Tough Job Touring With Jimi Hendrix

[PreacherBob]

Whoa, what’s going on here?

 

[Uke]

Whoa, what’s going on here?

Classic Jimi !

 

[adorshki]

Whoa, what’s going on here?

It's how they kept the stack from tipping over when he'd grind the Strat against the cabinets. (I assumed you were serious)
The '68 predecessor to the "stack of empty 'show' cabinets hiding a mic'd Deluxe Reverb or AC30": guys hiding behind the amps to make sure they didn't fall over.

Also they could set off smoke bombs back there to make it look like the amps were about to explode. That fell off after an amp exploded because they couldn't tell it really was about to explode.

 

[adorshki]

Quite seriously, Noel Redding's bio is magnificent. For one thing, he kept a diary, so memories're a lot more reliable.

 

[chazmo]

Whoa, what’s going on here?

Darn good question!!!!

Al, is that for real? He'd lean into the stacks?

 

[Uke]

Darn good question!!!!

Al, is that for real? He'd lean into the stacks?

Yes, he did.

 

[chazmo]

Yes, he did.

Sadly, Jimi was a little before my time... Some of these stage antics just seem weird to me. Grinding a stack of amp cabinets just doesn't really compute for me. But then again, neither does smashing guitars and drummers spontaneously combusting.

 

[Guildedagain]

He'd grind the guitar into the stacks, seemed perfectly normal for Jimi.

 

[Bernie]

Has anybody ever read an explanation from Jimmy himself, or from someone he'd spoke to about it, concerning a possible (hidden?) meaning of the burning a guitar (show?) element ?

 

[Uke]

Has anybody ever read an explanation from Jimmy himself, or from someone he'd spoke to about it, concerning a possible (hidden?) meaning of the burning a guitar (show?) element ?

If I remember correctly, in the Monterey Pop video Hendrix sort of mumbles something which suggests that he was almost "offering" the guitar as some sort of sacrifice (not his words) as a form of "thank you" to the audience and the venue. Again, I'd have to watch it again, as it might just be my interpretation rather than my memory working here. At any rate, the look on some of the audience faces when he "goes off" is absolutely horrified. The other element in all of it was there was a competition between Hendrix and the Who ("who" also performed at the festival) for which group would make the biggest splash; this might be the main reason for all the commotion/destruction.

Why did Jimi Hendrix and The Who’s Pete Townshend battle it out at Monterey Pop Festival? - Far Out Magazine

Amazing story

faroutmagazine.co.uk

 

[adorshki]

Darn good question!!!!

Al, is that for real? He'd lean into the stacks?

Yes.

 

[tonepoet]

Has anybody ever read an explanation from Jimmy himself, or from someone he'd spoke to about it, concerning a possible (hidden?) meaning of the burning a guitar (show?) element ?

Probably just the shock and attention getting element like Pete Townshend of The Who smashing Rickenbackers on stage



I once saw the 1970s southern rock band Black Oak Arkansas who would end their show with a song called "The Big One's Still Comin'" about California earthquakes. Two of the band's three guitarists, Harvey Jett and Stanley Knight, would swing what looked to be Gibson 335 semi-hollow bodies over their heads and smash them together at center stage for a huge rumbling to come forth from the amplifiers and the spectacle of guitar smashing. I later read that they were smart enough not to smash their 335s and had swapped in some inexpensive look-alike semi-hollow bodies for the smash-up. They were the guitarists at far left and far right in this photo.

 

[chazmo]

If I remember correctly, in the Monterey Pop video Hendrix sort of mumbles something which suggests that he was almost "offering" the guitar as some sort of sacrifice (not his words) as a form of "thank you" to the audience and the venue. Again, I'd have to watch it again, as it might just be my interpretation rather than my memory working here. At any rate, the look on some of the audience faces when he "goes off" is absolutely horrified. The other element in all of it was there was a competition between Hendrix and the Who ("who" also performed at the festival) for which group would make the biggest splash; this might be the main reason for all the commotion/destruction.

Why did Jimi Hendrix and The Who’s Pete Townshend battle it out at Monterey Pop Festival? - Far Out Magazine

Amazing story

faroutmagazine.co.uk

AH, you know that kind of makes sense. That's what the picture looks like a bit more than just hip-swinging the thing.

 

[Walter Broes]

The other element in all of it was there was a competition between Hendrix and the Who ("who" also performed at the festival) for which group would make the biggest splash; this might be the main reason for all the commotion/destruction.

This, 100%. Hendrix was a great showman with years of experience backing up great Soul singers on the Chitlin circuit. He knew very well what he was doing.

