photo: Wymer UK
Wymer UK… in 1978 esteemed concert promoter Harvey Goldsmith put on the single biggest, paid one day concert in UK history at the Blackbushe Aerodrome in Surrey with some estimates putting the audience figure at around 250,000. Goldsmith still considers it the high point of his career: “The best event I’ve been involved in was a performance from Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton at Blackbushe Aerodrome. Crammed full of glorious, largely, previously unpublished colour photos of Dylan, Clapton, Armatrading and Parker, the book also covers each performance with memorabilia, stories, reviews, anecdotes and memories from the artists and audience alike.Order your copy here and use CODE: BOB1 AND GET 25% 0FF and GET YOUR NAME ON A DEDICATED FAN PAGE TOO…
https://www.wymeruk.co.uk/webshop/books/rock/bob-dylan/
Paul Morfey… I was there!!
Pauline Sims… I lived nearby and heard most of the concert!
Tim Moose Bruce… What a gig! Took 5 hours to get there 2 up on a moped from Bexhill. I remember seeing tv cameras on the stage filming it so there must be some footage of this somewhere. Graham Parker opened the show. Then Eric Clapton. Joan Armatrading next and finally Bob Dylan. All acts were brilliant. To get a feel of Dylans set, listen to his Live at the Budokan album. From the same tour which was just after Street Legal was released.
Tim Moose Bruce… Did anyone go to the 1984 Wembley Stadium gig? Also on the bill were UB40 and Santana. When Dylan came on , a load of “gatecrasher” celebs joined in on various songs, including Eric Clapton, Chrissie Hynde and Van Morrison.
Robert Searle… I was there,great day,still got my programme and ticket. At Blackbushe that is.
Tim Moose Bruce… The next time I saw Dylan was 1987 at Wembley arena. The day after the Hurricane. Support act was Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The Heartbreakers were the backing band for Bob Dylan. My brother went the following night and there was a.guest appearance by George Harrison.
Neil Partrick… I was at Wembley in 84, Tim. Being quite young 🙂 that was my first Dylan outing. I remember Morrison joining in on It’s All Over Now Baby Blue (ala his Them cover). Best parts for me were Dylan rockin’ out on stuff like Highway 61, with Mick Taylor to the fore. Lucky brother, Tim!
Glenn Piper… I, along with lots of other people, was there 😀 Took 2 hours to find the van after
Dave Burbridge… This was the day after my birthday so if you remember a hungover guy standing up and thanking everyone for coming to his party and then having things thrown at him….
Michael Park… I went up to Blackbushe in a hired red transit van from Hastings, started out with 6 of us, summat like 26 by the time i picked up hitchers along the way, security wanted to check in the back for cameras and stuff, opened the door and people spilled out ! we all kipped in ,on and under and around the van that night, i dropped loads of random people off all over the place after the concert. I still feel moved remembering when Dylan came back on acoustic, and 200,000 people all leapt to their feet, there were some hells angels gang beside us who had been sharing their spliffs with us and such, I looked at em , some had tears streaming down their faces. I did wembley 84 , gotta ringside view by climbing on the scaffolding/gantry on recording hut in front of stage. A scots guy was loudly shouting “how does it feel,bob”, all the time, i gotta bootleg later and you could hear him on it ! but was also a great concert
Jim Breeds… I went to a big do at Blackbushe once (70s, I guess), but it wasn’t this one. I can’t for the life of me think who I saw there ..
Yvonne Cleland… Blackbushe was an incredible day! I was there and the line-up was truly wonderful
Peter Woods… (In reply to Michael Park) I hitch-hiked from Witney in Oxfordshire there and back got back at about 3.00. Great day! While hitching the final leg from Oxford to Witney I managed to leave the mirror I bought on a park bench at the Woodstock road roundabout. I borrowed a mates car as soon as I got home and drove back to Oxford to retrieve the mirror. All these years later and the mirror is still hanging on my wall.
Sue Singleton… Great story Peter ! I too was there and I too have a mirror, and a programme and a badge. Should be worth quite a bit these days as I can’t find anyone selling a mirror anywhere! Have told my daughter it’s worth some money. She was there too, aged 6 months !
Glenn Piper… I remember it, well mostly 
early evening with large balloons floating off into the glorious sunset oh the memories
Peter Howard… I was there 
well, some of the time, Red Star LSD I seem to remember, and I kept getting stopped by people who thought I was Graham Parker as I wandered round the site with my pal (who looked like a bodyguard) in my shades, leather jeans and big nose. Happy days.
