History Trivia / Woodstock

** Legal wrangling over the film and recording rights, plus the artists' personal decisions, also ensured that those records of the event are incomplete. Creedence Clearwater Revival gave what many people present considered to be one of the best sets of the festival, but since John Fogerty didn't think so, he refused to allow them to be filmed or recorded. [[note]]Specifically, because they were playing so late at night and most people were asleep, he thought that wouldn't look good for the band on film.[[/note]] Music/NeilYoung had just joined forces with Music/CrosbyStillsAndNash, but refused to give permission for filming[[note]]like several others he was angry that the show was being filmed ''at all'' because artists would play to the camera -- as you can see Stephen Stills doing -- instead of focusing on the music[[/note]] and famously threatened to [[WesternAnimation/QuickDrawMcGraw El Kabong]] anyone who got near him with a camera. Neil wasn't alone. Several others felt that the filming was inappropriate and at least one artist, [[http://www.bertsommer.com/woodstock.htm Bert Sommer]], was cut from the film by Warner, as he was a Capitol Records artist [[note]]Sommer's performance of Music/SimonAndGarfunkel's "America"([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joH4MI2bh4k hear it here]]) got a standing ovation; fans speculate that if it had made it into the film he would have gained a much greater following instead of fading into obscurity and death.[[/note]] [[Music/GratefulDead The Grateful Dead]] hated their performance and declined its inclusion in either the film or album. Music/PeteTownshend had no issues with the film or the album, but was horribly cynical about the whole "peace, love and music" thing, at one point coldcocking Abbie Hoffman off the stage when he came on to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le2eB2xtvBQ berate the crowd about its perceived political detachment]].[[note]]Hoffman was infuriated because jazz-poet and [[https://www.rockhall.com/nominee/mc5 MC5]] manager [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sinclair_(poet) John Sinclair]] had recently been set up by Detroit police and sentenced to ''ten years in prison'' for attempting to sell two marijuana joints to an undercover policewoman. Hoffman felt that the eminent artists present and the massive media coverage should be used to draw attention to this and other injustices. Many people in the hippie/artistic/music/political activist communities were outraged, and Music/JohnLennon wrote and recorded [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Some_Time_in_New_York_City John Sinclair]] to help get more publicity. [[https://reasonabledoubt.org/criminallawblog/entry/december-13-1971-john-sinclair-freed-from-10-year-sentence-for-possessing-two-joints-today-in-crime-history Sinclair was released in December 1971.]] He is still alive and an outspoken activist.[[/note]]Music/TheBand also did well by the crowd, but didn't let their performance be used in the album or movie because their manager thought they weren't getting paid enough. Ravi Shankar played at the festival but was displeased with his performance and later recreated it in the studio with clips from the concert edited in for a live feel. As a result, the tapes of his performance along with Melanie which were on the same reel are lost. It wasn't until 2019 that a [[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/woodstock-box-set-829716/ largely complete box set]] of the entire festival was released (including the performances of all artists above, but excluding one track by Sha Na Na for which recordings have been lost, and two songs by Jimi Hendrix that his estate asked not be included).

