In 1969, with flowers in their hair, the children of Woodstock made love, danced naked and braved the elements with a communal spirit of peace and protection. In 1999, with baseball caps on backwards, they attacked audio towers, torched kerosene tankers, looted, rioted and raped.
Whatever happened to the teenage dream? How had the Aquarian utopia of the “three days of peace and music” on a dairy farm in New York 55 years ago this week become, 30 years later at the notorious Woodstock ’99 event, a Lord of the Flies nightmare?
The immediate conditions behind both events are well documented. The 460,000 hippies who tore down the fences on Max Yasgur’s farm at Woodstock ’69 and instigated a state of emergency across Sullivan County endured a weekend of rain, mud and food shortages, all liable to induce a group survival instinct. They swayed late into the night to bands that went well with a hefty spliff – Grateful Dead; Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young; Creedence Clearwater Revival; Joan Baez – many espousing anti-war, pro-love messages from the stage.
The similar number of attendees at the ’99 event, documented in the horrifying 2022 Netflix series Trainwreck and dubbed “Profitstock” by those who were there, faced more rageinducing conditions. Forty-degree heat on an asphalt air force base with little shade. Vendors scalping them for overpriced food and water. Scarce free water supplies contaminated with human waste. And a line-up dominated by aggressive nu-metal and rock acts like Korn, Kid Rock and Limp Bizkit, some literally playing songs called “Fist of Rage” and “Break Stuff”.
But with both events equally chaotic and challenging, there’s clearly far more to a countercultural volte-face as drastic as Russell Brand’s shift in political outlook. What was it that made rebellion in 1969 all about free love and harmony and, in 1999, about blood, lust and destruction?
Esta historia es de la edición August 12, 2024 de The Independent.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición August 12, 2024 de The Independent.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Joshua is 'willing to die' in Wembley battle of Britain
Anthony Joshua has insisted that he is ready to “give everything to be victorious” against Daniel Dubois on Saturday, as the Britons clash at Wembley Stadium.
City's man for all occasions.could be named world No 1
Rodri may be first defensive midfielder to win Ballon d'Or
Liverpool overcome poor start to beat Milan in style
Another first for Arne Slot at Liverpool, and one that was much more significant than a debut win in this new Champions League.
Guardian parent company in talks to sell Observer
The Guardian Media Group (GMG) is in talks to sell The Observer newspaper to Tortoise Media, a news business launched in 2019 by a former BBC executive. The media giant is in exclusive discussions to sell the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.
'People can have a fantastic.second act. I'm living mine'
Actor and comic Omid Djalili is back for a fiery new stand-up tour. He tells Helen Coffey how he managed to channel rage into humour and why he's not leaving comedy to the young
Islamist party makes shock return to Kashmiri politics
Observers split on motivation of Jamaat-e-Islami, banned under terror laws and which boycotted elections for 30 years
US rapper charged with sex trafficking and racketeering
Sean \"Diddy\" Combs, the rapper and music mogul who has faced allegations of sexual abuse, was charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, according to a federal indictment unsealed yesterday.
Suspect in Trump shooting lurked for hours in bushes
The gunman accused of trying to assassinate Donald Trump hid in the bushes of the former president's Florida golf club for almost 12 hours, according to officials.
'I am a rapist', says husband of sexually abused woman
A French man accused of drugging his wife and recruiting dozens of strangers to rape her over a decade has declared in court: “I am a rapist, like everyone else in this courtroom.”
Hezbollah vows to retaliate after pager attack kills nine
Officials in Lebanon and Syria blame Israel for the explosions