Place – The Oval Cricket Grand
Time – 18th September 1971
Artist – The Who
The Pye mobile recording studio was hired to record the Goodbye Summer: Concert for Bangladesh at the Oval Cricket ground in Kennington London
The artists included such names as The Who, Rod Stewart, The Faces and many others.
Photo Courtesy of Philip Newell
This was a great gig for me to work on being right in the middle of the area I grew up and went to school in.
Once I started working at Pye I would only manage to see local friends occasionally due to the many hours I spent working.
Whenever I did get to see them I would mention some of the artist I’d been spending time with, I would always get a reaction of disbelief.
This concert would confirm I was working in the business I always said I would and I had finally escaped my past, I was right the audience was filled with kids I grew up with.
Each time I went on to the stage to set up the mics for the acts I could hear my name being shouted out from the crowd, this was really a great feeling.
Photo Courtesy of Philip Newell
The Who
The Who were top of the bill and as they were finishing their last song an engineer named Glyn Johns entered the truck.
Townshend and Moon was busy destroying their equipment, this was now an expected culmination of their act.
With the set over and the applause dying down Glyn asked Vic if he could hear a bit of the recording.
Within a few minutes Pete Townsend followed by the rest of the band entered the truck. It did appear, with Glyn sitting at the front of the desk, moving the faders around that he had been there all of the time recording the gig.
As the playback finished the band started to congratulate Glyn on what a great sound he had achieved, Glyn decided not to redirect this compliment to where it belonged.
The band wasn’t to know that he had just arrived but I looked at Vic as if to say, “Why don’t you say something?”
When I spoke to Vic later he told me it was no big deal, but actually I was very upset by Glyn Johns thunder stealing.
Ricky Farr Backstage Pass
My Oval Press Pass
The Who. Stories From The Pye Mobile. The I O W Festival 1970
Chicago Stories From The Pye Mobile. The I O W Festival 1970
The Recording of The Robert Johnson Songbook Album
Vic was the finest live recording engineer of his time.
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