Quote
Four Stone Walls
Logie says that 'common knowledge' (my expression) has it that the reason they were so late is cos Keith had been in no fit state to play earlier.

The reason it was 'sloppy' is that Jagger never got the crowd going. I wasn't that far from the stage. He tried early on to get people clapping as he stood on the tip of the stage's tongue - but he got very little response. He and the band just weren't doing it for them. I think that he then soon lost interest. This should have been a culmination, a climactical celebration of the '76 tour.

It was certainly fun to get the surprise numbers from an 'incredibly long list'. But they were rather like separate set-pieces. The show did not gel or flow or build - it just sort of stayed on one level never reaching any sort of intensity - no feeling of excitement that you did get at some of the '76 shows.

It was just the casual way they went from one number to the next. Yup, the soundboards sound ok - but that's not what you heard in the crowd. Perhaps my expectations were too high but in spite of how late it was when they started (2 a.m.?) I really had woken up and was raring to go. The opener (Satisfaction) was a nice surprise but it didn't grab you the way it can even these days when it's played predictably at nearly every show.

I was in my late teens and a 'hardened' fan of six years standing. I met someone in the 1980s who had been 16 when he saw them at Knebworth, (and btw this guy really liked to 'go for it' - he should have been putty in their hands). He said what struck him at the time was who how 'unprofessional' they were. i.e. the casual, sloppiness previously referred to. You can say now that that is part of their charm. But until '75-76 it had not been a charactersitic of their performances. They hadn't become the Greatest R&R band by being casual/sloppy/unprofessional. They'd (deservedly) earned their laurels from '69 to '73 by being tight, wild, generally full-on, with high calibre guitars and an all-round performance that was disciplined in the euphoric chaos it could create.

btw, as others have mentioned, it was an incredibly long, hot day (of the longest, hottest summer on record). Conversely, it was a very cold night. So people were both tired and cold. Perhaps the Stones were tired too - they really didn't exude life, passion and enthusiasm.

In summary, you can generally tell when a band is fired up and 'on form'. The Stones weren't that night. Lynyrd Skynyrd certainaly were that day - and did get people 'going' - they set the day alight.

And Silver Dagger is right - some great gear 'on offer'! - in the days of the 'quid deal'! (A great time was had by all at the adjacent campsite!)

People keep saying that Skynyrd were fired up and blew The Stones away but I think you have just answered it yourself , the very reason everyones perseption of why Skynyrd were better was because yes it was a glorious day and everyone was at their peak, it was in the middle of the day and the Stones came on really late, it was getting cold and people were asleep just waking up.

Four Stone Walls, thanks for a wonderful review! I always enjoy reading memories capturing the moment - i.e. describing how the band was seen in a given time, etc.

What you said that people were not used to the 'sloppiness' of the band, even though it NOW seeems charming, I find extremely interesting. I remember once told by one British ex-contributor to IORR (who had a name of a sky jumper), that he saw The Stones in 1973, when they were absolutely stunning, and then in 1976, when they were a big disappointment. Listening to bootlegs easily confirms this observation, but it doesn't tell what sort of expectations and thoughts one has after being used to the standard of 1973, and then to be treated with 'unprofessionalism' ansd 'sloppiness' of 1976. I can easily understand why the band might have looked like a past prime act in 1976, not just by casual listeners, critics, but as hardcore fans as well. And album like BLACK&BLUE, even though it is a great album in retrospect, didn't help things much either. The Stones were going down-hill in 1976.

