1969

xx JAN 1969 England, Sheffield, City Hall

06 JAN 1969 England, Sunderland, Bay Hotel

17 JAN 1969 England, London, Royal Albert Hall
w/ Ten Years After, Principal Edwards Magic Theatre, Georgie Fame, John Peel

18 JAN 1969 England, Manchester, Houldsworth Hall
w/ Roy Harper, Bridget St. John

25 JAN 1969 England, Coventry, Lanchester Arts Festival
w/ Eclection

26 JAN 1969 England, Newcastle, City Hall
w/ Gun, Bonzo Dog Band

27 JAN 1969 England, Sheffield, City Hall
w/ The Nice

30 JAN 1969 England, London, Red Lion Hotel

31 JAN 1969 England, London, Strand, King’s College
w/ Blonde on Blonde

08 FEB 1969 England, London, Roundhouse, Middle Earth
w/ Egg, Arcadium

16 FEB 1969 England, Birmingham, Mothers

19 FEB 1969 England, Brighton, The Dome
w/ Bonzo Dog Band

21 FEB 1969 England, Watford, Top Rank

24 FEB 1969 England, Coventry, Lanchester College Arts Festival
w/ John Peel, Pentangle, Jeff Beck, Eclection, Duster Bennett, Champion Jack Dupree, Liverpool Scene, Jo-Ann Kelly, Simon & Steve, Sydney Carter, Davy Graham, Ron Geesin

27 FEB 1969 England, Swindon, Locarno

28 FEB 1969 England, London, Hornsey Wood Tavern, Manor House, Bluesville 69

MAR 1969 ALBUM RELEASE Entertainment (#6, UK, RSLP 6340)

03 MAR 1969 BBC SESSION Symonds On Sunday, England, London, BBC Studio 2, Aoelian Hall
Broadcast 09 MAR 1969

1. Holding The Compass
2. Processions
3. How Hi The Li

04 MAR 1969 England, Hampstead, Klooks Kleek

05 MAR 1969 BBC SESSION Radio One Club, England, London, BBC Paris Cinema, Lower Regent Street
live radio broadcast

10 MAR 1969 England, Romford, King’s Head

11 MAR 1969 BBC SESSION Top Gear, England, London, BBC Playhouse Theatre, Northumberland Avenue
Broadcast 30 MAR 1969

1. Love Is A Sleeper
2. I Sing ‘Um The Way I Feel
3. A Song For Me
4. Bring It On Home

13 MAR 1969 England, London, 100 Club
w/ Village

15 MAR 1969 England, London, Imperial College Union
w/ Smile

16 MAR 1969 England, Birmingham, Mothers
w/ Taste

30 MAR 1969 England, London, Country Club, Haverstock Hill

1ST AMERICAN TOUR (8-Weeks)

09 APR 1969 United States, New York City, NY, Fillmore East
w/ The Nice and Ten Years After; the Bill Graham incident

Roger Chapman (in Oldie-Markt, circa 1990): “I just made one of my numbers with the microphone stand, when Bill Graham appeared to see the last part of the show. Obviously he was shocked when he saw how I dealt with the microphone; it was absolutely unusual and he was totally startled. So he ran down the corridor and pulled down all of our posters. Well, we understood one another afterwards in spite of that, and we did several concerts for Graham later, but I think several other concert organizers and other people in the music business followed Bill’s example because he was an important person in the business, and expelled us.”

10 APR 1969 United States, New York City, NY, Fillmore East
w/ The Nice and Ten Years After

11-13 APR 1969 United States, Boston, MA Boston Tea Party
w/ Sweetwater

15-16 APR 1969 United States, New York City, NY, Steve Paul’s Scene
w/ Raven

Billboard Magazine Concert Review April 26, 1969 – The difference in Family was striking. Where the goup had been loose, they were together. Where they had been languid, they where sharp. Where they were unsure, they were comfortable.
The Reprise artists displayed the high degree of musicianship that had raised expectations for their first U.S. tour. They were especially good in driving material, such as “The Weaver’s Answer” and “Observations From A Hill.”
Among the strong points were the strange, strong, tremulous voice of Roger Chapman, Rob Townsend on drums, Jim King on saxophone and recorder, Ric Grech on violin and bass guitar and John Whitney on lead guitar. FRED KIRBY

25 APR 1969 United States, Detroit, MI Grande Ballroom
w/ Canned Heat

• Ric Grech replaced by John Weider during US tour. Weider was flown in from Los Angeles where he was doing session work after his days with eric Burdon’s New Animals. Peter Grant recommended him to Family and despite being only a guitar and violin player, picked up the bass without any warmups for a few dates in the New York area.

