MAGIC OF THE FOO FIGHTERS, US FESTIVAL, & JOHN FOGERTY

YOU CAN’T STOP ROCK N’ ROLL. THE FOO FIGHTERS ALWAYS PUT ON A GREAT SHOW, AND WHEN THEY PLAYED AT THE BOTTLEROCK MUSIC FESTIVAL 3 YEARS AGO THE HAD A SET THAT WENT A FEW MINUTES LONGER THAN SCHEDULED. HOWEVER SOMETHING INCREDIBLE HAPPENED. THE FOO FIGHTERS HAD THE POWER TURNED OFF DURING THEIR LAST SONG @ 2017 BOTTLEROCK. NOW WHAT DOUCHEBAG MAKES THAT CALL TO TURN THE POWER OFF WHEN THE GROUP IS IN THE LAST SONG OF THE SET ? THEN SOMETHING MAGICAL HAPPENED. THEY JUST KEPT ON PLAYING !! WITHOUT THE POWER, AND THE CROWD SANG ALONG. ONE OF THE MANY REASONS TO LOVE THE FOO FIGHTERS…HERE’S VIDEO.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO BAY AREA NATIVE JOHN FOGERTY. TODAY JOHN TURNS 75 YEARS OF AGE. FOGERTY WAS BORN IN BERKELEY AND GREW UP IN EL CERRITO AND CONSIDERS THE BAY AREA HOME. FOGERTY HIT IT BIG WITH HIS BAND CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL AND WAS ONE OF THE MOST PROLIFIC HIT MACHINES IN THE HISTORY OF MUSIC WITH 22 SONGS AT OR NEAR THE TOP OF THE CHARTS IN 5 YEARS ! THE GROUP BROKE UP IN 1971 AND HE RELEASED A SOLO ALBUM IN 1975, BUT WAS FORCED INTO A LONG HIATUS BECAUSE HIS RECORD COMPANY (FANTASY RECORDS, WHICH HE DESPISED) OWNED THE RIGHTS TO ANY MUSIC HE MADE. IT WASN’T UNTIL 1985 HE SETTLED HIS DISPUTE WITH THE RECORD COMPANY AND WAS ABLE TO RELEASE THE SOLO ALBUM ‘CENTERFIELD’. THINK OF IT, THESE RECORD COMPANY WEASELS BASICALLY PREVENTED HIM FROM RELEASING MUSIC FOR 10 YEARS. THE ONLY BRIGHTSIDE ACCORDING TO FOGERTY, WAS IT ENABLED HIM TO AVOID THE WHOLE DISCO ERA (FOGERTY’S STANCE IS “DISCO SUCKS” !!) HAPPY BIRTHDAY TODAY TO JOHN FOGERTY. HERE’S THE BIRTHDAY BOY WITH CCR PERFORMING AT WOODSTOCK 1969 (THE QUALITY OF THE VIDEO HAS BEEN ENHANCED AND IT IS SPECTACULAR)

AND FINALLY IT WAS 1983 AND A HUGE 3 DAY MUSIC FESTIVAL TOOK PLACE JUST OUTSIDE OF SAN BERNARDINO. THE US FESTIVAL 1983. THE LINEUP WAS INCREDIBLE, AND INCLUDED VAN HALEN, THE PRETENDERS, U2, THE CLASH, INXS, STEVIE NICKS, DAVID BOWIE, JOE WALSH, MOTLEY CRUE, THE SCORPIONS, OZZY OSBOURNE, TRIUMPH, JOHN COUGAR AND JUDAS PRIEST. WHAT’S INCREDIBLE TO ME IS TICKETS WERE ONLY 20 BUCKS A DAY TO GET IN !! TOTAL ATTENDANCE WAS 570,000 PAYING CUSTOMERS. THE FESTIVAL LOST 12 MILLION DOLLARS !! RUH ROH !! MAYBE THEY SHOULD HAVE CHARGED A FEW MORE BUCKS. PLUS THERE WERE 2 REPORTED DEATHS. HERE’S THE ENTIRE SET FROM VAN HALEN