In fact, it took me years to really appreciate 1975-77 Stones. For myself, who belongs to a "Start Me Up"-generations of fans, the few years period prior SOME GIRLS, and especially LOVE YOU LIVE album sounded so sloppy, weird and uninspired (I wasn't so sure about "El Mocambo" side either; the idea of the Stones going back to play R&B standards was kind of lame). That kind of 'decadence' was not so charming at all in 1981/82. For years LOVE YOU LIVE was for me a strange, incoherent set of sloppy music between the brillant sharpness of YA-YA'S and the energetic and cohesive sounds of STILL LIFE. Especially Hal Ashby's film had the feeling that the Stones were back on top - especially Keith - after the 'dark age' of the mid-70's. Just around the time I saw LET'S SPEND THE NIGHT TOGETHER in cinema, I remember having a VHS video tape of Paris '76 (AUX ABATTOIRS), which find extremely bad and boring (but surely not anymore!!).

- Doxa



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2009-11-14 11:19 by Doxa.

Got a dvd of the show and I don't detect any sloppiness,but there again it's different when your actually there.

Actually liked the Stones during this 76/77 period.My first album was love you live,and it kind of grew on me.Still one of my favourites.And the whole image of the Stones,with Keefs drug bust,just fuelled my school boy rebellion.Many of my peers chose the punk route,but I just said those guys are pretending to be bad,look at Keef.

Quote
pgarof

Quote
Four Stone Walls
Logie says that 'common knowledge' (my expression) has it that the reason they were so late is cos Keith had been in no fit state to play earlier.

The reason it was 'sloppy' is that Jagger never got the crowd going. I wasn't that far from the stage. He tried early on to get people clapping as he stood on the tip of the stage's tongue - but he got very little response. He and the band just weren't doing it for them. I think that he then soon lost interest. This should have been a culmination, a climactical celebration of the '76 tour.

It was certainly fun to get the surprise numbers from an 'incredibly long list'. But they were rather like separate set-pieces. The show did not gel or flow or build - it just sort of stayed on one level never reaching any sort of intensity - no feeling of excitement that you did get at some of the '76 shows.

It was just the casual way they went from one number to the next. Yup, the soundboards sound ok - but that's not what you heard in the crowd. Perhaps my expectations were too high but in spite of how late it was when they started (2 a.m.?) I really had woken up and was raring to go. The opener (Satisfaction) was a nice surprise but it didn't grab you the way it can even these days when it's played predictably at nearly every show.

I was in my late teens and a 'hardened' fan of six years standing. I met someone in the 1980s who had been 16 when he saw them at Knebworth, (and btw this guy really liked to 'go for it' - he should have been putty in their hands). He said what struck him at the time was who how 'unprofessional' they were. i.e. the casual, sloppiness previously referred to. You can say now that that is part of their charm. But until '75-76 it had not been a charactersitic of their performances. They hadn't become the Greatest R&R band by being casual/sloppy/unprofessional. They'd (deservedly) earned their laurels from '69 to '73 by being tight, wild, generally full-on, with high calibre guitars and an all-round performance that was disciplined in the euphoric chaos it could create.

btw, as others have mentioned, it was an incredibly long, hot day (of the longest, hottest summer on record). Conversely, it was a very cold night. So people were both tired and cold. Perhaps the Stones were tired too - they really didn't exude life, passion and enthusiasm.

In summary, you can generally tell when a band is fired up and 'on form'. The Stones weren't that night. Lynyrd Skynyrd certainaly were that day - and did get people 'going' - they set the day alight.

And Silver Dagger is right - some great gear 'on offer'! - in the days of the 'quid deal'! (A great time was had by all at the adjacent campsite!)

People keep saying that Skynyrd were fired up and blew The Stones away but I think you have just answered it yourself , the very reason everyones perseption of why Skynyrd were better was because yes it was a glorious day and everyone was at their peak, it was in the middle of the day and the Stones came on really late, it was getting cold and people were asleep just waking up.

No.

Skynyrd were a great band on top form. The Stones weren't. As I said earlier - Billy's mini-set was the liveliest part of the Stones' set. Keith kind of hits some animated form by the time of SFM.

If Skynyrd had come on in the wee hours and played their set I'm sure they would have got the cold, tired crowd warmed up. (But no-one would have waited that long for them!) A 'Greatest R&R Band' (pah!) should have been able to do the same - especially after making us wait so damn long!

