by the time they got to woodstock

“The curly-haired kid is booking every act in Christendom”, lighting specialist Chip Monck’s agent told him in June 1969.  Immediately Chip knew he wanted a piece of the action.  He’d lit Monterey in red two years before, and now wanted in on this.

 Of course, the curly-haired kid was Michael Lang, and the rest is history.   

Michael was booking bands for the Woodstock Music & Art Fair, these days simply known as Woodstock.  The event has just celebrated its 40^th anniversary worldwide. 

And Chip is still famous as the man who, as impromptu MC,  talked about the “brown acid” at the Festival and, not once but twice announced Jimi Hendrix’s “Gypsy Sun and Rainbows” the “Jimi Hendrix Experience.”

Hendrix’s full performance at Woodstock is readily available, has been for some time, and you still hear Chip's well-mannered announcements at the commencement and finale of Hendrix's performance, “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Jimi Hendrix Experience”.  Imagine that, introducing Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock. Chip did it, and lots of other things as well.

He built the light towers, over which Michael Lang always had concerns (that's the curly-haired kid and Chip discussing the building of the towers in the photos, courtesy of Henry Diltz/Morrison Hotel Gallery, Chipmonck Archives) and a revolving stage, which never worked because there were too many people sitting on it.  

Initially hired by Michael Lang as the lighting guy, Chip Monck quickly became THE MAN.

When you see the full rundown of acts who appeared at Woodstock 40 years on, you realise Chip’s agent was not exaggerating.  Notable exceptions of course, the Rolling Stones, whom Michael didn’t want because he felt it would make Woodstock “just a Rolling Stones concert”, John Lennon, who couldn’t get a visa for the US, and the Doors, who just couldn’t make it. 

But history tells us that none of that really matters now.

I did see the Rolling Stones at the Palais in Melbourne in 1965, then 11 years later at Knebworth in the UK (Billy Preston was unbelievable, made Jagger look like a cripple). And Led Zeppelin at Randwick Racecourse in 1973 (my memory still tells me it's the best I've seen).  

Fairly satisfied with that, but Hendrix at Woodstock.  I WISH.