[% META title = 'Knebworth Fayre 1985' %]

Memories of Knebworth

From: a.langley@ukonline.co.uk (Andrew Langley)
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 1995 14:16:24 GMT
Message-ID: <4c65rt$buc@morse.ukonline.co.uk>

I would like to hear from people at the knebworth gig or anyone who saw purple on part of thier comeback 1984/1985 tour.

I went to knebworth, It must of been one of the best gigs of my life.

About 120,000 of us crammed in.. I got the feel for the atmosphere the night before listening to the band and the fans on the campsite on the radio. I think Ian Gillan even went round the tents with tommy vance the radio guy speaking to the fans, all in the soaking wet.

The next day we left Wales about 5 o'clock in the morning, as there were so many bands on the bill. We got there late as the traffic from about 30 miles around was terrible. We missed alaska and mountain and caught the end of the mamas boys set. The weather was attrocious. We sat through good sets by ufo, meat loaf (leg in plaster), and the scorpions, though from where we were the sound was not to good.

It was an funny feeling waiting for a band that you had bought their records but not had a chance to see, what whould they be like after all those years.

They did not disapoint. Every song was given a warm welcome. Gillans voice was on form. The lazer afffects were way ahead of thier time. Blackmores solo was eirie, with the sound bieng bounced around you at all angles.. The fireworks made the battle of britain seem like a non event. The highlights had to be smoke on the water crowd participation.

Please post your stories cheers Drew (a.langley@ukonline.co.uk)