Stragroover, by choosing a 'dinosaur band' like The Stones in 1977 (remember what Joe Strummer said) you were a true rebel!

(I need to say that I was a bit too young to choose anything in 1977, but in the following years I took the 'punk route' which turned to be my 'rock and roll education'... Anyway, even today, I am not a big fan of progressive rock...)

- Doxa



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2009-11-14 11:43 by Doxa.

As someone who has slagged the Stones off more than once on this forum, I'd like to say that I was very near the front at Knebworth and that they played very well.

It was a long, hot day and, after the delay in their arrival on stage, there was restlessness in the crowd with a few bottles being thrown at Mick when they started. This soon stopped and we were in for a treat.

As I said on another thread, The Stones' songs are generally of a higher quality than Skynyrd's so no matter how well Lyn Skyn played it was unlikely that they'd blow the Stones off the stage and they didn't.

Here's my Knebworth story: I was 16, I hitchhiked to the concert from London where I stayed at a family to improve my English, the schedule of the concert was chaotic and we had to wait REALLY long before the Stones started, I was there alone and I made it to the THIRD ROW in front of the stage, I LOVED »Wild Horses« which was my favorite at that time, I screamed very loud inbetween the songs because I had heard the rumour that Knebworth was recorded to be the next live album (it was Paris instead), the microphone feedbacks were sometimes awful, but beside that, the concert was FANTASTIC and (as I know now) one of the longest in Stones history, I slept on the meadow (freezing all night) and hitchhiked back to London at daybreak, the headline in one of the musicpapers beside a photo of Mick and Keith I will never forget: »It's nearly midnight, it's cold and you've waited twelve hours to see these men: was it worth it?« Well, IT WAS! ... 28 years later: the Knebworth DVD I bought in 2004 was like a timetunnel: during the beginning of »Tumbling Dice«, third row in front of the stage I could see myself at the age of 16 ...

I was there.

17 years old (sigh!) and I seem to remember them coming on about 11.30 so yeah it was late but not 2 a.m. as someone posted. I think they finished about 2 a.m. I'm guessing they wanted total darkness for the light show, plus I've read that Keith was in no state to play any earlier. LS had been great but how can they blow the Stones away? No chance. We were cold and tired and it would have been better if the Stones had been on during the day cos I recall it was a great summers day that we don't just seem to have anymore in the UK (certainly not in the last couple of years). My recollection was Around and Around as opener not Satisfaction, but I guess that's easy to check. I also recall the Gentlemen who relieved our boredom and relieved himself - He's now chief accounting officer at British Gas!

All in all a great day but I have to say I enjoyed Leicester Granby Hall in May 1976 even more - almost got crushed against the stage and Clapton guesting as they did Key To The Highway. That was my 1st Stones concert and Knebworth 2nd

Knebworth was the first and only big festival show I ever attended. I was an undergrad at Cardiff University and had been to many, many shows by then. After parking the car about 5 miles away (at least that's what it felt like on the way back 17 hours later), my mates and I arrived at the site about 9.30am and camped out about a third to half way back in the centre; not the greatest spot, but OK. The whole thing seemed better organized than I'd anticipated, and buying beer and food was really easy. I was really impressed with the huge number of people--all you could see to the skyline.

Most of the bands were fine, and the sound was OK. I thought Lynyrd Skynyrd were particularly impressive (the first time I'd ever heard them) and really got the crowd going, but the early acts, including Hot Tuna, were forgettable. I was surprised how much I enjoyed 10cc.

Like everybody else, I was really looking forward to the Stones. The long wait was a pain. It was a bit chilly after the beautiful day earlier, and the crowd was restless and bored by the time they hit the stage around 11pm (they finished around 2.15am).

I hadn't seen them before and was huge fan. I was brought up with the Mick Taylor version of the band, so I was expecting some sort of continuation of that sound and energy level. I was definitely unimpressed and disappointed with the Ronny Wood combo. To me they sounded sloppy, disengaged, and uninspired. The video and audio recordings have since confirmed that to me. I can't imagine that the 1973 touring band wouldn't have got things really fired up to a much higher level.