** Legal wrangling over the film and recording rights, plus the artists' personal decisions, also ensured that those records of the event are incomplete. Creedence Clearwater Revival gave what many people present considered to be one of the best sets of the festival, but since John Fogarty didn't think so, he refused to allow them to be filmed or recorded. [[note]]Specifically, because they were playing so late at night and most people were asleep, he thought that wouldn't look good for the band on film.[[/note]] Music/NeilYoung had just joined forces with Music/CrosbyStillsAndNash, but refused to give permission for filming[[note]]like several others he was angry that the show was being filmed ''at all'' because artists would play to the camera -- as you can see Stephen Stills doing -- instead of focusing on the music[[/note]] and famously threatened to [[WesternAnimation/QuickDrawMcGraw El Kabong]] anyone who got near him with a camera. Neil wasn't alone. Several others felt that the filming was inappropriate and at least one artist, [[http://www.bertsommer.com/woodstock.htm Bert Sommer]], was cut from the film by Warner, as he was a Capitol Records artist [[note]]Sommer's performance of Music/SimonAndGarfunkel's "America"([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joH4MI2bh4k hear it here]]) got a standing ovation; fans speculate that if it had made it into the film he would have gained a much greater following instead of fading into obscurity and death.[[/note]] [[Music/GratefulDead The Grateful Dead]] hated their performance and declined its inclusion in either the film or album. Music/PeteTownshend had no issues with the film or the album, but was horribly cynical about the whole "peace, love and music" thing, at one point coldcocking Abbie Hoffman off the stage when he came on to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le2eB2xtvBQ berate the crowd about its perceived political detachment]].[[note]]Hoffman was infuriated because jazz-poet and [[https://www.rockhall.com/nominee/mc5 MC5]] manager [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sinclair_(poet) John Sinclair]] had recently been set up by Detroit police and sentenced to ''ten years in prison'' for attempting to sell two marijuana joints to an undercover policewoman. Hoffman felt that the eminent artists present and the massive media coverage should be used to draw attention to this and other injustices. Many people in the hippie/artistic/music/political activist communities were outraged, and Music/JohnLennon wrote and recorded [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Some_Time_in_New_York_City John Sinclair]] to help get more publicity. [[https://reasonabledoubt.org/criminallawblog/entry/december-13-1971-john-sinclair-freed-from-10-year-sentence-for-possessing-two-joints-today-in-crime-history Sinclair was released in December 1971.]] He is still alive and an outspoken activist.[[/note]]Music/TheBand also did well by the crowd, but didn't let their performance be used in the album or movie because their manager thought they weren't getting paid enough. Ravi Shankar played at the festival but was displeased with his performance and later recreated it in the studio with clips from the concert edited in for a live feel. As a result, the tapes of his performance along with Melanie which were on the same reel are lost. It wasn't until 2019 that a [[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/woodstock-box-set-829716/ largely complete box set]] of the entire festival was released (including the performances of all artists above, but excluding one track by Sha Na Na for which recordings have been lost, and two songs by Jimi Hendrix that his estate asked not be included).

** Legal wrangling over the film and recording rights, plus the artists' personal decisions, also ensured that those records of the event are incomplete. Creedence Clearwater Revival gave what many people present considered to be one of the best sets of the festival, but since John Fogarty didn't think so, he refused to allow them to be filmed or recorded. [[note]]Specifically, because they were playing so late at night and most people were asleep, he thought that wouldn't look good for the band on film.[[/note]] Music/NeilYoung had just joined forces with Music/CrosbyStillsAndNash, but refused to give permission for filming[[note]]like several others he was angry that the show was being filmed ''at all'' because artists would play to the camera -- as you can see Stephen Stills doing -- instead of focusing on the music[[/note]] and famously threatened to [[WesternAnimation/QuickDrawMcGraw El Kabong]] anyone who got near him with a camera. Neil wasn't alone. Several others felt that the filming was inappropriate and at least one artist, [[http://www.bertsommer.com/woodstock.htm Bert Sommer]], was cut from the film by Warner, as he was a Capitol Records artist [[note]]Sommer's performance of Music/SimonAndGarfunkel's "America"([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joH4MI2bh4k hear it here]]) got a standing ovation; fans speculate that if it had made it into the film he would have gained a much greater following instead of fading into obscurity and death.[[/note]] [[Music/GratefulDead The Grateful Dead]] hated their performance and declined its inclusion in either the film or album. Music/PeteTownshend had no issues with the film or the album, but was horribly cynical about the whole "peace, love and music" thing, at one point coldcocking Abbie Hoffmann off the stage when he came on to berate the crowd about its perceived political detachment.[[note]]Hoffmann was infuriated because jazz-poet and [[https://www.rockhall.com/nominee/mc5 MC5]] manager [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sinclair_(poet) John Sinclair]] had recently been set up by Detroit police and sentenced to ''ten years in prison'' for two marijuana joints. Hoffman felt that the eminent artists present and the massive media coverage should be used to draw attention to this and other injustices. Many people in the hippie/artistic/music/political activist communities were outraged, and Music/JohnLennon wrote and recorded [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Some_Time_in_New_York_City John Sinclair]] to help get more publicity. [[https://reasonabledoubt.org/criminallawblog/entry/december-13-1971-john-sinclair-freed-from-10-year-sentence-for-possessing-two-joints-today-in-crime-history Sinclair was released in December 1971.]] He is still alive and an outspoken activist.[[/note]]Music/TheBand also did well by the crowd, but didn't let their performance be used in the album or movie because their manager thought they weren't getting paid enough. Ravi Shankar played at the festival but was displeased with his performance and later recreated it in the studio with clips from the concert edited in for a live feel. As a result, the tapes of his performance along with Melanie which were on the same reel are lost. It wasn't until 2019 that a [[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/woodstock-box-set-829716/ largely complete box set]] of the entire festival was released (including the performances of all artists above, but excluding one track by Sha Na Na for which recordings have been lost, and two songs by Jimi Hendrix that his estate asked not be included).

