BLIND FAITH: Madison Square Garden, NYC-July 12, 1969-First Gen Tape

1st gen tape>cd-r>xact>flac

Steve Winwood-Rick Grech-Ginger Baker-Eric Clapton

Here is Blind Faith's concert at Madison Square Garden on July 12, 1969. This comes from a mint, first gen tape. The band played on a revolving stage. The sound quality is G/VG. The last song/encore is the exception and is only fair in quality. Three song samples are provided. There are problems with the house sound system/PA. There are problems with the crowd. There are problems with the cops. Sometimes, the performance transcends these problems. Sometimes it succumbs to them. Nevertheless, this is certainly a historic show and this is the best quality copy of this concert that I have found. Below are some pieces from articles on this concert and Blind Faith and links to the great corresponding websites for more info. Enjoy! Support Blind Faith and buy the new Hyde Park Concert DVD!


From: http://www.ectours.de/

Blind Faith's American tour turned to be a disaster, at Madison Square Garden in New York there were riots, and everywhere there were disappointed audiences.

From: http://www.hiponline.com/artist/music/b/blind_faith/

...Making their debut at Madison Square Garden on July 12 in front of more than 20,000 people. A riot developed when fans charged the stage, only to be repulsed by the police; in the half-hour melee that ensued, Ginger Baker was clubbed on the head by a policeman who thought he was an interloper, and Winwood's piano was destroyed. The environment and that sort of passion placed the group in a ridiculous situation--in truth, they didn't sound that good and they knew it, and the nature of sound systems in 1969 destroyed whatever panache they might've brought to their performance, as an under-rehearsed group; yet audiences roared and demanded more music, and rioted at their shows.

From: http://www.cloudsandclocks.net/CD_reviews/blindfaith_lhp_DVD_E.
html

Clapton: "Well, it was... it was very frail. That whole thing we did was very transparent. I mean, it's almost not there. And in the context of something like Madison Square Garden where you've got many thousands of people who's seen hundreds of better bands, or, you know, like Hendrixes in the audience. And you've got this fantastically kind of fragile thing on stage. The minute you get onto the stage in Madison Square Garden, first thing you think is how to get out. You just battle through, get it over with as quickly as possible. I think I'd still think that now if I was to do that gig today."

From: http://www.angelfire.com/wi/blindfaith/msgincident769.html

During the Blind Faith concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City on July 12, 1969, there were a series of events that stirred controversy about the group and the gathering of nearly fifteen thousand music fans. Toward the end of the performance, it is said that there was an incident when one of Ginger Baker's drum sticks shattered and flew over the edge of the stage. An energetic young fan leaped to grab the drum stick piece, and was roughly treated by the security men surrounding the stage. Perhaps a bit of nastiness ensued, because, Ginger seeing the fan being roughed by security, jumped from his drumkit, and quickly whacked the security man on the back of his head or shoulder to try halting the beating. Well, that started something, and that led to the concert being abruptly ended, with the boys being escorted off the stage.

From: http://www.winwoodfans.com/articles/rs-may-70.htm

Winwood: "I knew it was hype as soon as it was called Blind Faith," Stevie Winwood remarked about what is now No Faith. "It was just a rush," said Stevie, "and as soon as Robert Stigwood got a hold of it, we sort of played where he put us. I didn't have control over it. And what was worse was that everyone in the group felt different about it. I didn't want to play coliseums. I was really fed up with playing in those places and to those audiences. It was very false. We could play terrible one night and get exactly the same reaction as if we really played fucking good. I was pissed off after Blind Faith."

Setlist: (65:53)
1. Had To Cry Today
2. Can't Find My Way Home
3. Sleeping In The Ground
4. Well All Right
5. In The Presence Of The Lord
6. Sea Of Joy
7. Do What You Like
8. Means To An End