Alot of people on here are debating whether or not Skynyrd "blew the Stones off the stage". That's just a figure of speech and and exaggerated opinion people. Skynyrd had a great set. The Stones didn't. Whether or not anybody got "blown off" the stage is not really something that you can disect and logically discuss. It depends on how one would define "blown off the stage" and I'm sure the way people would define such a statement would vary greatly. It's not something you can come to any definitive conclusion about.

If Artimus Pyle (Skynyrd drummer from '75 til the plane crash in '77) had never made that quote about blowing the Stones offstage, we wouldn't be having these rediculous discussions about whether it actually happened or not. I was watching footage of Skynyrd's Knebworth set on Youtube and some idiot posted a comment that said that the Stones were later booed off the stage and Skynyrd was brought back out instead. Totally rediculous. But that's how Pyle's comment about "blowing the Stones off the stage" has snowballed over the years.

do i take artimus seriously? no and had ronnie live he would of probably kicked his ass for saying that. pyle was the only band member to make such a comment ronnie van zant, allen collins, and gary rossington especially were huge stones fans and huge fans of most british bands like cream, the who, led zeppelin, free, and the jimi hendrix experience just to name a few. it was when ronnie heard satisfaction on radio for the first time that he knew he wanted to form a band. in concert ronnie talked about the three of them collecting coke bottles to get enough money to see cream in concert. in fact allen styled his guitar playing from clapton while gary emulated keith. i have not heard much of the stones set. the reason why i posted this thread was to hear what people who were there thought about how both bands played that day/night.

To those who were there: How was Hot Tuna?

I noticed one comment from a Knebworth attendee who did not care for Hot Tuna's set.

I always liked Hot Tuna. They are of course a different animal compared to The Stones and Skynyrd.

If I managed to learn just one thing from the entire day’s events, it was that a great concert is determined by a great deal more than just a competent performance and a decent setlist; so regardless of how good or otherwise the Stones might have been from a technical perspective (not that they were), there were, alas, far too many other contributing factors that helped to make this gig such a huge let-down.

Lynyrd Skynyrd were excellent, and they deserve the plaudits for working their bollocks off in a performance that helped to whip up such a great atmosphere among the swelling, sun-drenched crowd.

In fairness, much of that great atmosphere was probably generated by an eager EXPECTANCY of what we all thought was to lie ahead, though sadly, as things ensued, it was a mood that was to be dampened and deadened by the long delays that led up to the Stones’ eventual appearance on stage.

Keith’s condition on that particular day is well documented by Barbara Charone and others, though there were others too, who helped contribute to the absolutely farcical delays.

Firstly, we had to endure a two-hour wait before the emergence of 10CC for a set that was, to this day, as austere and sterile as anything I’ve ever witnessed. I mean, couldn’t somebody, somewhere, have reminded them that they were supposed to be playing at a FESTIVAL for chrissakes, because instead of going through their impressive greatest hits repertoire, they decided instead to try out a whole load of new material on an already tired and exasperated crowd. An audience so tired and exasperated, that by the merciful end of their performance, many thousands had already began to make their way home.

The time for the Stones performance had, to all intents and purposes, came and went, not just in the literal sense, but crucially, in the minds and souls of the audience, many of whom formed an endless stream of people moving towards the exits, and, in doing so, serving to dampen the spirits of those still remaining.

The most vivid memory I have of that entire evening is of a local woman, probably in her late fifties, wearing a pink night dress and matching slippers, who had actually come into the gig for the last hour or so, and was brushing past myself and others to get a better vantage point, nearer the front!

Nobody stood in her way, probably because they were past caring!

Logie,

Was wondering if and when you might chip in on this umpteenth Knebbers post. So eloquently Spot On.