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Thanks mostly to ScrewedByTheNetwork, ScrewedByTheLawyers and OldShame, only a limited amount of music from Woodstock '69 got released in the first few years after the festival. Eventually some bootleg tapes of the artists not on the ''Woodstock'' soundtrack and ''Woodstock Two'' started circulating, but a good chunk of the festival was believed to be lost. One act (The Keef Hartley Band) reputedly didn't even get recorded because their manager wanted the organizers to pay him for the privilege (eventually some tapes surfaced). But the discovery and restoration of the complete tapes in the early 2000s and the ultimate release of the ''Back to the Garden'' complete set in 2019 rectified the situation for good. Still, it wasn't actually "complete": the Music/JimiHendrix estate asked for two songs from his set not to be included, and Music/ShaNaNa had one song not recorded and another that only had the last few seconds recorded. And, the extremely limited edition and [[CrackIsCheaper exorbitant price]] of the set guarantees that this will remain in place in the future. (The WXPN marathon mentioned below marked most people's first chance to hear the complete set).

** Many people came because they heard rumors the Beatles would reunite and/or that Bob Dylan would play (the name Woodstock came from Woodstock Ventures, the company that financed the festival, but since Dylan's home -- near the originally planned site -- was in the ''town'' of Woodstock, everybody naturally thought...). A few months later, Dylan left his Woodstock home for good, saying it was constantly surrounded by "druggies".

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Thanks mostly to ScrewedByTheNetwork, ScrewedByTheLawyers and OldShame, only a limited amount of music from Woodstock '69 got released in the first few years after the festival. Eventually some bootleg tapes of the artists not on the ''Woodstock'' soundtrack and ''Woodstock Two'' started circulating, but a good chunk of the festival was believed to be lost. One act (The Keef Hartley Band) reputedly didn't even get recorded because their manager wanted the organizers to pay him for the privilege. But the discovery and restoration of the complete tapes in the early 2000s and the ultimate release of the ''Back to the Garden'' complete set in 2019 rectified the situation for good. Still, it wasn't actually "complete": the Music/JimiHendrix estate asked for two songs from his set not to be included, and Music/ShaNaNa had one song not recorded and another that only had the last few seconds recorded. And, the extremely limited edition and [[CrackIsCheaper exorbitant price]] of the set guarantees that this will remain in place in the future. (The WXPN marathon mentioned below marked most people's first chance to hear the complete set).

* Music/BobDylan's "I Shall Be Released" was performed three times at the 1969 festival, by Music/JoanBaez, Music/JoeCocker and Music/TheBand.

* MarathonRunning: On August 15-18, 2019, WXPN radio in Philadelphia aired (and streamed) all 38 [=CDs=] of the 50th anniversary "complete" box set, playing each artist's set at the exact date and time they played in 1969. Since there were usually long gaps between sets, they played other music from 1969 during the intermissions.

** Creator/WalterCronkite's college-age daughter Kathy phoned him to say she was going to a concert. Walter and Betsy assumed she meant something like the New York Philharmonic. Walter reported on Woodstock all weekend, with an "oh my god" attitude as the attendees rolled in the mud. Then they realized ''that'' was the concert Kathy meant... right before she used one of those phones to tell them she was fine.

* Music/BobDylan's "I Shall be Released" was performed three times at the 1969 festival, by Music/JoanBaez, Music/JoeCocker and Music/TheBand.

* MarathonRunning: On August 15-18, 2019, WXPN radio in Philadelphia aired (and streamed) all 38 CDs of the 50th anniversary "complete" box set, playing each artist's set at the exact date and time they played in 1969. Since there were usually long gaps between sets, they played other music from 1969 during the intermissions.

