I was grounded from August of 69 till January 1970 for sneaking off and going to Woodstock. I would have probably been grounded longer except for I turned 18 in February of 70. It was one of the best and worst experiences of my life.
Mary Mathis, United States

I saw Woodstock in the movies. I was only 14 at that time. What I learnt it was all about music, peace and love. But this Woodstock '99 would be best forgotten and renamed MeleeStock '99. Let the original Woodstock '69 be given a good name and rest in peace for eternity. Sorry, but I have to say this.
Eric Leo, Malaysia

I didn't go to either of the Woodstocks, but after seeing the news reports glad I didn't. Things like this are organised so that thousands of people can have a good time and enjoy themselves. It's just a shame that there are people out there that are so selfish they feel they should ruin it for others.
Jason Jones, England

About 30 of us from our little town in Southern Ontario went to Woodstock in style by chartered bus. We didn't have any tickets but of course by the time we got there we didn't need any. But we did have a big tent and brought enough food and various controlled and uncontrolled substances to get by. It was a glorious couple of days even though it was all a bit more overwhelming than anyone had imagined.
We went swimming in the lake the first day when it was hot and lay out under the stars for the first night's concerts. The music was terrific, and some great bands that appeared like Joe Cocker, Mountain, Sly Stone and Santana were a thrill to discover - being totally unknown at the time. The best performance though, bar none, was Janis Joplin and her band and she didn't even get in the movie.
James Loken, Canada

1969, I was still in Vietnam, but my friends were there, sent me letters and pictures. Sorry I missed it but where I was, was what it was all about, peace and love.
Bob Pusateri, USA

Let's face it: Woodstock '99 was nothing more than a celebration of corporate marketing at the hands of Baby-boomers. For once, the fist-headed frat boys did the right thing. After all, how much crap music, overpriced bottled water and logo-ed souvenirs can a generation take?
Chris Zappa (No relation), USA

I wasn't at the first Woodstock, but after hearing about what happened this year, I just wanted to say that I had an inkling that something like this was going to happen...face it, everyone, the 60s will never be here again. Why try to relive it in a generation that supports violence instead of love, peace, and equality for all?
Jeannette L. Collins, USA

I was 15 years old, a kid from Brooklyn in the summer of '69. All that summer I read about the upcoming festival in upstate New York, following the drama as the festival was moved from site to site. I arrived on Friday night with my friend, who dropped a tab of acid and left the next morning. I stayed by myself the for the whole weekend, soaking up as much music as I could, and staying to see Hendrix on Monday morning. I was always proud that I had endured that mad, muddy weekend. At this point, considering the behaviour of the fans this past weekend, the name Woodstock should once and for all be assigned to the history books. If you're going to have a music festival, fine; just give it another name. It's a disservice to the past and the future to use the "W" word merely as a marketing device to rip kids off. Peace, Richard Younger
Richard Younger, America

I remember fainting while waiting on line for a drink of water at the original Woodstock. The music was memorable, just lying on the grass listening to the musical greats. The original Woodstock will never be duplicated.
Susan R, USA

I was at the original festival and I can truly say that it was an eye-opening, mind-blowing gathering of the tribes. We left NYC not knowing what to expect; the rest is history.
Joseph Hernandez-Silva, UK

My head was still shaved from Army basic training. Had planned to meet friends there and I actually found them. I had the time of my life in spite of the rain and mud, which I was quite used to. I never needed my tickets, by the time I arrived the ticket kiosk was overrun. I still have them and keep them with my college diploma as memory from a different era. I will not be at the current Woodstock but I know everyone there will have a blast.
Chris Orth, USA

I was at Woodstock, although not in the traditional sense. My mother and father were there, and, as 'm sure many others were, I was conceived at Woodstock '69. What a way to come into the world!
Susan, USA

I was sixteen at the time and still not out of short trousers. It may have been all drugs and free love for those Americans, but I was sent to bed by my mum at 8 O'clock with a copy of the Beano and a mug of Ovaltine.
Matthew Howell, England

The original concert was not about merchandising, sponsorships, or selling cds, it was almost spiritual, a rebellion against authority, fascism and the like. Drugs were a reflection of the frustration of youth in those days. Nothing, not even a Pink Floyd or Michael Jackson show with special effects can come close to what happened then. It was creativity at its best.
K Nicholson, India