I've got a few minor things to add in response to a couple of contributions above - but ..... Later (there's no time like the future, they don't say).

I look forward to your future chippings, FSW!

Have skimmed through the comments. My recollections are, 10cc pissed everyone off, including the STONES who were by the time they came on , stoned. Also, what about Chas and effing Dave, I seem to remember cans of party seven being thrown.Finally a recollection of some girls coming into our tent afterwards but we were just too knackered!

Chas and Dave played at this show? Are you sure?

I know that they played the '79 Led Zep shows which featured the New Barbarians as the main support act on the 2nd night, but I dont think they were there in '76.

Just found this page on the event - sorry if its been posted earlier :

[www.ukrockfestivals.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-11-16 01:46 by Gazza.

Chas and Dave didn't play in 76

Quote
deadegad
To those who were there: How was Hot Tuna?

I noticed one comment from a Knebworth attendee who did not care for Hot Tuna's set.

I always liked Hot Tuna. They are of course a different animal compared to The Stones and Skynyrd.

Being an Airplane fan I was excited in getting my first chance to see Jorma and Jack play in Hot Tuna. They came on at about 2pm - the hottest part of the day and play a blistering blues rock set. They play a relatively short set list - compared to the Roundhouse show I saw that they played a few weeks later -

Come Back Baby
Hit Single #1
I See The Light
Rock Me Baby
Funky #7
Serpent Of Dreams
Invitation

Best song by far was the psychedelic Serpent Of Dreams. I have the tape somwhere lurking in my attic, must try to find it.

Yep, I was.
Together with John and Paul.

Mean Mr.Mustard

Quote
dcba
"The best show in 76 by far"
Hell no! Try the 1st Köln/Cologne

I wasn't there at Sporthalle (11 years old then) but judging from the boot I agree that Cologne (June 2) must have been a pretty hot show indeed, much livlier than the rusty sounding Knebworth gig or the Earls Court shows I've heard.

This may also result from the sound of the recordings, though. Knebworth, although a soundboard in parts, has a kind of unsettling sound to it, especially due to disturbing noise and feedback, which adds to the raggedness. The Cologne boot on the other hand is a quite nice audience recording and truly captures the live atmosphere, with the guitars high in the mix.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2009-11-16 19:43 by Greenblues.

I just wanted to return to a few of the various comments above.

I've got nothing really to add to the general feeling of let-down. i think LOGIE sums up the whole thing perfectly- especially the yawning 10cc set - but perhaps they had been instructed to stay out that long until Keith recovered. But they were milking their 'moment'. It was such a relief to have got rid of them!

the crowd that day was said to be the largest ever assembled in the UK. 300,000?

So, you are the biggest band, with the biggest crowd in history, you have wonderful weather AND - your key guitarist is too zonked to go on stage and they let you get cold/tired/bored and suffer 10cc -

that's pretty damn UNPROFESSIONAL - before they'd even started to play.


Intersting to note that 'bigtyke66' above arrived at 9.30 a.m. and that he was a third of the way back. Shows how popular the gig was. I'd camped there with a large group of mates. The campsite was at least half a mile away - more like a mile. I made them all get up arly (6am?) so that we could get close to the stage. We may have got there by about 7.00 or 7.30 - but we weren't as close as we expected to be - that just shows the huge enthusiasm of many others to get there so early - and also explains what a very long day (and night) it was for so many.

linnerz - you did well to get to the third row - I wonder what time you arrived?
great that they did Wild Horses for you

It was a grand day. We all enjoyed Skynyrd - the whole place did.
There may have been a group near the front enjoying the Stones but as I looked at my extended entourage of mates and their mates - i didn't detect much animation - nor among those all around us. Mainly polite observation.

