"Drivin' that train, high on cocaine..."

A great deal of the chaos surrounding Woodstock must have been a result of the immeasurable numbers flocking to one location for an event of that size. What better way then to avoid such problems than taking the event to the people?

FESTIVAL EXPRESS documents the adventures and misadventures of a large, privately-hired train working its way across Canada, its passengers being a bunch of rock and roll stars who would get off and play a gig at each stop. Taking place the year after the New York spectacular, there weren't as many bands on the Festival Express as were at Woodstock but that certainly didn't dampen anyone's enthusiasm. Sadly, they didn't avoid the chaos of Woodstock either.

The music is once again terrific. The Grateful Dead are on top form; Buddy Guy was there, performing his brand of blues magic; The Band played all their classics (here performing on home soil); Sha Na Na make another brief appearance as they did at Woodstock; also following a knock-down performance at Woodstock, Janis Joplin would once again wow the crowds.

However, as enjoyable as the music is, the film is fascinating almost as much for off-stage activity as on-stage.

A window into another time and place, the film showcases incredible footage of many top artists of the day sitting around the train together drinking, chatting and jamming - the sight of these musicians all sitting playing together is something, but equally interesting are the quieter moments when, as with other concert movie highlights, once again we catch sight of rare glimpses of those who have since faded into rock legend (in one scene, Janis Joplin sits in with Rick Danko of the band and Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead - all of whom are sadly no longer with us).

The tribulations captured by the film remind us that it wasn't all drink, drugs and rock'n'roll however. Well, maybe it does remind us about the drink, since one incident sees the train being drunk dry and having to make an emergency stop to fill up, at which point some lucky/unlucky off-licence owner witnessed a trainful of rock stars empty the shelves of his shop.

The main chaos ensued however when it was decided by a group of people, perhaps inspired by Woodstock before them, that the concert should be free. The hippie notion of how morally wrong it was to be charging for such concerts was always going to be a problem (idealist it may be, but practical it certainly wasn't) and trouble ensued, with the young concert attenders clashing with the police outside the venue.

This news travelled and similar problems would greet the organisers as they turned up for the next stops on the line, resulting in a series of free concerts being given just to keep the peace.

The notion that something should be free just because it's possible, regardless of the practicalities, is not one that has disappeared in the wake of these festivals. In the late 60s and early 70s such ideas were obviously aimed at music events like these, but is it really any different from the belief held today by many that music, films, software, etc. should be downloaded illegally from the internet just because it's possible, rather than paying for the product? The more things change...

FESTIVAL EXPRESS is a wonderful concert movie and fascinating for capturing the best and worst of the festival (the music and the crowd trouble respectively) but is also one piece of evidence that perhaps the love generation's ideals and dreams were beginning to turn sour. It certainly wasn't the only film to show the dark side of the Woodstock spirit - similar events occurred that same year over in England.

And you can read about that tomorrow...