Denver Pop Festival
| Denver Pop Festival | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Genre | Rock, pop, etc. |
| Dates | June 27-June 29, 1969 |
| Location(s) | Mile High Stadium, Denver, United States |
| Years active | 1969 |
| Founded by | Barry Fey |
| Attendance | 50,000 (est.) |
The Denver Pop Festival was a three-day music festival promoted by Barry Fey (Feyline) on June 27–29, 1969 which was largely overshadowed by two months later. The peak attendance was estimated at 50,000.
Unlike the free-form happening in upstate New York, the Denver festival had the full support and local resources of a major city, taking place in Denver Mile High Stadium. There were high expectations for the Festival; it was commonly called the "First Annual" Denver Pop Festival. The peak attendance was estimated at 50,000, though on Sunday when it was declared a free festival, that number may have been higher. Ticket prices were $6 per day, or $15 for all three days (Fri, Sat, Sun).
Frank Zappa is credited by some with inventing the audience wave during his set. He assigned sections of the stadium (audience) to each make different odd sounds and gestures, including standing with arms raised. He then "played" a "tune" on his "crowd instrument".
The festival featured the final performance of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, then the highest paid act in rock. (Jimi played at Woodstock, of course, but with a new group.)
Throughout much of the festival, a crowd outside the venue demonstrated against having to pay to hear the acts. It also tried to breach the gates and security fences. The Denver Police were forced to employ riot tactics.
On the second day the battle between gatecrashers outside the stadium and the police suddenly affected those inside. With a combination of shifting wind and re-thrown canisters, tear gas swept over the crowd. The seats emptied into the concourses and onto the field.
It was fortunate that the fence that had been erected to keep the crowd from the field was torn down by the crowd on Friday night. On that night Iron Butterfly "encouraged" the crowd to bring down the fence - which it did. If the fence had been up on Saturday there may have been injuries with the crush of people that would have likely occurred with people trying to get out of the stands to get away from the tear gas. Announcer Chip Monck should be credited with calming the crowd that day as the tear gas came into the stadium. With his amazing voice he instructed the crowd to stay calm - to cover their faces with whatever they had (like a jacket or T-shirt) - etc.
On Sunday, after all possible tickets had been sold, the promoter announced from the stage that he was declaring it a "free festival". The people from outside the stadium were let in and took seats in the South Stands of the old Mile High Stadium.
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