The American guitarist had made it big in the UK and was already causing psychedelic earthquakes back home; it must have seemed like all his dreams were coming true. I was so glad to find this footage on youtube recently which captures him in the first flush of fame at his irrepressible best.
The most commonly shown Hendrix footage dates from the later part of his career, by which time he was a somewhat troubled figure, held back by his management, who insisted he play his early hits in a power trio format he had grown tired of. Despite some astonishing guitar work, he often appears moody and frustrated.
In these clips, from Blackpool Opera House in November 1967, he radiates joy, exhuberance and kick-ass attitude.
As the Experience rip into ‘Purple Haze’, Jimi’s guitar sounds so bitchingly loud, you can almost feel the shock of the English venue being shaken by such intense volume for possibly the first time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zwQ368y4T0
In both of these clips, Jimi throws in some classic stage moves like playing guitar with his teeth, and between his legs, which he had spent years learning while playing as a backing guitarist with people like Wilson Pickett and The Isley Brothers.
Usually associated with Hendrix, these are actually the tried and tested techniques of many black rhythm and blues performers which Hendrix simply applied in a psychedelic rock context. Unfortunately this showboating ultimately became a millstone around his neck, allowing the music press to label him as a ‘gimmicky’ performer.
Introducing this tune, a cover of ‘Wild Thing’, Jimi jokes with the crowd, and asks them to sing along. (the more famous footage of Hendrix playing this song, during which he burns his guitar, comes from the Monterey pop festival in California early the same year)
whoever filmed this footage (possibly the BBC?) did an excellent job for the time, capturing the atmosphere of a sweaty and intense rock gig. I would dearly LOVE to see the rest of it.
I just wish Jimi could have reconciled the two sides of his onstage nature, the flashy mover (which he excelled at) and the sincere, ever-questing musician. Towards the end of his career he would attempt to ditch the former aspect of himself, despite it being part of his identity.
This footage shows that Hendrix was not only a virtuoso guitarist but also a virtuoso performer.
Tom George 
Wow! Erich you were at the Band of Gypsys gig?? I can’t imagine what it must have been like to be watching someone with such a special genius and charisma…my favourite music artist, bar none. (I think he had to leave the Monkees tour cos it was a total mis-match!)
Hi Tom — great post!!!
Got a chance to see Jimi live once — in NYC at the Fillmore East when he performed with the Band of Gypsies on New Year’s Eve, 1969. Great show — though he kept the showboating down to a minimum. Pretty much straight musicianship.
(I was at Woodstock in August, 1969 — but my older sister and her friends — who were nice enough to take me and my friend Pat along — were worried about the traffic jam coming home and made us leave early! Bummer. Missed Jimi’s set. Still miffed about that one.)
My friend Phil had seen him a year and a half earlier at Hunter College in New York — where the showmanship was in full flower. I remember Phil coming to high school the next day to tell me about the concert. He was raving. (This was just as Jimi was beginning to become well-known: Jimi and the Experience were the opening act for The Monkees of all groups!)
Interestingly, I saw Buddy Guy about this same time and was amazed that Buddy was doing a lot of (what I had assumed) were Jimi’s signature stage moves. (I learned later that Buddy Guy had been doing lots of flashy stage moves well before Jimi came along (like playing behind his back, playing using a handkerchief, playing with his teeth, etc.). I guess there’d been a long tradition of that kind of thing among black musicians — though many of us young white kids were unaware of that.
Thanks for the great clips and for bringing up some great memories. Still almost break down and cry every time I hear “Little Wing.”
Preface- the greatest performer of all-time…. Jimi definitely had some serious pressure to keep the stage antics up mid to late in his career. Right before he died though, he seemed to be having a lot more fun playing with his “Band of Gypsies”. He even cut out some of the sideshow stuff and didn’t play the major hits as much. Unfortunately, his Electric Ladyland studio was costing him so much money that he did have to keep it in his repertoire. If he could have finished paying off that studio, he could have kissed all of the b.s behind and really got experimental. That would’ve been fun. Thanks for the video!!!