Until 1971, the Crystal Palace Bowl in London was used exclusively for classical performances. The early 70s marked a change for the venue after a decade, when the Greater London Council allowed popular acts to perform there. This included Pink Floyd, who had recently been banned from Royal Albert Hall in 1969.
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From the Beach Boys and Elton John to Lou Reed and the Pixies, many iconic acts have come through the Crystal Palace Bowl. It was closed down and replaced in 1997. But until then, it was a garden-like haven for music.
The outdoor venue was built as a curved concrete structure containing the stage. Between the stage and the lawn, where the audience sat, was a small pond. This was home to a colony of fish and other aquatic life.
In 1971, Pink Floyd came through the Crystal Palace Bowl as part of a multi-band event called the Garden Party. They put on a fantastic show, as they usually did. However, despite the great concert, the band left with a hefty bill.
Pink Floyd Gets the Bill After Their Concert Kills All the Fish in the Crystal Palace Bowl Pond
Pink Floyd joined the lineup of the Garden Party alongside bands like Quiver, Mountain, and The Faces. That was the year Pink Floyd performed in Pompeii as well. It’s safe to say they were on a mission to put on shows that would make history.
For the Garden Party, the band hired an octopus. This was no ordinary octopus, however. It was an inflatable art installation from the exhibition Stitching Octopus, which opened at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam in 1968, according to a report from Louder Sound.
The octopus’ tentacles were about 82 feet long, and the plan was to have it rise from the lake and unfurl during the climax of Pink Floyd’s set.
This mighty showcase never happened, though. Since it was the dead of summer, the audience decided to frolic in the lake to cool off. The very lake that held the octopus. When the band tried to awaken the creature, it fell limp, irreparably damaged by rowdy fans. It wouldn’t emerge from the water no matter what anyone did.
The octopus was dead, and unfortunately, so were all the fish in the lake. Either due to sulphur flares used in attempts to inflate the octopus, or from the frolicking fans, or from Pink Floyd’s powerful PA system. Perhaps a combination of all three.
In the end, despite octopus malfunctions, dead fish, and torrential rain, the Garden Party seemed to be enjoyed by all. Although, Pink Floyd was handed the bill by the Greater London Council in order to replace the fish and restore the lake.
Featured Image by Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images
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