Probably the most iconic image of any festival performance is Jimi Hendrix's flaming guitar of the Monterey Pop Festival. At the climax of the set, Jimi went all Pete Townshend and got out the matches an *BAM*... a star was born.
Judging by the glazed eyes and gibbering mouths returning from the Carling Weekend, it's fair to say Nine Inch Nails made quite an impact. This is why (warning: contains strobing and the like).
The Monterey Pop Festival is the forefather of the modern pop-fest. Of course, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Who all made their names there... but often overlooked is the lilting twee popism of Simon and Garfunkel. Here they are, Feelin' Groovy.
I've heard some not-so-good things about the King of Leon live experience. Perhaps they should just get Eddie Vedder in for every show, because this footage of their Lollapalooza collaboration is pretty awesome. This comes via Pearl Jam fansite Pearl Jam Evolution.
With the Reading/Leeds festival just around the corner, lets have a look at arguably the most famous gig from the festival. Of course, it's 1992 and Nirvana.
One of the daddies of modern noisy alternative rock (not the catchiest thing I've ever said) Hüsker Dü coupled big lunger chorus after chorus with a wall of feedback and filthy guitars. Unfairly overlooked in favour of The Pixies and the like, here, Hüsker Dü show their wares at Pink Pop with a cover of The Byrds' Eight Miles High.
With the Green Man Festival around the corner, it's worth looking at one of my highlights from last years festival. Voice of the Seven Woods performed The Firefly Dusk and got a big ovation for Paul Blakely (who is a pal of mine... so you, give him some applause as well!).
Here's something a little more earthy and downbeat for the Classic Festival Performances section. This video features folk supremo Bert Jansch playing the title track from the Crimson Moon album at the Cambridge Folk Festival back in '04. Gorgeous.
Remember the Phoenix festival? They had some big names down there. In 1996, the band owning all the festival circuit was The Prodigy. Watch them create their own little piece of carnage with Funky Shit.
The 94 Woodstock, by and large, was a disaster. Rioting blighted the event... as did a whole host of half baked US rawk bands. One of those groups, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, managed to lightened the mood by performing in bizarre light bulb outfits.
The weekend has seen a headlining spot from The Who, so let's look at the boys in their prime at the greatest festival ever ever ever (apparently)... oh... that's Woodstock.
After charging out of plumes of smoke brandishing rifles and sporting balaclavas on the NME stage at Glasto, the Manic Street Preachers gave everyone a thoroughly bad trip in 1994. Kicking against the hippie ethos, Nicky Wire superbly quipped "Someone should build a bypass over this shit hole." Watch them fire through a stonking PCP.
In one of the first festivals ever, The Rolling Stones threw an all dayer at Altamont Speedway, which, as you'll probably know, ended in tragic circumstances. During a flabby rendition of Under My Thumb, Meredith Hunter was stabbed by the Hell's Angels who were 'policing' the event. Now the words Altamont fill all music fans with cold chill. This was the day that festivals became slick... and safer for all.
Not many soul singers can turn up at a hippie festival and completely own every ass in sight... but then again, Otis Redding isn't just any old soul singer.
Today, believe it or not, is the tenth anniversary of the release of Radiohead's OK Computer. Feel old now, don't you? Sorry about that.
At least one the album's central themes - human beings experiencing alienation as a result of the proliferation of cold, unfeeling technology - never came true. Muse on that as you watch their legendary performance on the machine you use to communicate with people everyday, listen to music, watch TV, read news, book your holidays, check your bank balance and do your shopping...
Bizarrely, Orbital found themselves as a quintessential festival band, even though they were purely electronics based. Orbital ended their love affair with the European tour circuit at the 2004 Glasto, and here are the boys, funny specs and all, rollicking through the Doctor Who theme. Great stuff.
The recent Coachella Festival saw the return of the reformed Rage Against The Machine but one gets the feeling that it was Bjork who completely stole the show. Watch this incredible footage of Hyperballad & Pluto turning into a massive wonky disco rave! Brilliant!
"It's a big nation but it's still weak" spake the majestic gloom laden voice of Leonard Cohen as he strummed through a beautiful version of Suzanne at the riot laden Isle of Wight festival in 1970.
Not all festival performances are remembered for great shows and great songs. Some go down in history for other reasons... like 50 Cent's appearance at the Reading Festival. This boy has told the world he's taken bullets... and now he can add urine, bottles and a deckchair to his list.
When it comes to headline acts, it doesn't get much bigger (or older) than The Rolling Stones. Their combined age may be 28,207, but I would personally love to see them in the flesh, even if it is all wrinkly.
OK, enough with the age jokes.
The Isle Of Wight Festival has the Stones as one of their headliners this year, alongside Muse, Kasabian, Groove Armada, Keane and Snow Patrol. The 3-day event runs from June 8th to June 10th (i.e, this weekend).
How do you learn how to dance like Joe Cocker. Well, get yerself some spangly boots, take a load of acid and then cane a load of Newcastle Brown Ale. Sounds fun to me! Here's the great man doing his 'With A Little Help From My Friends'/'Dig A Pony' Beatles mash-up at Woodstock.
There's nothing like a headlining spot at Glasto to ensure your star status. One band who won over new friends in this spot were Blur who stole everyone's hearts at Glastonbury in 1995. Their pop-psych closer This Is A Low left everyone pretty much breathless... and they never looked back.
Everyone got a little bit moist when Rage Against The Machine announced they'd be getting back together for the Coachella Festival. Well, watching this fan vid from the gig, it's easy to see why. Like they'd never been away!
To me, more than Hendrix, The Who... Country Joe MacDonald's performance at Woodstock is the archetypal festival performance. His rousing rendition of 'I Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die' struck a bigger chord than Jimi's histrionics and certainly unified more people than Pulp singing Common People. Watch and sing-a-long!
Perhaps the most famous and incredible festival performance of the past decade or so is Nirvana's headlining spot at Reading in 1992. The show had everything... Cobain faking his own death / collapse... attitude... unity... chaos... and most importantly - the tunes. Watch in awe as they scream through Aneurysm while at the peak of their powers. Amazing.
"If a lanky get like me can do it... so can you." And thus spoke Jarvis Cocker on the main stage at Glastonbury as Pulp went from NME darlings to the biggest popstars on the planet. If any song captured the summer it was Pulp's 'Common People' and to think they only headlined by accident!
The daddy of the modern festival was the marvellous Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. Featuring that set from Jimi Hendrix which saw his guitar torched and a storming set from king of soul Otis Redding... however, the most exciting band on show were "a group that will destroy you completely... in more ways than one". Watch The Who tear through 'Subsitute' and wish you were there. Roll back the years with them at Glasto this summer.
One of the most incredible performances in the history of every single gig ever was the jaw-dropping set from Jeff Buckley at Glastonbury 1995. A heavenly voice and sickening good looks didn't even match his limitless talent... if you were there... count yourself very very lucky.
John Sebastian penned some of the greatest tunes ever to grace an ear during his time in the Lovin' Spoonful. One hidden gem is the achingly lovely Darling Be Home Soon as seen performed at the legendary Woodstock festival in 1969.
Not many women have owned the Glastonbury stage like Polly Jean Harvey has. Watch this video of PJ strutting her incredibly sexy stuff at Glasto 2004 as she whips everyone up into a frenzy with Meet Ze Monster. Jaw dropping stuff.