Doxa, you mentiond the 73 versus 76 comparison. I think bigtyke66 summed it up perfectly:

"I hadn't seen them before and was huge fan. I was brought up with the Mick Taylor version of the band, so I was expecting some sort of continuation of that sound and energy level. I was definitely unimpressed and disappointed with the Ronny Wood combo. To me they sounded sloppy, disengaged, and uninspired. The video and audio recordings have since confirmed that to me. I can't imagine that the 1973 touring band wouldn't have got things really fired up to a much higher level."

I had seen the 73 version too and concur with your IORR acquaintance's findings, (Freddie the Falcoln?)

I agree with you about Love You lIve and its rather ignominious place between the de riguer Ya Yas and the really respectable and lively (for middle-agers) Still Life.

Regarding the Mocambo side - well, we have Knebworth largely to thank for two of those numbers. Who knows whether they'd rehearsed Mannish Boy too? They'd been planning to release a retrospective work - or so I understand - and the fruits of such ruminating are provided at Knebworth and Toronto.

The best '76 live numbers for me were the newer ones -esp. Hey Negrita, Hot Stuff and the fabulously floaty Fool To Cry - (in the charts so high for so long that summer). But otherwise - so hard not to compare with the highs of '73 when they were in a totally different league - the same league as Skynyrd circa '76-77.

btw thouh not many had heard or heard of Skynyrd in mid '76 - within about a year Freebird and Sweet Home Alabama were rocking just about every party's dancfloor.

exhprt,

I know someone who said the Granby Hall gig was fab. Their first time too. They (she) never mentioned about Clapton. He did a '76 gig at Crystal Palce Bowl in June where Ronnie guested - and they did Key to the Highway.

That's about it really.I can't agree with Harlem Shuffler that it's the quality of the songs that counts - it's the commitment and passion and being 'up for it' - like the Stones were in '73. Good songs matter - and Skynyrd had 'em too.

I agree with someone else - that it's not really meaningful to use the expression 'blown off stage'. But it's got a good few discussions going.

And Artimus Pyle - what a rare and wonerful name. Though perhaps there are now countless numbers of younger Arty PYles in the Southern States, all rashly boasting about how they have blown established rock acts off stage.

Anyway, it would not have been an achievement of any magnitude whatsoever to blow the Stones offstage that night. Pinky and Perky could have done it.

It was a wonderfully calm day and a still cold night. But had there emerged even the faintest whisper of wind, it might have sent the waif-like Keith staggering back into his amps or Charlie's kit. But if he'd landed on the floor - he'd probabaly have not missed a beat. I'm not suggesting that it would have impaired his playing abilities in any way and 'blown him offstage'.

Keith. You did let a lot of people down that day, you know.

Oh yes you did. And British Rail had laid on lots of late trains especially. But people had to walk a long way to get them. So they had to leave, many of them, not long after your set started, just to be able to get back to London.

But at least they'd had a wonderful day courtesy of the Artimus Pyle Band



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 2009-11-19 11:49 by Four Stone Walls.

Hah! Fantastic. Where's the 11 marker on the amp knob when you need it.

They made a stage made for Stones their home - and blew themselves off it!

Listen to that crowd at the end - and at the beginning!

What a glorious day - hazy sun through English elms.

thanks - made my day



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-11-17 11:32 by Four Stone Walls.

Time blurs the memory of the events. I went to both and they (C & D) do unfortunately stick in the mind.

Exhibit Number 2 :-








Judge foy yourselves:

Loads of other good Knebworth clips at the end of above performance -

Saturday Nigt Special
Whiskey Rock and Roller
SH Alabama

- all showing a wonderful day - and a damn hot band.

ChrisM, I gather you are not a great LS fan - but just one question - what is the guitar that the guitarist in red (Gary Rossington?) is playing?



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2009-11-18 04:34 by Four Stone Walls.

That's really WILD, m' Lud!

I provide herewith more evidence from the trial, deluxtone:-

The rumor was that the Knebworth Fair was to be the last Rolling Stones concert ever. At that time, Jagger, Richards and company were going through a stagnant period, caught up in the excesses of the 70's. Speculation in the British press ran rampant that this concert to thank British fans for their past support would indeed be the grand finale to the illustrious career of "The Would's Greatest Rock 'N' Roll Band." However, according to the Stones' management, their appearance would simply be the last time the band would play...at Knebworth.

