Glastonbury 1971: the mystic misfits

With the launch of the Guardian's Glastonbury band tracker , music lovers can view the most popular acts appearing at the festival, according to internet buzz. Forty years ago, the paper's festival coverage wasn't quite so detailed, consisting of just one news item. John Cunningham 's article from 22 June 1971 mentions the music but concentrates more on the truth-seeking "gentle misfits" congregating on Worthy Farm for the Glastonbury Fair - everyone from astral travellers to "priests with magnificent ginger sideburns." (Click on article to enlarge) Musicians who performed that year included Hawkwind, Traffic and David Bowie, with the festival being captured on film by a crew that included Nick Roeg and David Puttnam. Read Paul Morley's Observer article about the 1971 festival while Michael Eavis, Glastonbury founder, recently talked about the event returning to its radical roots.