John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr watched Bob Dylan and The Band perform at the Isle of Wight Festival on this evening.
The three were accompanied by their respective wives, Yoko Ono, Pattie Harrison and Maureen Starkey. Paul McCartney was not present, as his wife Linda had given birth to their daughter Mary on 28 August.
Harrison and Mal Evans had met Dylan in Portsmouth on 26 August, to greet the American on his arrival to the UK. Dylan took the ferry to the Isle of Wight later that day, and began rehearsals at Forelands Farm in Bembridge.
The Harrisons arrived on the island two days later, and the Lennons and Starkeys travelled there on 30 August. The festival took place on 30 and 31 August at Wootton; Dylan’s appearance was particularly notable as it was his first major public performance in three years.
Around 150,000 people saw Dylan’s performance. As well as three of The Beatles, the audience included Keith Richards, Bill Wyman, Syd Barrett, Eric Clapton, Elton John and Jane Fonda.
George and Pattie Harrison at the second Isle of Wight Festival, 31 August 1969
Dylan took to the stage at around 11pm and played for just under an hour.
We went to the Dylan show, and if there had been a jam, we would have got up. It was killed before it happened. It was so late by the time he got on. We would have jammed if it had been earlier. The crowd was dying on their feet by the time he got on.
Following the concert, the three Beatles returned to Dylan’s rented farmhouse where they gave him a pre-release copy of Abbey Road. They also invited him to return to the mainland the following day in Apple’s rented helicopter.
I went with him and The Beatles to the farmhouse where he was clearly in a merry mood because he had felt it had gone so well… The Beatles had brought a test pressing of Abbey Road and we listened to it and had quite a party.
Also on this day...
- 2019: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Vina Robles Amphitheatre, Paso Robles
- 2003: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Marymoor Amphitheatre, Redmond
- 2001: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Concord Pavilion, Concord
- 1967: The Beatles issue a statement on NEMS Enterprises
- 1965: The Beatles live: Cow Palace, San Francisco
- 1964: Day off in Cape May, New Jersey
- 1963: The Beatles live: Odeon Cinema, Southport
- 1962: The Beatles live: Town Hall, Lydney
- 1961: The Beatles live: St John’s Hall, Liverpool
- 1960: The Beatles live: Indra Club, Hamburg
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
That’s George in photo background with Ringo.
Dylan’s 1969 Isle of Wight concert wasn’t actually his first public performance in three years, but rather his second. On January 20, 1968, he appeared – backed by the Crackers (formerly the Hawks, and soon to become the Band) – at the Woody Guthrie Memorial Concert, held at Carnegie Hall. New York City. There he performed three tunes by the late Guthrie: “I Ain’t Got No Home,” “Dear Mrs. Roosevelt,” and “Grand Coulee Dam.” For more background and some clips, see https://alldylan.com/january-20-bob-dylan-the-band-the-woody-guthrie-memorial-concert-in-1968/.
Hi Dan. Thanks for the clarification.
I was there, with friends from the Central School of Speech and Drama in London (Screech and Trauma as we dubbed it in our jocular, stoned manner) mainly to see The Band whom I adored. As I recall they came onstage wearing dark red / burgundy jackets, looking immaculate, as was their set. Their playing was tight and beautifully professional. After this the tardy Bob was for me somewhat of an anticlimax.
I used to wonder why Paul and Linda were not in attendance, but now I do: Linda had only recently given birth to their daughter Mary, and obviously, she and Paul did not wish to travel from London to the Isle of Wight so soon after the birth of their first child.