FAMILY Mk III
Roger Chapman: vocals, tenor saxophone, harmonica, percussion
Jim King: tenor and soprano saxophones, harmonica, vocals, tin whistle, piano
Rob Townsend: drums, percussion
John ‘Charlie’ Whitney: guitars, keyboards, mellotron, sitar
John Weider: bass, violin, guitars

09-11 MAY 1969 United States, Boston, MA Boston Tea Party
w/ Poco

1. Dim

w/ Richie Havens, Thunderclap Newman (unconfirmed)

10 MAY 1969 TV BROADCAST (UK) Colour Me Pop England, London, BBC Studios

1. The Weavers Answer
2. Observations From A Hill
3. How Hi The Li
4. Processions
5. A Song For Me

17 MAY 1969 England, London, Marquee

25 MAY 1969 England, London, Chalk Farm, Roundhouse
Fairport Convention benefit w/ Blossom Toes, Eclection, Mick Fleetwood, Pink Floyd, Deviants, John Peel, Pretty Things

10 JUN 1969 England, Hertfordshire, Welwyn Garden City, The Cherry Tree

11 JUN 1969 England, Cambridge, Open Air Free Concert
w/ Audience, The Pretty Things, David Bowie

13 JUN 1969 England, Birmingham, Birmingham University
w/ Principal Edwards Magic Theater

16 JUN 1969 England, Romford, Romford Market, King’s Hill

17 JUN 1969 England, London, Marquee
w/ Grail

05 JUL 1969 England, London, Hyde Park
Rolling Stones’ Brian Jones memorial w/ King Crimson, Battered Ornaments, Roy Harper, Third Ear Band, Alexis Korner’s New Church, Screw

05 JUL 1969 England, Dagenham, Village Roundhouse (late show)

07 JUL 1969 England, London, Edmonton, Cooks Ferry Inn

15 JUL 1969 England, London, West Hampstead, Klooks Kleek, Railway Hotel

21 JUL 1969 England, Sunderland, Bay Hotel

24 JUL 1969 England, Plymouth, Van Dykes

26 JUL 1969 England, Dunstable, Civic Hall
w/ Eclection

28 JUL 1969 BBC SESSION Top Gear, England, London, BBC Playhouse Theatre
Broadcast 03 AUG 1969

1. Drowned In Wine
2. Wheels
3. No Mule’s Fool
4. The Cat And The Rat

28 JUL 1969 England, Plymouth, The Van Dike

04 AUG 1969 England, London, Marquee
2 shows at 6:45 and 9:30

05 AUG 1969 England, London, Marquee

10 AUG 1969 England, Sussex, 9th National Jazz, Blues & Pop Festival

15 AUG 1969 England, London, Strand, Lyceum
w/ Circus, Grail, Sam Gopal

22 AUG 1969 England, Sunderland, Lorcano
w/ Grail

24 AUG 1969 England, Birmingham, Erdington, Mothers

30 AUG 1969 Isle Of Wight, Isle of Wight Festival of Music

Rob Townsend: “We saw The Who, who were incredible, The Moody Blues, Free and Marsha Hunt. Somehow we got into the press enclosure, even though we didn’t have passes. We were right at the front of the stage, and wouldn’t move. And everyone was anxiously waiting for Bob Dylan. It was a really big thing at the time but as it happens we were slightly disappointed. On the day of our performance it was the sheer number of people that was amazing. There was also a big back stage area and I stood behind Keith Moon, white his roadie little Bob (Pridden) topped up his glass with copious amounts of whisky and coke. Seeing Moonie play so close up was an incredible memory.”

“Within minutes, vocalist Roger Chapman had smashed a microphone to pieces and almost lassooed photographers with the mike lead.  Their entry in the Festival programme says everything, or perhaps nothing!

“We sometimes imagine ourselves to be a tree. Our roots are firmly set amongst us, the trunk resembles our progress and development and the branches are our directions.  At the ends lie the fruits where they are to be taken by the people.”

