GLASTONBURYOFTHEMIND

That honour indubitably goes to Lynryd Skynryd, 1976 Knebworth.

You want proof? Get the new DVD Lynryd Skynryd story and - important bit this  - hook it up to the surround system for bass impact.

Go to the clip of Freebird played at Knebworth in the middle of that heatwave summer of punk Sweet Summer of Trix 76. Local nubiles in bikini’s, Ur-Blokes pre obesity fast food rout, stripped to the waste, the great Cassie Haines, a backing singer who would be one of those killed in the end of the era plane crash bout 18 months hence, whose performance here is captured (all credit to the director who, given the rest of the  backroom cast**,must have been la creme) as a  sanctified soul to rate with the great centre stage orchestrator Ronnie Van Zandt

After Knebworth 1976 The Rolling Stones did not play another UK Festival for 31 years and you can see and hear why. There is just no way  that wonderfully wasted, inevitably scrappy Stones could have come within the almighty orbit, the sheer surety and sensuality of the groove the Skynryd lay down.

**Stand by for future exciting announcements

This Skynryd story DVD has been reviewed by some usually sane reviewers and given a curt dismissal.

Have they actually got to the end of the DVD? Have they heard it with the oh so important surround sound on?

 Cant they see that while the metropolis made merry with Johnny Joe and co there was out there in the sticks a band playing who resounding with fiery majesty, a princely white black Deep South groove, who coulda eaten the Stones, The Clash Sex Pistols for breakfast, spat em out in tiny pieces and overturn the 45 years of cant criticism that doesn’t rate Ronnie Van Zandt (look anyone who in name in spirit possesses correct qualities of namesake Ronnie Drew, Van Morrison has gotta be kewl) up with the greats.

Fuck em this is wild and the special annoucment forthcoming as to why everyone should buy Lynryd Skynryd Story DVD, just to watch and look and learn to hear the band, see the audience, capture their magic time tween 76 and 77 (the final footage, August 77 California sunntanned splendour of local gals, shining flying swoop of Freebird, how metapoetic is this fucking thing man?,Pre reaagan post Watergate , adding a whole other dimension to their already mighty peak.

And the reason you should buy or at least hear and see this 1976 performance, the reason why it is an incredibly feat of engineering and a feast of love is that the sound survives because of the guy who captured it on tape.

That guy, an unspeakable legend in the annals of Rocksoul was callt Tom Dowd, the great Tom Dowd mixing magic live that day in Kneb with Lynryd.

Rock n soul gold combined with the Skinherd.

Story, end of..

Except now…

We struggle on, struggle on through the mud and Madness to hear some memories to put longside  Toumani Diabate, The Hold Steady and Magic NUmbers piercing the sky.

But I dont expect on site they have Paul making fruit cocktails avec Pimms after Rainford’s splendifirous breakfast, Steve’s weather forecast (wrong), Debbie’s Lloyd Grossman story, Joimm souless shoe, Julia’s brand new notebook and Colin’s multicoloured frisbee.

Babbyshambles 18.30 may be the first band I see today.

Its hard to swap Wellands for Mudlands

Mail On Sunday piece runs tomorrow. Sub phoned to check one detail and its of something I saw. Or thought I saw. Did I see what I saw. Or did what I see saw me. You saw what I sore? No more.

(this tent closed on account of rabies)