There have been many music festivals and concerts that can claim to be pivotal moments in the history of Rock and Roll. But no music festival can be bestowed the honour of this title more accurately than Woodstock Music and Art Fair, held on the 15 August in 1969, spanning three days.

The festival was attended by more than 4,00,000 people and 32 acts were performed in three days, which continued till the morning of 18 August. 

Some of the iconic performers were Joan Baez, Jimi Hendrix, Santana, Country Joe McDonald, Creedence Clearwater Revival, CSNY, Pandit Ravi Shankar and Janis Joplin, among others. 

Woodstock was an unprecedented event, with thousands and thousands of people battling rain, mud, food shortage and poor sanitation just to witness one of the  greatest events in musical history, content and blissful with just the spirit of music.  

Whenever I think about Woodstock 1969, I can feel a shiver down my spine. What a massive music arena it must have been! The smell of rain mingling in the wind, the air charged with the energy of almost half a million people, Joan Baez’s soulful hum, Janis Joplin’s mad rock and roll, CSNY and their entwined harmonies, Jimi Hendrix and his iconic electric guitar. 

Most musicians of our times would give an arm and a leg to perform in Woodstock, but at that time, no one knew how huge the festival would be. Ironically, Bob Dylan, who was living quite close to the Festival area at that time, was never really in negotiations to perform in Woodstock. 

The Doors declined an offer to perform because they thought Woodstock would only be a shadow of the previous music festivals. Oh, how wrong they were! 

Later, The Doors regretted their refusal, and their chance to be hailed as a band of the Woodstock Generation. Led Zeppelin were contacted as well, but they backed off because of the huge number of acts who were going to perform, reportedly not wanting to be “one band among many”. This shows that nobody could imagine the potential of Woodstock and that made it one of those unexpected events that strike like a bolt of lighting and makes you a believer of destiny, of Que Sera Sera.

Let&’s take a look at the performances. The Festival wasn’t perfectly organised, but then again, how many great events in history are? There were many performances which were rushed and unplanned, sets which were improvised, many a song with distorted and unusual renditions, yet, they went on to be massive hits. To those who thought that the unimaginable number of people who had gathered were trouble, they were in for more surprises. 

Almost in sync with the opening ceremony of the Festival, the heavens started pouring on the crowd, developing into a full on thunderstorm. Joan Baez, at the start of her set, famously started with “We shall overcome”, playing through the storm. She was in her sixth month of pregnancy and glowed throughout her performance, in a way that only Baez could. 

Alvin Lee of Ten Years After was warned that the rain may cause electrocution if the artists weren’t careful. But, even in such adverse situations, the spirit of music seemed to be a higher power than all other mortal mechanisms. 

They went on to perform their set and returned perfectly sound, nobody sporting a full body burn or two. Woodstock was a force of destiny for many of its performers, mainly for CSNY and Melanie Safka. 

Not many had heard of them till they stepped on that stage, shaky and full of anticipation.  CSNY had only had one major performance prior to Woodstock and onstage, after a couple of their songs, they jovially admitted being scared out of their wits at the sight of the size of the audience. 

Melanie Safka, then a 19-year-old novice country folk musician, went on to become one of the icons of the Woodstock Generation. Pandit Ravi Shankar and his ragas were received with tremendous enthusiasm. His tunes had an odd but pronounced psychedelic echo and it seemed to put the audience in a trance.  

Jimi Hendrix closed the Festival with his set, singing the iconic The Star Spangled Banner in his blue beaded white fringed leather jacket, red head scarf and blue jeans. 

It was hailed to be one of the greatest moments in the history of music. To this date, many of his songs in Woodstock remain immortalised, incredible encores and medleys, because it was the only time that they saw the light of the stage.  

The Woodstock Music Festival is known as one of the greatest and most peaceful music festivals of the world. The three days of the Festival witnessed unprecedented harmony among the masses and truly proved how much music can have an effect on people. 

Almost zero atrocities were recorded. People from all spheres offered help to the crowd of Festival goers. The U. S. Army provided aid, food, security to the people and airlifted artists to and from the stage. 

More than 50 doctors and medical staff worked without pay at the site of the festival. Food was arranged for the crowd and many nearby organisations contributed to look after the people. Many political and social issues came up in the Festival like anti-war ideals, racial tension, Vietnam War protests, among others. Woodstock was a marked event for the Hipster generation and their ideas and ideals were highlighted as well. It was a historic event of epic proportions and remain an icon among generations. The Woodstock Music and Art Fair promised 3 days of Music and Peace, and they delivered it, signed, sealed and tuned. 

(Coordinator, ex-St John&’s Diocesan High School)