When Glastonbury was still in its infancy and the big music festivals in the UK were at Knebworth and Reading, another festival took place in a West Yorkshire city that’s still remembered with great affection by many who were there. It seems so long ago, but this was the time when the rock world descended on Nostell Priory in Wakefield. It was the warm and sunny late August Bank Holiday weekend of 1982 and for some reason the event was arranged for Friday and Saturday. Though I had seen many bands before there was something especially exciting about a festival in our own back yard!
Wakefield’s music festival
We’d seen it advertised in the local press and my two old school friends and I were determined to be there. My friend’s uncle was a detective in the drug squad and I remember he was on duty (I use the word loosely). We were envious that he had free entry and would enjoy two days of music and the occasional drink for nothing!
Nostell Priory is a Palladian stately home and grounds about six miles south of Wakefield, owned by the National Trust. The headline act was folk-rock band Jethro Tull, and many other well-known bands were in support. Originally, Huey Lewis and the News had been scheduled to appear but were replaced by the band Marillion at the start of their career. It turned out to be quite an inspired booking.
The festival attracted approximately 11,000 people on the Friday and 16,000 on Saturday, many of them camping over the weekend. I regret now that we came home to sleep before returning the next morning, although after hearing about the shortage of toilet facilities etc, perhaps not. The festival was sponsored by Theakston’s Brewery, so it was no surprise to find a tanker parked up, filled with its Best Bitter, not to mention ‘Old Peculiar’ (at £1 a pint – outrageous for the time). The beer flowed freely and an enjoyable time was had by all.
Marillion, Lindisfarne and the Blues Band…
The Friday evening was given over to folk music with amongst others, Dave Swarbrick and Simon Nicol together with Ralph McTell, who will be forever linked to his big hit Streets of London. Just remembering that hit makes me realise that poverty is most definitely not exclusively a 21st-century problem. The atmosphere was brilliant and a late evening jam session involving many of the artists was something incredibly special.
We were up early the following morning, any trace of a hangover forgotten. Back at Nostell we found a sizable crowd was already waiting to get into the arena. Complete with enough paraphernalia to keep us going for a week, never mind a full day, we settled down on a rug in the best position we could find.
Marillion were the first band on. I don’t think that they had even released an album by this point. Sounding like an early Genesis they were very well received and showed much of the promise that they were eventually to fulfil.
Next on the bill were a band called Huang Chung, I must be honest and say that I had never heard of then. They were completely wrong band for that spot and went down extremely badly. They did however, go on to chart success.
Geordie folk-rock band Lindisfarne were up next and were, for two of us at least, one of the main reasons for going. As ever, they did not disappoint. It was just what the crowd needed, large groups of which had come down from Newcastle just to see them. We sang every song along with them, Lady Eleanor, Meet me on the Corner and Fog on the Tyne amongst them.
The Blues Band followed. I have seen these guys several times over the years. Jones, McGuinness and Flint were well-known musicians with some two decades of experience, and this showed in their performance.
Closing the festival with Jethro Tull
The headline act was Jethro Tull led by the incomparable Ian Anderson. It was an event, not just a concert; a performance full of the humour for which he was famous. Memorable was the song Watching Me, Watching You where the stage gradually filled up with people wearing white smocks and glasses following closely behind each other. One thing I’d forgotten until reminded was that the band did an acoustic section. They also had a little section where the band first pulled instruments out of dustbins and followed a cat (thankfully of the stuffed variety!).
Sadly, Jethro Tull brought the day to an end. But what a day it had been. For some, the combination of the Old Peculiar and the hot sunshine had taken its toll, but for most they were just intoxicated with the enjoyment of the day. Getting home was a major logistical feat on its own. With the crowds pouring out of the grounds I seem to remember we walked what seemed miles towards Wakefield until we eventually arrived at the rendezvous for our lift home. Another festival was held two years later but sadly for some reason I didn’t go. A real shame, even if it was only half as good as this one.
