The archives of ukrockfestivals.com has a robust set of pages related to the 1975 Reading Rock Festival (as well as for other years and for other festivals) including tons of artifacts, photos, links and more.

gary mumford

Wednesday, August 7, 2024 9:55 AM

This made me laugh and brought back memories, thanks

urban75

Thursday, December 21, 2023 10:24 PM

READING 1975 My first festival!

Hitching down from Cardiff on the Thursday morning with a school chum, we arrived on site gloriously unprepared, with very little money, no food and only the bare minimum of warm clothing and equipment.

Despite the appalling weather the week before, we'd brought an astonishingly crap tent with us - so crap in fact that it didn't even have any poles. We tried to erect the thing using bits of wood found around the town but soon gave up and resigned ourselves to sleeping in the rather scary communal 'crash tent'.

This was a large marquee made available to tent-less travellers and was not for the feint hearted. Large, dark and emitting an unpleasant odour, we ventured in and claimed what looked like a safe spot, not far from the door.

Our first evening there was awful. The tent quickly filled with rambunctious drunks, shouting, snarling, swearing and loudly imploring sleepers to sing along to their drunken caterwauling.

In-between the alcoholic howling could be heard the strange outbursts of deeply troubled acid trippers, some of whom would occasionally roll over our sleeping bags, cackling to themselves. Sleep was going to be in very short supply.

On the Friday, we woke feeling like shit. Overnight, the tent had filled with some of the most noxious smells known to mankind and a low yellow fug hovered over the snoring sleepers.

We got up early, grabbed the cheapest breakfast we could find and settled down for the day's entertainment.

We watched 'Stella' get canned off stage, followed by an afternoon of the likes of Judas Priest, Kokomo, Wally, UFO, Dr Feelgood and Hawkwind. My rather spoddy festival diary 'scored' each band with Dr Feelgood coming in on top with an impressive 9.5/10 - so I had some taste in those days!

Being sixteen years old, all day drinking seemed like a fine activity, so we wolfed down voluminous amounts of cheap beer, Party Sevens and Bulmer's cider. I was sick later.

When we staggered back to the crash tent we realised that space was now at a premium. The hippies had doubled in number and I suffered an uncomfortable night wedged in tight between two great-coated fart machines. And someone had stolen my watch.

Saturday offered a mixed bag of bands, most of them long forgotten: Zzebra, Snafu, Babe Ruth, Kursaal Flyers, the excellent Heavy Metal Kids, Alan Stivell, Supertramp and pomp-tastic prog rock monsters, Yes.

After the (ahem) excitement of Supertramp, things took a turn for the worse as the heavens opened and the place turned very wet. And very muddy.

When we got back to the Crash Tent we realised that the roof had developed a huge great hole - right above our gear. Our bags were wide open and floating in a mini-lagoon.

Somehow our clothes had ended up being liberally scatted under hordes of sleeping hippies and dribbling alcoholics and it took us ages to reassemble our stuff.

By this time, there wasn't a scrap of sleeping space to be found, so we ended up wading through the gloopy mud outside in search of somewhere dry to sleep - eventually huddling underneath a dripping speaker scaffold.

On Sunday things didn't look too good. I was soaked through to the skin and had only managed to grab about an hour's sleep. I had no dry clothes left and I'd run out of money.

Happily, there were still bands galore to be enjoyed so I secured a relatively mud-free spot for the day and settled down to watch Joan Armatrading, Jack the Lad, String Driven Thing, Caravan, Climax Blues Band, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Robin Trower, Alberto Y Los Trios Paranoia and Wishbone Ash.

My diary records that the Albertos and Caravan were my personal faves for the day.

Later that night we were entertained by some drunk hopelessly trying to steal people's tents before we settled down for another uncomfortable night under the scaffolding. Happily, it didn't rain, but it was freezing and we were covered in mud.

We slept so badly that we gave up trying at 5.30am and headed back to the motorway to start the long hitch home back to Cardiff - a process that ended up taking 36 long hours!