** At Woodstock '94, Music/NineInchNails, while already solid underground favorites, gained their first major mainstream attention with their acclaimed set. Music/GreenDay had already scored a couple hits from ''Music/Dookie'' going into the festival, but their set gained huge attention (partly for a mudfight between Billie Joe Armstrong and the audience, and an odd incident where Mike Dirnt got mistaken for a stage-crashing fan and was tackled by security, breaking some of his teeth).

** Legal wrangling over the film and recording rights also ensured that those records of the event are incomplete. Creedence Clearwater Revival gave what many people present considered to be one of the best sets of the festival, but since John Fogarty didn't think so, he refused to allow them to be filmed or recorded. Music/NeilYoung had just joined forces with Music/CrosbyStillsAndNash, but refused to give permission for filming and famously threatened to [[WesternAnimation/QuickDrawMcGraw El Kabong]] anyone who got near him with a camera. [[Music/GratefulDead The Grateful Dead]] hated their performance and declined its inclusion in either the film or album. Music/PeteTownshend had no issues with the film or the album, but was horribly cynical about the whole "peace, love and music" thing, at one point coldcocking Abbie Hoffmann off the stage when he came on to berate the crowd about its perceived political detachment.[[note]]Hoffmann was infuriated because jazz-poet and [[https://www.rockhall.com/nominee/mc5 MC5]] manager [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sinclair_(poet) John Sinclair]] had recently been set up by Detroit police and sentenced to ''ten years in prison'' for two marijuana joints. Hoffman felt that the eminent artists present and the massive media coverage should be used to draw attention to this and other injustices. Many people in the hippie/artistic/music/political activist communities were outraged, and Music/JohnLennon wrote and recorded [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Some_Time_in_New_York_City John Sinclair]] to help get more publicity. [[https://reasonabledoubt.org/criminallawblog/entry/december-13-1971-john-sinclair-freed-from-10-year-sentence-for-possessing-two-joints-today-in-crime-history Sinclair was released in December 1971.]] He is still alive and an outspoken activist.[[/note]]Music/TheBand also did well by the crowd, but didn't let their performance be used in the album or movie because their manager thought they weren't getting paid enough. Ravi Shankar played at the festival but was displeased with his performance and later recreated it in the studio with clips from the concert edited in for a live feel. As a result, the tapes of his performance along with Melanie which were on the same reel are lost. It wasn't until 2019 that a [[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/woodstock-box-set-829716/ largely complete box set]] of the entire festival was released (including the performances of all artists above, but excluding one track by Sha Na Na for which recordings have been lost, and two songs by Jimi Hendrix that his estate asked not be included).

** The planned 50th anniversary concert at Watkins Glen has been a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodstock_50#Cancellation_controversy total mess]] production wise and as of mid-July may be a lost cause. The festival's richest financial backer pulled out of the festival and declared Woodstock 50 canceled, although a judge later ruled they had no right to do so. In June 2019, [[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/woodstock-50-loses-festival-grounds-846494/ they lost their venue and their replacement production company.]] Not only have they been unable to get necessary permits and start work on the venue early enough[[note]]a major element of the [[DisasterDominoes cascading failure chain]] that was [[Film/GimmeShelter Altamont]][[/note]], not only did the company hired to produce the event insisted on limiting attendance to 75,000 for safety reasons (the original event on the Yasgur farm had over 500,000), but organizer Randy Phillips [[http://fortune.com/2019/05/02/why-woodstock-50-wont-happen/ criticized the artists' lineup]] as lacking the "lineage, the connection to the original" that would have helped to recreate the iconic atmosphere. Instead of Imagine Dragons, Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus and the Killers, he says, this is the kind of event where you should try to get Music/CrosbyStillsNashAndYoung back together; the planners should have taken their cues from the [[https://www.deserttrip.com Desert Trip festival]] and recruited more active rockers from the 60s such as Music/PaulMcCartney and Music/BobDylan. Michael Lang had ''wanted'' these artists, but not everyone was available; in fact, some of them were actually playing a Woodstock commemorative show put on by Live Nation that same weekend at the original site.