Watching Family could be unexpectedly dangerous for those in the front row, into which Chapman would often fall, or throw the odd mikestand, in his simulation of an acid trip on stage!  He always claimed afterwards that he could remember nothing of the performance.”

08 SEP 1969 England, Romford, Kings Hall

15 SEP 1969 England, London, Royal Festival Hall
“An Evening of Family Entertainment” w/ Olly Grey (plate spinner), Rex Roper (bullwhip, strip artist), and others

Roger Chapman: “That was another of Gilbert’s ideas. It was a bit of a damp squib really and something we didn’t learn from ‘cos we tried something similar for Anyway”.

26 SEP 1969 England, Buxton, Derbyshire, Pavilion Gardens
w/  Fleetwood Mac, John Peel, East Of Eden, Edgar Broughton Band, Glass Menagerie, Spirit Of John Morgan

Charlie Whitney: “We played an indoor place with John Peel. He seemed to be everywhere at the time but was a big aggravated about the PA.” Roger recalls “jumping over the keyboards on my way to the front.”

07 OCT 1969 England, London, Marquee
w/ Stone the Crows, Emily Muff (2 shows at 6:45 and 9:30)

10 OCT 1969 England, Salford, Salford University
“A Night of Family Entertainment” w/ stars of stage and circus, Climax Chicago Blues Band, Third Ear Band, The Entire Sioux Nation, Killing Floor, The Famous Jug Band, Edison’s Phonograph, Manchester Road, Nova Express Light Show

12 OCT 1969 England, Birmingham, Erdington, Mothers

14 OCT 1969 England, London, West Hampstead, Railway Hotel, Klooks Kleek
w/ Egg

16 OCT 1969 England, Liverpool, Royal Philharmonic Hall

17 OCT 1969 SINGLE RELEASE (#29, UK)

1. No Mule’s Fool
2. Good Friend Of Mine

18 OCT 1969 England, Sunderland, Lorcano
w/ Man

19 OCT 1969 England, London, Strand, Lyceum
w/ Steppenwolf (headline), Spirit of John Morgan, Van der Graaf Generator

20 OCT 1969 England, Dunstable, Civic Hall
w/ Hardin & York

21 OCT 1969 England, Ilford, Palais

24 OCT 1969 England, Plymouth, The Van Dike

30 OCT 1969 England, Whitley Bay, Rex Hotel
w/ Raw Spirit

02 NOV 1969 England, Bristol, Colston Hall

FAMILY Mk IV
Roger Chapman: vocals, tenor saxophone, harmonica, percussion
John ‘Charlie’ Whitney: guitars, keyboards, mellotron, sitar
Rob Townsend: drums, percussion
John Weider: bass, violin, guitars, vocals
Poli Palmer: flute, piano, vibes, synthesizers

14 NOV 1969 England, Newcastle, City Hall
w/ Yes, Blossom Toes

16 NOV 1969 England, Croydon, Fairfield Hall

18 NOV 1969 England, Dagenham, Village Roundhouse

xx NOV 1969 Denmark, Copenhagen, Brondby Popklub

27 NOV 1969 TV BROADCAST (Denmark) Top Of The Pops, Copenhagen, Denmark, Studio 3, TV-Byen

1. A Song For Me

01 DEC 1969 England, Romford, King’s Head

02 DEC 1969 England, Hanley, The Place

04 DEC 1969 England, Leicester, De Montfort Hall

05 DEC 1969 England, Manchester, Lyceum
w/ Atomic Rooster, Yes, Edgar Broughton Band, Spirit of John Morgan

06 DEC 1969 England, Manchester, Manchester University

07 DEC 1969 England, Bradford, Bradford University

08 DEC 1969 England, Romford, Kings Hall

09 DEC 1969 England, Wolverhampton, Civic Hall
w/ Georgie Fame, Barclay James Harvest

10 DEC 1969 England, Reading, Reading University

12 DEC 1969 England, Hull, Hull University

14 DEC 1969 England, Peterlee, Argus Butterfly

19 DEC 1969 England, London, Royal Albert Hall, Shelter Benefit
w/ Graham Bond, Sam Apple Pie, John Peel

20 DEC 1969 England, Blackburn, Blackburn University

22 DEC 1969 England, Brighton, The Dome

23 DEC 1969 England, Victoria Chesterfield

31 DEC 1969 England, London, Marquee
w/ Audience, Emily Muff