International Musician - August 1975

Wednesday, February 9, 2022 5:36 PM

International Musician provides a breakdown of the gear on stage at the Jazz and Blues festival at Reading in their August 1975 issue.

Vintagerock's Weblog

Tuesday, April 27, 2021 10:15 PM

Vintagerock's Weblog has multiple blog entries related the Festival, broken down by group and by year. This link is for Yes in 1975.

Richard Newell's blog "Bang The Drum All Day&

Tuesday, April 27, 2021 10:09 PM

Richard Newell's blog "Bang The Drum All Day" has a wonderful August 24, 2020 blog post entitled "Memories of the Reading Festival 1975" with a great overview of the festival, including additional memorabilia, and live shots of Yes playing in the rain.

Neil Houlton

Wednesday, June 22, 2016 11:39 AM

Travelled up to the festival site on the first train out of Victoria Station on the Friday morning with my friend Richard. We found a good camping spot between the arena and the river and tried to cook a Vesta Chicken Curry in just one pot, it was horrible but we managed to keep it down. Meet other friends and drunk beer all weekend relying on the Salvation Army for our food, you got a paper plate of baked beans and a slice of bread for almost nothing.
Friday night was a revelation with Dr Feelgood, I danced my little legs off, all followed with hawkwind which I was too stoned to remember much of.
I went to the fesival because Yes were playing and I wasn't disapointed, watched them from two holes poked in a make-shift poncho of plastic sheeting someone was selling. I also balanced on two empty Party7 cans to get a better view, it was beautiful watching the laser beams sparkling in the rain drops.
The other best band were the Alberto's, I remember the guitarist playing a solo wearing just white underpants with a large carrot sewn on the front while the other guitarist stood in the wings and made the real sounds.
We went back in 1976 but it lost it's atmosphere and really I would have prefered to see people like Rory Gallagher and Gong under better conditions, (not having to watch out for cans and bottles being thrown).

Steven Sullivan

Saturday, July 6, 2013 3:19 PM

Robert Fripp had this to say, in a 1979 interview

[Link])
"I remember just before I went to Sherbourne, I went to the Reading Festival in August, 1975. A band came on stage who were actually friends of mine. Anyway, we'd been waiting an hour-and-a-half while their laser show was being set up. I went out to the front. It began to rain. I was standing in six inches of mud. It was drizzling. A man over here on my right began to vomit. And a man over here on my left pulled open his flies and began to urinate on my leg.

Behind me there were some 50,000 people who maybe for two or three evenings a week, for amusement or recreation, would participate in this imaginary world of rock'n'roll. Then I looked at the group on stage - their lasers shooting off ineffectually into the night, locked into this same dream. Except they're in it for 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the rest of their lives."

PK

Too many good memories...my 'O' level results came through the day I saw Yes so that's one. Their laser light show. Seeing a rat near my tent (heading for the Thames) is another. Wandering through the campsite at night until 4am and overhearing loud conversations (e.g. "You've got the pox p-off" - "No it's a spot" - "no go away" - squelch, moan etc). The overrun by Yes was welcomed, but I guess it had to come to an end (I thought due to the rain like at Stoke). I remember the white backcloth behind the stage still had the overspill from Alex Harvey spraying 'Vambo Rules' on his polystyrene wall at Stoke.... And I still give to the Salvation Army because their food and drink kept me sustained for the whole festival. Heady days...

Alan Saunders

Thirty years Ago Wow
Great gig if it wasn't for the rain, the lasers really worked well cutting through it.
Outdoor concert always seem to loose sound quality but this was the best I've heard, the road and sound crew did wonders!

Thanks guys for then, for running this fantastic web site and being still here today (and tomorrow)

Regards to all
Alan

pat crowe

Hey, that,s hilarious Dave. I remember in 1976 in Victoria, B.C. I saw Rush with Max Webster in the Memorial arena and during Anthem my mom and her friends did a tap dance and can can across the whooole stage in front of all of us ....altered?..white blottered fans. Those days are gone forever, never mentioned, but we all remember, don,t we?

