Move To Reading
In 1971, the festival finally found a permanent home when Pendleton moved base to Reading. This move also signified the beginning of the end of the more eclectic mix of music that had been the hallmark of the festival. By 1971 the festival had become "The National Jazz, Blues and Rock Festival" and had begun to mutate into a hard rock festival. Although George Melly and John McLaughlin did participate in these years, it was bands such as Hawkwind, Thin Lizzy and Rory Gallagher who drew the crowds.
By 1975, the festival attendance had swollen to 70,000 and there were nasty scenes where can fights became the norm and some reggae artists were received with hostility. In 1976 the festival changed its name to "Reading Rock" and the transformation was complete. Hard rock and heavy metal were the staple of the festival until well into the 1980s.
Read more about this topic: National Jazz And Blues Festival
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