** An artist who didn't know what she was getting into was Melanie Safka. Primarily known in England and Europe, not the U.S., she was invited to the "Woodstock Music and ''Art Fair''" and pictured playing for 500 people in folding lawn chairs at a relaxed arts and crafts show. Terrified by the actual size of the crowd as she was flown in by helicopter, she wondered how she could captivate so many people. But she did, and as the rain fell and she saw the people holding up candles[[note]]this was before the days of audiences holding up lighters to encourage a band, although [[Music/CreedenceClearwaterRevival John Fogerty]] thinks it did start there with ''one guy'' who lit a cigarette as he yelled to the band not to worry, people were listening, even though it was 1 a.m.[[/note]] she understood what was happening. The memory of that night became "Candles in the Rain", her first U.S. hit. She was the first solo female artist to play at the festival. Her seven-song set started at 11 p.m. on the first night, replacing Incredible String Band who didn't want to play in the rain. They went on the next evening, around 6 p.m., right before Santana.

** Other Woodstock festivals also had artists who canceled or declined a slot on their lineups. Music/GunsNRoses were asked to perform at Woodstock '94, but declined due to their interband turmoil. Music/AliceInChains were listed on the initial Woodstock '94 lineup poster, but pulled out due to Layne Stayley's drug problems. Before the Woodstock '94 lineup was announced, ''Rolling Stone'' [[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/aerosmith-nine-inch-nails-to-play-woodstock-anniversary-concert-98999/ reported]] that Music/{{Soundgarden}} and Music/StoneTemplePilots were among the artists in talks to appear, but ultimately neither band performed. In fact, Music/{{Soundgarden}} guitarist Kim Thayil had harsh words about the festival, saying "I think we'd much rather play for the twenty-somethings than have to do a little nostalgia bit for the forty-nothings." Music/NeilYoung was offered $1 million to be a headliner at Woodstock '94, but turned the offer down because he felt the festival was too commercialized. Music/TheSmashingPumpkins turned down Woodstock '99 a few years later for similar reasons, and because frontman Billy Corgan was suspicious of the concert organizers' motives for holding the show. Music/SugarRay, Music/FooFighters, Music/AlGreen and Music/{{Aerosmith}} all had to cancel their appearances at Woodstock '99 due to various conflicts, with Sugar Ray being replaced in their slot by G. Love & Special Sauce. Jeff Beck, who also canceled on the original Woodstock, wound up also dropping out of '99. Music/TheBlackKeys were announced as part of Woodstock 2019's lineup, but canceled just a few weeks afterwards. Music/JoanBaez and Music/PaulMcCartney were also sought for Woodstock 50 and both turned the event down. Woodstock 50 lost [[Music/CreedenceClearwaterRevival John Fogerty]], Music/JayZ and [[Music/GratefulDead Dead and Company]] after organizers moved the festival to Maryland, and they ultimately released its [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodstock_50#Original_line-up entire original lineup]] of over 60 artists because the relocation voided their contracts.

** Other Woodstock festivals also had artists who canceled or declined a slot on their lineups. Music/GunsNRoses were asked to perform at Woodstock '94, but declined due to their interband turmoil. Music/AliceInChains were listed on the initial Woodstock '94 lineup poster, but pulled out due to Layne Stayley's drug problems. Before the Woodstock '94 lineup was announced, ''Rolling Stone'' [[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/aerosmith-nine-inch-nails-to-play-woodstock-anniversary-concert-98999/ reported]] that Music/{{Soundgarden}} and Music/StoneTemplePilots were among the artists in talks to appear, but ultimately neither band performed. In fact, Music/{{Soundgarden}} guitarist Kim Thayil had harsh words about the festival, saying "I think we'd much rather play for the twenty-somethings than have to do a little nostalgia bit for the forty-nothings." Music/NeilYoung was offered $1 million to be a headliner at Woodstock '94, but turned the offer down because he felt the festival was too commercialized. Music/TheSmashingPumpkins turned down Woodstock '99 a few years later for similar reasons, and because frontman Billy Corgan was suspicious of the concert organizers' motives for holding the show. Music/SugarRay, Music/FooFighters and Music/{{Aerosmith}} all had to cancel their appearances at Woodstock '99 due to scheduling conflicts, with Sugar Ray being replaced in their slot by G. Love & Special Sauce. Jeff Beck, who also canceled on the original Woodstock, wound up also dropping out of '99. Music/TheBlackKeys were announced as part of Woodstock 2019's lineup, but canceled just a few weeks afterwards. Music/JoanBaez and Music/PaulMcCartney were also sought for Woodstock 50 and both turned the event down.