I was living in Montreal at the time, which was a thriving commune of it's own. I drove down with a Brit in an MG, in convoy with a host of other ex pat Brits. I remeber the traffic chaos close to the festival but everybody just sat in the queues singing, mainly peace songs for the war in Vietnam. I remember the huge number of VW Beetles. Everybody had flowers painted somewhere on their anatomy - indeed the lack of clothing was remarkable. There was an all pervading smell of hashish. The crowd I was with, bearing in mind Hash was more or less a legal substance in the Province of Quebec, had vast quantities. The mud was not too agreeable and coupled to the lack of serious loos matters were a little unsavory in places. Looking back the whole scenario was one of peace and loving friendship because of Vietnam. I believe Woodstock was the starter motor for the peace process.
Chris Eggy-Bear, England

I remember mud. I remember rain. Yep, that's about all I remember.
Josh, US

Man, it was all commercialized back in '69 too. I tell ya, that that was one un-groovy event. I couldn't even get around with all those cameras in the way.
Joe Masterson, US

I Just got back from a year in Vietnam and was on my way back overseas. All my friends headed up to Woodstock and I missed it by two days. But I did make it up there in '94 and had a great time!
Ron Valastin, USA

My husband was at Woodstock '69 for the three days. He remembered very little about the entire event because of drugs. This was at the beginning of a very hard life, again, because of drugs. But he believed so deeply about love and peace that Woodstock was always one of his very fond memories and there was always a sparkle in his eyes when he spoke about it.
Purple Haze, Earth

I was at Woodstock in the rain and mud having the best time of my life. Everyone was wonderful and loving. My car broke down with three passengers. Left it in a summer bunglo community and hike to the concert. On Sunday morning, everyone in the summer community helped to get us back on the road to home. My best memory was Sly Stone performance on Saturday night.
Emil Novelo, USA

Although my memories of '69 are hazy, I do remember feeling the happy vibe, the nudity, the discovery of inner being that thrives today, and the realization of what culture truly is.
Michael Hoover, USA

I was there from Fri till Sun morning. It took four hours to drive the 18 miles. Arrived to Joe Cocker, went to sleep with Crosby Stills and Nash, woke to Jimi Hendrix. I must be in heaven. The rains and the mud, swinng nude in the pond. Almost half a million people for three days and only onre traffic fatality. The spirit of peace and love. It can never be recreated.
Don Simpson, USA

Why talk about woodstock in 1969 when you could talk about Glastonbury in 99?
Simon Stanleigh, England

Those were my younger days, and though I was there I took LSD for the first time several hours before me and my brother jumped over the fence to get in. As I said I never took it before and it was very strong. I had read Dante in my Freshman year and I imagined I was in fact in Dante's Hell the entire time, no peace and love for me.
Bob Hooker, USA

I was at the original Woodstock. It was not so wonderful as romantic journalists made out. There was mud created by too many people walking over temporary water mains. Food ran out. There were heaps of rubbish, so during the waiting for the music we burned our rubbish, mainly plastic, and created a truly toxic atmostphere. The bands to AGES to come on as roadies did pompous things on stage, piling sound system on sound system. Fortunately my lot was in a 10-passender Land Rover, and we had reservations in a Motel some 20 miles away. We got out each day and had clean beds and clean air as well as showers, and we managed to return each day, although getting further and further from the stage each time. We started some 20 "rows" back, and ended up a good mile away, but could still hear. Joni Mitchell was not there, and Cream was on V. late. I think I remember Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young as being the best organized.
Diana Patterson, Canada

I was a junior in High School on the West Coast. So I missed it. But you didn't have to be there to feel the spirit of Woodstock. It was wonderful, the music was awesome. Great days!
Jo, USA

"Awesome"
Caroline, England

Remember Woodstock from the news reports of the time, but I had no money for the flight to US. There is a European version of Woodstock already it's called Glastonbury held in the County of Somerset UK in June generally.
Gf Withers, UK

You're obviously in error asking for memories of Woodstock. Anyone who was really there doesn't have any!
Fred Manfra, USA

I was there, or so they tell me..."If you remember being there, you weren't there". ...just kidding...I was there, and happened upon naked behinds of several women fanned around a campfire as my introduction to the Aquarian exposition.
I live ten minutes down the road from the original site, and picnic there regularly through the year. Memories/flashbacks waft up from time to time. The music was ongoing through the nights, and I remember waking up to Hendrix's "Star Spangled Banner" and being duly wowed.
The spirit of peace, love and music permeates the soul of this generation even today. Janis was awesome, belting out blues in her purple tie-dye velveted rasping voice. The people were a flood of ecstatic revery, melting into each other's rainbowed bodyminds. The "Garden" as it is now termed, was magic in '69 because of its spontaneous tone of freedom, and its peaking of a generation's consciousness raising expression. Although my psyche is travelling "further" on down the road like Kesey's magic bus, it is enlived to see a legacy of joy as fallout from the first real trancadelic rave.
Will Conway, USA

First it was sunny, then it rained a bit....I almost remembered something else but it's gone.
Del Preston, England