regret saying to her write 'Ian Curtis rip', someone nudged me but nothing was said...
just a funny thought.... the pyramid was very easy to climb up and join the bands on stage, the way they stopped this... pouring gallons of cooking oil down the metal sheeting. and it worked! such happy days, thank you x
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My first glasto - I arrived in the boot of a car that had no brakes with a sleeping bag and two gallons of rough cider....Hawkwind were late on because they were apparently playing Stonehenge...... for free :) the sun was a roaster and everything was posssible....loved that festival!!
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I remember riding into the site late at night with Hawkwind playing and all the lazers. Ah! happy memories. managed to pitch the tent in front of the main stage brill. A taj bigger now but still the best festival
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twobobband, those were great days that we were lucky to be there and will never see again, Mr Eavis, one of the best, cheers!
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Ah my first Glastonbury. I was only 12 and my mates dad drove us there on the Sunday, dropped us off and left the two of us to fend for ourselves for a day. I drank a load of scrumpy cider and couldn't walk afterwards, watched Osibisa, bought a Black Sabbath T-shirt, had a log thrown at me by a Hell's Angel because i was too close to his bike and then paid back my mates dad's trust in us by redecorating his car on the way home with said cider!
Incredibly annoyed i missed Hawkwind the night before though, they did a great set which i have a recording of although they had the power cut off at the end of their it as they were going on too long, having arrived late after playing Stonehenge. They played for free in the travellers field at later festivals but were never officially invited back again.
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It was the first time I ever went to Glastonbury. I was with my wife and small child and my wife was pregnant so we stayed in a local B&B. I remember seeing Joy Division and Roy Harper who I was a big fan of. Roy played a great set and over ran so was forcibly removed from the stage to make way for Ginger Baker. I was upset by this so went back stage to speak to Roy. You could do this as there was no barriers. I understand that when Ginger came on missiles where thrown and it got a bit ugly. I went back to the B&B and had to sneak upstairs as I had put my foot in a bog and it was covered in mud. There were lots of hippys and some punks who were sniffing glue from plastic bags. There were also a lot of naked people wandering about. On Saturday afternoon John Cooper Clarke came on stage and read out some poetry which was peppered with swear words so I had to cover the ears of my young son.
I really enjoyed it but was disappointed that I didn't camp and enjoy the real atmosphere of the festival. The next time I went was in 1990 and everything had changed.
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