** The planned 50th anniversary concert at Watkins Glen has been a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodstock_50#Cancellation_controversy total mess]] production wise. The festival's richest financial backer pulled out of the festival and declared Woodstock 50 canceled, although a judge later ruled they had no right to do so. In June 2019, [[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/woodstock-50-loses-festival-grounds-846494/ they lost their venue and their replacement production company.]] Not only have they been unable to get necessary permits and start work on the venue early enough[[note]]a major element of the [[DisasterDominoes cascading failure chain]] that was [[Film/GimmeShelter Altamont]][[/note]], not only did the company hired to produce the event insisted on limiting attendance to 75,000 for safety reasons (the original event on the Yasgur farm had over 500,000), but organizer Randy Phillips [[http://fortune.com/2019/05/02/why-woodstock-50-wont-happen/ criticized the artists' lineup]] as lacking the "lineage, the connection to the original" that would have helped to recreate the iconic atmosphere. Instead of Imagine Dragons, Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus and the Killers, he says, this is the kind of event where you should try to get Music/CrosbyStillsNashAndYoung back together; the planners should have taken their cues from the [[https://www.deserttrip.com Desert Trip festival]] and recruited more active rockers from the 60s such as Music/PaulMcCartney and Music/BobDylan. Michael Lang had ''wanted'' these artists, but not everyone was available; in fact, some of them were actually playing a Woodstock commemorative show put on by Live Nation that same weekend at the original site.

** Other Woodstock festivals also had artists who canceled or declined a slot on their lineups. Music/GunsNRoses were asked to perform at Woodstock '94, but declined due to their interband turmoil. Music/AliceInChains were listed on the initial Woodstock '94 lineup poster, but pulled out due to Layne Stayley's drug problems. Before the Woodstock '94 lineup was announced, ''Rolling Stone'' [[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/aerosmith-nine-inch-nails-to-play-woodstock-anniversary-concert-98999/ reported]] that Music/{{Soundgarden}} and Music/StoneTemplePilots were among the artists in talks to appear, but ultimately neither band performed. Music/NeilYoung was offered $1 million to be a headliner at Woodstock '94, but turned the offer down because he felt the festival was too commercialized. Music/TheSmashingPumpkins turned down Woodstock '99 a few years later for similar reasons, and because frontman Billy Corgan was suspicious of the concert organizers' motives for holding the show. Music/SugarRay, Music/FooFighters and Music/{{Aerosmith}} all had to cancel their appearances at Woodstock '99 due to scheduling conflicts, with Sugar Ray being replaced in their slot by G. Love & Special Sauce. Jeff Beck, who also canceled on the original Woodstock, wound up also dropping out of '99. Music/TheBlackKeys were announced as part of Woodstock 2019's lineup, but canceled just a few weeks afterwards. Music/JoanBaez and Music/PaulMcCartney were also sought for Woodstock 50 and both turned the event down.

** The planned 50th anniversary concert at Watkins Glen has been a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodstock_50#Cancellation_controversy total mess]] production wise, but as of May 2019, was scheduled to continue as planned. The festival's richest financial backer pulled out of the festival and declared Woodstock 50 canceled, but a month later, a judge ruled they had no right to do so. In June 2019, [[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/woodstock-50-loses-festival-grounds-846494/ they lost their venue and their replacement production company.]] Apart from the cancellation incident, there's been other problems; Not only were they unable to get necessary permits and start work on the venue early enough[[note]]a major element of the [[DisasterDominoes cascading failure chain]] that was [[Film/GimmeShelter Altamont]][[/note]], not only did the company hired to produce the event insisted on limiting attendance to 75,000 for safety reasons (the original event on the Yasgur farm had over 500,000), but organizer Randy Phillips criticized the lineup of artists as lacking the "lineage, the connection to the original" that would have helped to recreate the iconic atmosphere. Instead of Imagine Dragons, Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus and the Killers, he says, this is the kind of event where you should try to get Music/CrosbyStillsNashAndYoung back together; the planners should have taken their cues from the [[https://www.deserttrip.com Desert Trip festival]] and recruited more active rockers from the 60s such as Paul [=McCartney=] and Bob Dylan. Michael Lang had ''wanted'' these artists, but not everyone was available; in fact, some of them were actually playing a Woodstock commemorative show put on by Live Nation that same weekend at the original site.