Dave Holmes

During the day of the concert, as usual with festivals in those days, things started to run late, and by the time Yes came on about half-an hour behind schedule, I was quite concerned that the band might over-run (being an anxious kind of boy). They played quite a long set, and I became more and more anxious the longer they stayed on the stage. Finally, to my immense relief, they finished around five to twelve. I was all ready for the short walk home, when, to my horror, they re-appeared for an encore. Yes being Yes, they then launched into a song which appeared to last about fifteen minutes, my anxiety levels rising all the time. Finally it ended, only for them to embark on yet another mini-symphony. By this stage I was counting minute by minute the thousands that were accruing in fines. Being close to the stage in the specially fenced-off area for "VIP's", (which fortunately they no longer have at festivals), I had a clear view of the proceedings.

Imagine my horror (mixed with relief) when, at 12:23 as I recall, emerging from stage left, came the small, grey-suited and grey-haired figure of... my Dad! He walked straight up to Jon Anderson, mid-song, actually took the microphone off him, and made some kind of announcement to the audience about having to finish the concert. The rest of the band looked stunned and stopped playing. The stage lights went off, the crowd started booing and throwing cans of piss at the stage. That was the end of the set and the festival for the year. I didn't know what to do, I was dying of shame...

The only consolation I had as I made my way home, was that at least the fine could have been worse.

Maybe I've mis-remembered this event, but I'd be interested to know if you know anything about it, to either confirm or deny it...

Martin Riley

This is the infamous occasion when I fell in the sh*t pit just after Hawkwind's set. I had to take a swim in the river to clean myself off and then realised I couldn't locate any other clothes for the rest of the weekend. Yes were excellent though, irrespective of the weather, but we were getting used to that after Stoke

Mark Roberton

This is one of my outstanding concert memories, and although a wet one, it all just seemed enhanced by the otherwise dreadful weather ! The stage set-up for the end of a great day of music, was already worth the time spent waiting for the band to come on. There were clouds drifting back and forth behind the band, and other mobile props........obviously all from Roger Dean imaginations.

I was introduced to the etherial and highly visual presentation that Yes put on for the fans.......a very memorable piece of theatrical colour, while allowing the musicains themselves to concentrate on the movements and intricate parts they expertly played. The laser show was stupendous - not necessarily that it was planned to go with the rain hammering down on us in that field next to the River Thames . It picked out every raindrop that it met , creating a natural firework display in the sky just above us !! How can I ever forget that image, despite any discomfort I should have been experiencing after a tiring day of rock.

Reading Jazz and Blues Festival began in the early sixties....I think it was begun in Richmond. It was held every year in the summer, and usually it rained at some point! Alongside the River Thames .....at an area not so wide as further into London.......it was a field surrounded by corrugated iron fence. The area was to hold around 100,000 or more . It didn't usually sell out, and for the three days there were tents outside, and kids slept inside too, at day's end (I spent that night in a vendor tent, after it was vacated. I awoke in a puddle of accumulated water).

There were two stages during the early/mid 70's, and one band set up while another played. There were still 'down times' though, and kids would eat, play stuff or roam the area for T-shirts. It may still be held there, and has been joined by other festivals such as Glastonbury , another yearly event.

Memories are rarely made so vivid, but for this one I have the sounds and visuals of Yes to thank.

Jamie Colville

My first venture to a festival was as a 15 year old specifically to see my fave band Yes (whom I'd never seen before). I couldn't sleep for weeks before and I was not disappointed. In spite of really liking Supertramp I couldn't wait till they finished so that Yes could take the stage. I remember it rained heavily but who cared - the green pencil lasers just cut up through the air.

The stage set was awesome - clips of which I have only seen since on official Yes videos (the recent History). I proudly wore my Yes sew-on badge at school after that - together with my Reading Rock 75 badge. The only programme I could get at the time was a Yes one from the Lotus Road gig in 1974. Yes, they were fined for going over the midnight curfew but if I recall they didn't come on stage until around 11:00.

John Kent

The line up for the festival was superb. As already mentioned Supertramp were on prior to Yes and they were superb although everyone was waiting for Yes.

a superb concert in the rain.....and my friends who got up in the middle of the night were priveliged to see patrick Moraz do a spontaneous solo piece..... unfortunately I slept on.