It was August 21, 1976, and England was in the grip of the worst droughts in recent memory. The third annual Knebworth Fair was to be a massive all-day rock festival on the sprawling grounds of the Knebworth House country estate in Hertfordshire, England. In keeping with the scope of the concert's vast setting, 50,000 pound had been spent to build a mammoth, mouth-like stage, modeled on the Stones logo, which was canopied by a giant pair of inflatable red plastic lips, with a long runway that stuck out into the crowd like the moniker's protruding tongue.

By the early morning hours of that blistering summer Saturday, nearly a quarter of a million rock-hungry fans had converged on Knebworth Park, filled with happy expectation, with many already sporting "Stoned at Knebworth" T-shirts. People were literally handing from the stately English Oaks that dotted the Estate, eagerly awaiting the 11:00 a.m. start of the day-long program of rock 'n' roll, which promised appearances by the Stones, 10cc, Todd Rundgren's Utopia, Hot Tuna, the Don Harrison Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Knebworth would be Skynyrd's most important British gig ever. Early in their career, the Jacksonville, Florida-based outfit had been called "The Next Rolling Stones." Now that elder band's crown appeared to be up for grabs, the hungry Southern upstarts were going to get a chance to prove it. The opportunity to play on the same bill with the Stones was the result of a shrewd marketing plan by Skynyrd's manager, Peter Rudge, who coincidentally managed the legendary British supergroup as well. the gentlemanly-rock-impresario was one of the hottest managers in rock 'n' roll, guiding the fortunes of both the Stones and The Who. Rudge had promised to put Skynyrd in the same league. It was during the band's first big-time gig, opening for the Who's "Quadrophenia" tour in 1973, that Rudge had met the Rebel Rockers, and since taking over the band's management after their top 10 hit, "Sweet Home Alabama", he had, according to Skynyrd lead singer Ronnie Van Zany, "took us off Bull Durham and put us on Golden Grain."

Rudge hoped Knebworth would put Skynyrd over the top. He had showcased the band in the UK before on three separate excursions, but at Knebworth the group would be playing in front of a crowd that outnumbered all of their three previous British tours combined. Coming off a strong performance at a warm-up concert two days earlier in Hemel, Hempstead, Skynyrd was ready to plant the rebel battle flag on the Stone's turf.

Now, backstage before their set, a confident Skynyrd band prepared to face the teeming mass of English humanity. However, ahter realizing that celebrities like Paul and Linda McCartney, "Papa" John Phillips, David Gilmour, Jack Nicholson, and perhaps even the Stones themselves would be looking on, the band hastily forified themselves before heading on-stage by tossing down quick shots of Jack Daniels.

Skynyrd had originally been scheduled to appear at 3:15 p.m., but due to a late start and various delays, the group suddenly found themselves moved into the prime slot on the festival set list. At around 5 p.m., in the fading light of afternoon, Ronnie Van Zany greeted the crowd with a "Hello, How Are You!" and without further warning, unleashed his guitar army.

Part redneck, part rocker, the long haired Van Zany wore his black cowboy hat pulled down over his eyes like an outlaw, suggesting he might also be part gunfighter. His dangerous, menacing aura and the nasty snarl with which he delivered his mythic tales of whiskey, women, and saturday night specials was amplified by his band, whose violent three-axe attack exploded through the dry afternoon air with the relentless fury of an artillery barrage. From the opening notes of "Workin' For MCA," Skynyrd's tight set built with the momentum of a blitzkrieg until the barefoot lead singer could feel the stage burn beneath his soles from the searing guitar lines of his band's thunderous finale.