** The planned 50th anniversary concert at Watkins Glen has been a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodstock_50#Cancellation_controversy total mess]] production wise, but as of May 2019, will continue as planned. The festival's richest financial backer pulled out of the festival and declared Woodstock 50 canceled, but a month later, a judge ruled they had no right to do so. Apart from the cancellation incident, there's been other problems; Not only were they unable to get necessary permits and start work on the venue early enough, not only did the company hired to produce the event insisted on limiting attendance to 75,000 for safety reasons (the original event on the Yasgur farm had over 500,000), but organizer Randy Phillips criticized the lineup of artists as lacking the "lineage, the connection to the original" that would have helped to recreate the iconic atmosphere. Instead of Imagine Dragons, Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus and the Killers, he says, this is the kind of event where you should try to get Music/CrosbyStillsNashAndYoung back together; the planners should have taken their cues from the [[https://www.deserttrip.com Desert Trip festival]] and recruited more active rockers from the 60s such as Paul [=McCartney=] and Bob Dylan. Michael Lang had ''wanted'' these artists, but not everyone was available; in fact, some of them were actually playing a Woodstock commemorative show put on by Live Nation that same weekend at the original site.

** Legal wrangling over the film and recording rights also ensured that those records of the event are incomplete. Creedence Clearwater Revival gave what many people present considered to be one of the best sets of the festival, but since John Fogarty didn't think so, he refused to allow them to be filmed or recorded. Music/NeilYoung had just joined forces with Music/CrosbyStillsAndNash, but refused to give permission for filming and famously threatened to [[WesternAnimation/QuickDrawMcGraw El Kabong]] anyone who got near him with a camera. [[Music/GratefulDead The Grateful Dead]] hated their performance and declined its inclusion in either the film or album. Music/PeteTownshend had no issues with the film or the album, but was horribly cynical about the whole "peace, love and music" thing, at one point coldcocking Abbie Hoffmann off the stage when he came on to berate the crowd about its perceived political detachment.[[note]]Hoffmann was infuriated because jazz-poet and [[https://www.rockhall.com/nominee/mc5 MC5]] manager [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sinclair_(poet) John Sinclair]] had recently been set up by Detroit police and sentenced to ''ten years in prison'' for two marijuana joints. Hoffman felt that the eminent artists present and the massive media coverage should be used to draw attention to this and other injustices. Many people in the hippie/artistic/music/political activist communities were outraged, and Music/JohnLennon wrote and recorded [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Some_Time_in_New_York_City John Sinclair]] to help get more publicity. [[https://reasonabledoubt.org/criminallawblog/entry/december-13-1971-john-sinclair-freed-from-10-year-sentence-for-possessing-two-joints-today-in-crime-history Sinclair was released in December 1971.]] He is still alive and an outspoken activist.[[/note]]Music/TheBand also did well by the crowd, but didn't let their performance be used in the album or movie because their manager thought they weren't getting paid enough. Ravi Shankar played at the festival but was displeased with his performance and later recreated it in the studio with clips from the concert edited in for a live feel. As a result, the tapes of his performance along with Melanie which were on the same reel are lost. It wasn't until 2019 that a [[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/woodstock-box-set-829716/ largely complete box set]] of the entire festival was released (including the performances of all artists above, but excluding one track by Sha Na Na for which recordings have been lost).

