Sam Knee (Cicada)
Sam Knee’s previous books have mostly been picture-led, pleasingly presented hardback affairs interspersed by a few paragraphs of social context here and there. Memories Of A Free Festival (which takes its title from a David Bowie song, written about one he played in 1969) follows this pattern, tracing the history of the British underground music festival from the beatnik jazz gatherings of the late 1950s to the abrupt, violent stop forced by the infamous ‘Battle Of The Beanfield’ in 1985. There is a far more comprehensive history to be written of this movement, and Memories… isn’t it, but the photos Knee’s sourced compensate greatly. One right at the end, of people dancing to the screeching racket of Bristolian punk band Disorder while Stonehenge stands stoic in the background, had me smiling for hours.
Price: £16.95. Info: www.cicadabooks.co.uk (NG)