On This Day in Art Rock History

A DAILY CHRONICLE

SAN FRANCISCO · THE PSYCHEDELIC ERA · 1960s

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The Stones in the Park

July 5, 1969
Poster
Series
Misc
Venue
Hyde Park
London
Date
July 5, 1969
Nickname
The Stones in the Park

On July 5, 1969, the Rolling Stones played a free concert in Hyde Park, London before a crowd estimated between a quarter- and a half-million -- with King Crimson, Family, and others beneath them. It was Mick Taylor's public debut with the band, and it became a memorial: Brian Jones, the Stones' founder, had been found dead in his swimming pool two days earlier, and Mick Jagger opened the set by reading from Shelley's "Adonais" and releasing white butterflies over the crowd. It was the Stones' first live show in more than two years, filmed as The Stones in the Park -- and for the opening act King Crimson, only about their seventh gig, a sudden audience of hundreds of thousands.

Verification Notes

Antagonist-checked. VERIFIED: Stones free Hyde Park 7/5/69, ~250-500k, w/ King Crimson + Family; Mick Taylor's debut; Brian Jones memorial (d. 7/3/69), Jagger's Shelley reading + butterflies; first Stones show in 2+ yrs; filmed The Stones in the Park; King Crimson ~7th gig. Venue = Hyde Park London (created). date high.

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