The Isle of Wight Festival in 1970 was really a sight to behold. Countless now-legendary artists took to the stage in front of crowds of nearly 700,000 counterculture fans. Let’s look at just four acts that appeared at the Isle of Wight Festival and made history.
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Just keep in mind that this list isn’t exhaustive. There are quite a few amazing acts that appeared at the fest that year!
Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix’s performance at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970 was one of his finest. He was an incredible performer, and he could easily captivate a crowd of 100 people or 700,000 people. It was like he had a superpower. Hendrix walked on stage shortly after midnight, and his performance was a colorful and captivating thing to behold. I wish I could have been there, truly.
The Who
The Who also performed at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970, and their set didn’t disappoint. Always known for their insane performances, The Who delivered the same energy that they had in the 60s. They certainly hadn’t lost any of that insanity they were known for, and the set included plenty of guitar-smashing from Pete Townshend and impeccable vocal gymnastics from Roger Daltrey. John Entwistle and Keith Moon were also at their finest here.
The Doors
Sadly, The Doors’ performance at the Isle of Wight Fest in 1970 would be one of the band’s last performances before Jim Morrison passed away the following year. Fortunately for those in attendance, it was an incredible show. Always known for being particularly engaging and wild, The Doors riled up the crowd of hundreds of thousands. Morrison’s vocals were about as perfect as they could have been here, despite allegedly getting drunk with Roger Daltrey shortly before their set.
Miles Davis
The Isle of Wight Festival was packed with rock music acts, but a few outliers from other genres also performed. Miles Davis was one such jazz-oriented talent, and his set managed to ease into the more or less rock-dominant festival beautifully. Who knows if a jazz performance ever occurred in front of almost 700,000 people? It was apt that Davis was the one to appear. He was a legend, and he wasn’t afraid to be authentically himself on stage with his trumpet. The whole set was experimental and emotional, to say the least.
Photo by David Redfern/Redferns
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