40 years ago Woodstock first conjured people’s emotions and truly captured and created the essence of what a summer festival could (and should be) though 40 years on Woodstock has retained its spirit. This year The Big Chill Festival is honoured that the creator of Woodstock, Michael Lang, is coming to the festival as The Big Chill celebrates Woodstock’s 40th birthday this August.
The Woodstock Music and Art Fair is widely regarded as one of the most significant moments in popular music history and was listed as one of the “50 moments that changed the history of rock and roll” by Rolling Stone magazine. The brainchild of Michael Lang and Artie Kornfield, with the help of financiers John Roberts and Joel Rosenman, theWoodstock idea was born. It was Lang, who’s laid back approach so typical of the 60’s movement, wanted to build it as a way to bring people together.
Forty years on, Woodstock has become ingrained in popular music culture, its position as THE festival, an originator, has never been forgotten. It was 15th August 1969, when Richie Havens opened up the first ever Woodstock to 500,000 people. Michael will be appearing at the Words In Motion tent on the opening evening, so that Big Chill revellers will be able to meet the man himself in a special Q&A session.
There will also be a chance for chillers to watch a 40th anniversary screening of the film, Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music.Speaking about Woodstock 1969, Michael Lang had this to say: “Eight months before the event, I had a dream. Iwas on a stage looking out at a sea of people, and I knew that was coming. I didn’t have the specifics of it, but I hadthe end results. I just followed that.”
Big Chill co-founder Katrina Larkin said on the partnership: “Woodstock is seen as the perfect celebration of the 60′speace and love movement. An ideal which the founders of The Big Chill hold dear and which has helped define theethos of The Big Chill these past 15 years. It is yet to be seen if the skinny dipping that was so prevalent in the FilippiniPond in ‘69 will happen in the Eastnor pond this year. If it does then it is likely that Michael Lang will be the oneleading the charge!”
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