By the time the final chords of Skynyrd's ninety minute set reverberated over the Knebworth Park around dusk, even the inscrutable Mr. Nicholson had become a convert. The band's hellfire brand of Southern boogie, which a reviewer called "one, long frontal assault on the senses, " instantly won over the partisan English crowd and the group's soon-to-be legendary encore performance is to this day, one of the most inspired moments ever witnessed on a British stage. By the time Skynyrd had finished with the Limey crowd they were crying "more", with the Confederate "Stars 'N' Bars" being waved ecstatically along-side the British Union Jack.

Skynyrd 's powerful, professional set turned out to be the highlight of the festival, drawing unanimous raves from even the most jaded members of the British press. Their performance grew in stature when compared to the subsequent fiasco of the headlining Stones set, a belated affair which was delayed over four hours and finally concluded in the wee hours of the morning, eventually being dubbed by one critic as " a shambling parody." Skynyrd's Knebworth performance gave the group instant credibility in Britain, paving the way for a headlining tour of the mother island the following Spring.

For Skynyrd guitarist Steve Gaines, the Knebworth show was a previously unimaginable experience. Since joining the band only two months earlier, literally straight off his Oklahoma farm, the road-hungry Oakie picker had already had a huge impact on the tour-weary rockers. "He's scared everybody into playing their best in years, " Van Zany grinned, as he watched Skynyrd's established guitarists Gary Rossington and Allen Collins kicking up the gears to match the country boy's torrid pace. Gaines' twangy, biting Start runs perfectly complimented Collins' slashing Claptonesque leads and Rossington mournful wail, blending immaculately to restore the powerful three-guitar attack which had been the band's trademark until guitarist Ed King had succumbed to the group's relentless touring pace over a year earlier.

In the months to come the quiet, self-effacing singer-guitarist Gaines would inspire Skynyrd to unparalleled heights of virtuoso song-writing and performing, including their first million selling album, "One More From The Road," a two-record live set recorded at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, just after Gaines joined the band. By 1977, with record sales at an all-time high and a string of consistently sold-out headlining dates under their belt, the group had built the momentum for a final breakthrough to a place among rock's super-elite.

Another reason for Skynyrd's revitalization was their swearing-off of hard liquor and drugs. "It's the first time we've seen our audience in eight years," Van Zant remarked, only half-jokingly. The band's reformed attitude could be summed up musically in a new composition, "That Smell," Van Zant's apocalyptic response to Collin's, Rossington's and pianist Billy Powell's drug-and-alcohol related car wrecks in late '76. Comparatively sober, the group had spent most of '77 writing and recording a new studio album to follow-up their multi-platinum live success. "It's the best we've ever done," Van Zany proclaimed when Skynyrd emerged from Atlanta's Studio One in late August with the finished album masters.

After a decade of turmoil, "Street Survivors" symbolized Skynyrd's final triumph over adversity. The album cover eerily portrayed the struggle of Shantytown kids turned stars, depicting the group on a narrow street, seven abreast, standing their ground while flames engulf everything around them. By the early October release date, advance orders for the record confirmed that it would be their first album to ship gold. By October 17, 1977, the album's street date, Skynyrd had already played the first week of their "Tour Of Survivors," which was intended to be their biggest headlining American tour ever. Their ultimate success seemed assured.

The subsequent plane crash and the tragic deaths of Van Zant and Gaines have often overshadowed the brilliance and artistry of Skynyrd's last triumphant year. This collection of great live performances from the soundtrack of "Freebird...The Movie" will surely add to the legacy of this legendary band. They shed new light on the reputations of Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins, Gary Rossington, Steve Gaines, Billy Powell, Leon Wilkeson and Artimus Pyle, who could boast that they had once done battle with "The World's Greatest Rock And Roll Band" and - in the words of Artimus - "blew them off the stage."
Ron O'Brien

(From SwayStones' contribution to the Pink Floyd / Rolling Stones connection thread - where SwayStones linked to 'Freebird the Movie' publicity material)

It was a long day ! ...after which the trollies at Stevenage station were a comfy bed for the night