Stu Harris

Probably my favourite Yes concert. I had seen them earlier in the tour at Southampton. The experience was heightened by the fact they were very late on stage as they (allegedly) wanted to use their own mixing desk which led to some technical difficulties. It was also pouring with rain which made the lasers sparkle. it was said they shone out across the local houses and was one of the best "firework" shows the town has seen. Howard Pendleton the organiser has been quoted as saying this was one of his favourite Reading Festival performances despite the problems. I had to sleep on the platform of Reading railway station that night because we missed the last train home (well I wasn't going to miss the encores). I believe the band/organisers were fined by the local authority for the gig overrunning but then it was well worth every penny.

It was a one off thing, I guess the band were "resting" in England after the end of the European leg of the tour and the chance to play Reading came up. At the time this was the biggest rock festival in England If not Europe. This particular one was I believe the highest attendance for the event around 30,000 paying fans (who knows how many thousand "sneak" in). It takes place over the August Bank Holiday weekend and lasts for three days. Yes were the headline band for the festival and played the Saturday night.

ok here goes, after exhaustive research tipping my attic upside down I found an old program which lists all the Artists that ever played the festival. Yes played 3 times 1969,1970 and 1975 Chris Squire played there in 1967 with The Syn.

In alphabetical order then with notes;-)


Alberto Y Los Trios Paranois - did an amazing take off of Robin Trower and Yes (a song titled Close to the Bar) and they could play too.
Joan Armatrading
Babe Ruth
Caravan - Great as they always were
Climax Blues Band
Dr.Feelgood
Hawkwind - In the event of Sonic Attack DO NOT PANIC
Heavy Metal Kids
Judas Priest
Kokomo
Kursall Flyers
Mahavishnu Orchestra
John Mclaughlin
Ozark Mountain Daredevils
Lou Reed (and I can't remember :-( )
SNAFU
Soft Machine
Supertramp - Everyone sang along to Dreamer
Stella
String Driven Thing
Thin Lizzy
Richard and Linda Thompson
Robin Trower - superb Hendrix style guitar playing
UFO
Wally - Produced by Rick Wakeman
Wishbone Ash - The first time I'd heard them, they blew me away
ZZebra
Although most of these bands don't exist anymore, I still can't believe some of the bands I got to see, and just because Yes were there. When you look at this line up now It's hard to believe that Yes got to headline but then at the time they were arguably (usually with Floyd and Zeppelin fans) the biggest band on the planet.

No wonder I don't remember Lou Reed playing I've just discovered he didn't turn up. Mybe I wasn't that stoned.!!!!!!!!!!!

Dave Owen

I can add that the Relayer tour show in Reading UK was at the Reading Rock Festival site, which is at Richfield Avenue, Reading, Berkshire, UK. It's right next to the river Thames. The festival was rested for a few years in the '80s but runs again now, as a forum for alternative and indie UK bands.

I'd love to have seen Yes there, though!

John Williamson

I would like to differ from mainstream opinion however and speak up for the _Walls_ track, which is a lot better than I was expecting given the general slating in the reviews. I guess I don't have as big a problem as some other NFTErs with ex-members of Supertramp contributing to a _Yes_ album, having experienced one of the all-time musical events of a life-time at the Reading Rock Festival (UK) in August 1975 where 40000 individuals had no sooner got over a superb 'Crime of the Century' set by _you-know-who_ to be completed finished off by a brilliant TFTO/Relayer set by Anderson, Howe, Squire, White and Moraz.

Pete Whipple

'High Vibration' is played again except it was more developed than the Philly show. It's still just the opening to 'Awaken' but Moraz and Howe have definate parts now. It's in a different key with White giving it a rock beat! This is about as close as you'll get to the legendary Moraz 'Awaken' everybody wants to hear.

ZOLIAS

Wednesday, July 6, 2022 11:17 AM

According to more than one assistant there was a giant tv screen showing the YES show. Where is the video today?......