 

[adorshki]

Sadly, Jimi was a little before my time... Some of these stage antics just seem weird to me. Grinding a stack of amp cabinets just doesn't really compute for me. But then again, neither does smashing guitars and drummers spontaneously combusting.

The grinding was for the sound effect of strings rubbing on cabinet edge and simultaneous feedback.

If I remember correctly, in the Monterey Pop video Hendrix sort of mumbles something which suggests that he was almost "offering" the guitar as some sort of sacrifice (not his words) as a form of "thank you" to the audience and the venue. Again, I'd have to watch it again, as it might just be my interpretation rather than my memory working here. At any rate, the look on some of the audience faces when he "goes off" is absolutely horrified. The other element in all of it was there was a competition between Hendrix and the Who ("who" also performed at the festival) for which group would make the biggest splash; this might be the main reason for all the commotion/destruction.

Why did Jimi Hendrix and The Who’s Pete Townshend battle it out at Monterey Pop Festival? - Far Out Magazine

Amazing story

faroutmagazine.co.uk

Don't recall that actually being in Monterey Pop, but it's an "explanation" that's been around since the '70's at least re "Why". Think Jimi himself vaguely implied it, but can't recall specifically where, (likely Redding's book or "'Scuse me While I Kiss the Sky").

In any case he only burned 'em 2 (possibly 3) times. First time was in April '67 at the Saville, it was purely for sensationalism and in fact Hendrix suffered minor second-degree burns and went to a hospital. Second time in Monterey. (And now suspect it was still calculated stagemanship since it was his first really really big shew in the US. Come out shootin' and don't stop 'til you're out of ammo)

3rd time was reputed to be 1968 Miami Pop. It's been cited as the real source of Dweezil Zappa's burnt Strat which was originally cited as the Monterey Strat by Frank Zappa, but now appears not to be that guitar but a different one.

Note he used 2 guitars at Monterey, a black one and one with a decorative paint job he put on himself, but the guitar Dweezil has was clearly a sunburst, so can't be from Monterey:

https://www.guitarworld.com/features/what-happened-to-jimi-hendrixs-monterey-stratocaster

Why burn a guitar? Sometimes things seem like a really good idea when you're stoned on LSD courtesy of Brian Jones.

"Trust me on this, just take half."
"How many times?"

Later:

"Wonder if I could put a wah-wah on these things....when's the show start?"

 

[walrus]

The question with Hendrix is not "Why"", but "Why not?"

walrus

 

[Uke]

Don't recall that actually being in Monterey Pop,

Just watched the Montery Pop DVD (Disc 2: Jimi Plays Monterey) and Hendrix actually does say, twice, "I'm going to sacrifice something I really love" before the last song of his set. He says it after he's complemented the crowd for their reception of him. And, I agree, pretty calculated showmanship.

 

[Westerly Wood]

The grinding was for the sound effect of strings rubbing on cabinet edge and simultaneous feedback.

Don't recall that actually being in Monterey Pop, but it's an "explanation" that's been around since the '70's at least re "Why". Think Jimi himself vaguely implied it, but can't recall specifically where, (likely Redding's book or "'Scuse me While I Kiss the Sky").

In any case he only burned 'em 2 (possibly 3) times. First time was in April '67 at the Saville, it was purely for sensationalism and in fact Hendrix suffered minor second-degree burns and went to a hospital. Second time in Monterey. (And now suspect it was still calculated stagemanship since it was his first really really big shew in the US. Come out shootin' and don't stop 'til you're out of ammo)

3rd time was reputed to be 1968 Miami Pop. It's been cited as the real source of Dweezil Zappa's burnt Strat which was originally cited as the Monterey Strat by Frank Zappa, but now appears not to be that guitar but a different one.

Note he used 2 guitars at Monterey, a black one and one with a decorative paint job he put on himself, but the guitar Dweezil has was clearly a sunburst, so can't be from Monterey:

https://www.guitarworld.com/features/what-happened-to-jimi-hendrixs-monterey-stratocaster

Why burn a guitar? Sometimes things seem like a really good idea when you're stoned on LSD courtesy of Brian Jones.

"Trust me on this, just take half."
"How many times?"

Later:

"Wonder if I could put a wah-wah on these things....when's the show start?"

I love the old school can of Budweiser.

 

[adorshki]

Just watched the Montery Pop DVD (Disc 2: Jimi Plays Monterey) and Hendrix actually does say, twice, "I'm going to sacrifice something I really love" before the last song of his set. He says it after he's complemented the crowd for their reception of him. And, I agree, pretty calculated showmanship.

Thanks buddy!

I love the old school can of Budweiser.

Note the cleverly concealed hash pipe, too. It was quite a day.

 

[walrus]

Given the approximate date of the photo, both would be gone in 3 years...

walrus