** Legal wrangling over the film and recording rights also ensured that those records of the event are incomplete. Creedence Clearwater Revival gave what many people present considered to be one of the best sets of the festival, but since John Fogarty didn't think so, he refused to allow them to be filmed or recorded. Music/NeilYoung had just joined forces with Music/CrosbyStillsAndNash, but refused to give permission for filming and famously threatened to [[WesternAnimation/QuickDrawMcGraw El Kabong]] anyone who got near him with a camera. [[Music/GratefulDead The Grateful Dead]] hated their performance and declined its inclusion in either the film or album. Creator/PeteTownshend had no issues with the film or the album, but was horribly cynical about the whole "peace, love and music" thing, at one point coldcocking Abbie Hoffmann off the stage when he came on to berate the crowd about its perceived political detachment.[[note]]Hoffmann was infuriated because jazz-poet and [[https://www.rockhall.com/nominee/mc5 MC5]] manager [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sinclair_(poet) John Sinclair]] had recently been set up by Detroit police and sentenced to ''ten years in prison'' for two marijuana joints. Hoffman felt that the eminent artists present and the massive media coverage should be used to draw attention to this and other injustices. Many people in the hippie/artistic/music/political activist communities were outraged, and Music/JohnLennon wrote and recorded [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Some_Time_in_New_York_City John Sinclair]] to help get more publicity. [[https://reasonabledoubt.org/criminallawblog/entry/december-13-1971-john-sinclair-freed-from-10-year-sentence-for-possessing-two-joints-today-in-crime-history Sinclair was released in December 1971.]] He is still alive and an outspoken activist.[[/note]]Music/TheBand also did well by the crowd, but didn't let their performance be used in the album or movie because their manager thought they weren't getting paid enough. Ravi Shankar played at the festival but was displeased with his performance and later recreated it in the studio with clips from the concert edited in for a live feel. As a result, the tapes of his performance along with Melanie which were on the same reel are lost.

** Other Woodstock festivals also had artists who canceled or declined a slot on their lineups. Music/GunsNRoses were asked to perform at Woodstock '94, but declined due to their interband turmoil. Music/AliceInChains were listed on the initial Woodstock '94 lineup poster, but pulled out due to Layne Stayley's drug problems. Before the Woodstock '94 lineup was announced, ''Rolling Stone'' [[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/aerosmith-nine-inch-nails-to-play-woodstock-anniversary-concert-98999/ reported]] that Music/{{Soundgarden}} and Music/StoneTemplePilots were among the artists in talks to appear, but ultimately neither band performed. Music/NeilYoung was offered $1 million to be a headliner at Woodstock '94, but turned the offer down because he felt the festival was too commercialized. Music/TheSmashingPumpkins turned down Woodstock '99 a few years later for similar reasons, and because frontman Billy Corgan was suspicious of the concert organizers' motives for holding the show. Music/SugarRay, Music/FooFighters and Music/{{Aerosmith}} all had to cancel their appearances at Woodstock '99 due to scheduling conflicts, with Sugar Ray being replaced in their slot by G. Love & Special Sauce. Jeff Beck, who also canceled on the original Woodstock, wound up also dropping out of '99. Music/TheBlackKeys were announced as part of Woodstock 2019's lineup, but canceled just a few weeks afterwards.

** The planned 50th anniversary concert at Watkins Glen [[https://fortune.com/2019/05/02/why-woodstock-50-wont-happen/ will not happen]], having lost its richest backer, Dentsu Aegis. It's been [[https://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/legal-and-management/8510917/how-infighting-and-delays-caused-woodstock-50-to-come an even worse train wreck than the original]] as far as pre-planning and production. Not only were they unable to get necessary permits and start work on the venue early enough, not only did the company hired to produce the event insisted on limiting attendance to 75,000 for safety reasons (the original event on the Yasgur farm had over 500,000), but organizer Randy Phillips criticized the lineup of artists as lacking the "lineage, the connection to the original" that would have helped to recreate the iconic atmosphere. Instead of Imagine Dragons, Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus and the Killers, he says, this is the kind of event where you should try to get Music/CrosbyStillsNashAndYoung back together; the planners should have taken their cues from the [[https://www.deserttrip.com Desert Trip festival]] and recruited more active rockers from the 60s such as Paul [=McCartney=] and Bob Dylan. Michael Lang had ''wanted'' these artists, but not everyone was available; in fact, some of them were actually playing a Woodstock commemorative show put on by Live Nation that same weekend at the original site.

** The planned 50th anniversary concert [[https://fortune.com/2019/05/02/why-woodstock-50-wont-happen/ will not happen]], having lost its richest backer. Not only were they unable to get necessary permits and start work on the venue early enough, but organizer Randy Phillips criticized the lineup of artists as lacking the "lineage, the connection to the original" that would have helped to recreate the iconic atmosphere. Instead of Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus and the Killers, he says, this is the kind of event where you should try to get Music/CrosbyStillsNashAndYoung back together; the planners should have taken their cues from the [[https://www.deserttrip.com Desert Trip festival]] and recruited more active rockers from the 60s such as Paul [=McCartney=] and Bob Dylan.