Who were the first Knebworth headliners?
Growing up a music-loving kid, I never actually knew where Knebworth was. To be honest, I didn’t care, I just knew I had to go there at one point in my life, because it is hallowed musical ground.
I later found out that it is indeed in Hertfordshire, and again, I continued to be generally apathetic about the logistics, for Knebworth is a name that goes beyond the horrors of circling the M25. It’s not about finding dingy accommodation nearby or worrying whether my car will make it, it’s about stepping foot on turf that has seen some of the most important gigs in history being played.
Pink Floyd in 1975, at the peak of their powers, just two years after Dark Side Of The Moon. Led Zeppelin in ‘79, just one year before they would end and ripping through a playlist of greatest hits that spread across a vibrant and powerful rock and roll decade. Then, of course, the most recent memorable gig was Oasis’ epic ‘96 show that followed up one of the greatest dual album releases in rock history.
It was that latter gig that made Knebworth a magical land for music fans of my generation. We had seen clips of the gig countless times in our adolescence, a sea of Britpop fans losing themselves to the soundtrack of a generational band, without a single phone in hand. Ultimately, it was the last great gig that happened before the world changed for the worse.
“It was the pre-digital age,” Noel Gallagher proudly exclaimed. “It was the pre-talent show reality TV age. Things meant more. It was just a great time to be alive. Never mind a great time to be in Oasis. We were about to enter into a celebrity-driven culture. And I’ve always thought that it was the last great gathering of the people before the birth of the internet.”
Gigs have come and gone since then, but it does often feel like Oasis’ 96 was the last, truly great Knebworth gig, as Gallagher states. But they didn’t create the venue’s legacy on their own – no, they joined a string of icons as I mentioned.
So, who played Knebworth first?
Well, while the most notable gigs at this iconic British venue are indeed British, it wasn’t a domestic act that started a now-famed rock and roll trend.
Instead, on July 20th, 1974, the Allman Brothers Band headlined the first-ever Knebworth gig, along with a backing bill of Van Morrison, the Doobie Brothers, the Mahavishnu Orchestra featuring John McLaughlin and Jean-Luc Ponty, the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, and Tim Buckley.
It was a true festival of music, lasting 12 hours and bringing in an estimated 60,000 people who all laid down the foundations for the venue to become something of a mecca for music. While Oasis may have been Knebworth’s bowing out from the analogue age, the Allman Brothers gig was the emphatic beginning that ensured this Hertfordshire estate was a soon-to-be historic venue.
