Jimi Hendrix Plays Royal Albert Hall In 1969

In February 1969, The Jimi Hendrix Experience delivered two concerts at London’s legendary Royal Albert Hall. The February 24 appearance would end up being The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s last at the storied venue.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience — Jimi Hendirx (guitar), Noel Redding (bass) and Mitch Mitchell (drums) — had made their debut at Royal Albert Hall in November of 1967, notably on the same bill as “The Pink Floyd,” as per the Royal Albert Hall website. But in the ensuing year, tensions had begun to simmer within the band and with management. While they would officially disband in June of 1969 after fulfilling contractual agreements, The Jimi Hendrix Experience would play some of their best latter-day shows at the Royal Albert Hall earlier that year, which also marked their final European dates.

But although the band had set aside their differences, the shows were not without fireworks. After throwing out their usual set and delivering a number of Jimi’s songs like the show opener “Lover Man” as well as “Hear My Train A-Comin’” and the Hendrix classic “Red House,” the band would also cover Elmore James’s “Bleeding Heart” and Cream’s “Sunshine Of Your Love.” After a pair of vintage Hendrix songs in “Fire” and “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” came the set closer, Jimi’s “Room Full Of Mirrors” (the latter featuring Traffic’s Dave Mason and Chris Wood and percussionist Rocky Dzidzornu). Hendrix and company then left the stage and things got a little out of hand. Here’s what Jane Simmons wrote in “The Official Jimi Hendrix Fan Club Of Great Britain” newsletter, April/May 1969:

“The crowd then went absolutely berserk and shouted for more for about 4-5 minutes. Some people started to leave as it didn’t look as though they were coming back, but they did and then they went absolutely… ­ well, there is no word for it! People were dancing in the aisles, Jimi went mad with the atmosphere and they did Purple Haze and Wild Thing. He played with his teeth and then on the floor…. [the stage] was beseiged [sic] by fans, police, bouncers, floor managers and practically the entire audience!”

Perhaps to quell the unrest, Jimi did indeed retake the stage for a rare encore that also included “The Star-Spangled Banner.” In honor of African-American Music Appreciation Month in June, check out video taken from The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s February 1969 appearance at London’s Royal Albert Hall below: (Note: The footage ends with “Fire.”)

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Source: JamBase.com