Mike Waghorne… I was also one of the 250000 people there !
Robert Searle… I know Mike, it was a great day and night. As soon as Bob started singing, that was it, fantastic.
Martin Stringer… I was there.
Richie Gudgeon… I was there see Eric Clapton though binoculars
Diane Knight… So was I !!!
Caroline Mast… Drove up from Plymouth with new Dutch boyfriend, it was my first outdoor gig! Cried and cried when Dylan sang Baby Please Stop crying! AMAZING day, didn’t go to the loo all day even though we were drinking non stop! Toilets were UNBELIEVABLE! Glad I can say I was there!!!
Stephen Moran… I was there…
Richard Baynton… I worked backstage at Blackbushe. Was just hitching around and heard they were hiring so hung out and got hired! Sat 10′ away from Bob Dylan in a backstage tent. An amazing time!
John Wilde… I was there, stand out act Joan Armatrading.
Terry Westwood… I was there with my friend Alan we hitched over from the I.O.W bought tickets on the gate £7.00 what a line up definitely value for money. Graham Parker and Clapton were fantastic Dylan was amazing ill never forget that day I turned 21 the next day, where have the years gone.
Pauline Sims… Could hear the concert from my home in Yateley
Cary Ashwin… I was there…. An incredible event!!!
Kev Minnette… Drove from Purley the night before and camped overnight meeting some mates who had hitched. Cooked sausage sandwiches in the morning and queued. Amazing day if a bit hazy with alcohol and substances. Drove back that night and the car water pump disintegrated and we spent the night on the Hog’s Back at Guildford. Missed being godfather to my niece the following day.
Bob Searle… Wasn’t too potty about Merger but the rest of the day was fantastic and Bob Dylan was at his best
I was at Wembley in 84, Tim. Being quite young 🙂 that was my first Dylan outing. I remember Morrison joining in on It’s All Over Now Baby Blue (ala his Them cover). Best parts for me were Dylan rockin’ out on stuff like Highway 61, with Mick Taylor to the fore.
Lucky brother, Tim!
This was the day after my birthday so if you remember a hungover guy standing up and thanking everyone for coming to his party and then having things thrown at him….
mick parks ,i went up to blackbushe in a hired red transit van from Hastings, started out with 6 of us, summat like 26 by the time i picked up hitchers along the way, security wanted to check in the back for cameras and stuff, opened the door and people spilled out ! we all kipped in ,on and under and around the van that night, i dropped loads of random people off all over the place after the concert. I still feel moved remembering when Dylan came back on acoustic, and 200,000 people all leapt to their feet, there were some hells angels gang beside us who had been sharing their spliffs with us and such, I looked at em , some had tears streaming down their faces. I did wembley 84 , gotta ringside view by climbing on the scaffolding/gantry on recording hut in front of stage. A scots guy was loudly shouting “how does it feel,bob”, all the time, i gotta bootleg later and you could hear him on it ! but was also a great concert
I hitch-hiked from Witney in Oxfordshire there and back got back at about 3.00. Great day!
While hitching the final leg from Oxford to Witney I managed to leave the mirror I bought on a park bench at the Woodstock road roundabout. I borrowed a mates car as soon as I got home and drove back to Oxford to retrieve the mirror. All these years later and the mirror is still hanging on my wall.
Great story Peter ! I too was there and I too have a mirror, and a programme and a badge. Should be worth quite a bit these days as I can’t find anyone selling a mirror anywhere! Have told my daughter it’s worth some money. She was there too, aged 6 months !
Drove up from Plymouth with new Dutch boyfriend, it was my first outdoor gig! Cried and cried when Dylan sang Baby Please Stop crying! AMAZING day, didn’t go to the loo all day even though we were drinking non stop! Toilets were UNBELIEVABLE! Glad I can say I was there!!!
I worked backstage at Blackbushe. Was just hitching around and heard they were hiring so hung out and got hired! Sat 10′ away from Bob Dylan in a backstage tent. An amazing time!
I was there with my friend Alan we hitched over from the I.O.W bought tickets on the gate £7.00 what a line up definitely value for money. Graham Parker and Clapton were fantastic Dylan was amazing ill never forget that day I turned 21 the next day, where have the years gone.
I was there…. An incredible event!!!
Drove from Purley the night before and camped overnight meeting some mates who had hitched. Cooked sausage sandwiches in the morning and queued. Amazing day if a bit hazy with alcohol and substances. Drove back that night and the car water pump disintegrated and we spent the night on the Hog’s Back at Guildford. Missed being godfather to my niece the following day.