Revival69: The Concert that Rocked the World

Tropic Sprockets by Ian Brockway

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Ron Chapman’s lively documentary “Revival69: The Concert that Rocked the World” is vibrant, colorful, and chock full of rock history anecdotes.

It is 1969 and promoter John Brower has an epiphany: create a concert to surpass the Toronto Pop Festival by inviting Chuck Berry and The Doors with Jim Morrison. They both agree to attend but all is not as it seems. Right after the schedule is locked, Morrison is charged with obscenity and lewd behavior during a concert at Dinner Key, Florida.

As a result, a shocking number of tickets go unsold. The promoters and publicists are at a loss. One afternoon, they contact John Lennon’s personal assistant, Anthony Fawcett. Lennon agrees to attend the concert along with Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Jean Vincent. The producers call the event “Rock Revival 69”. It is hyped as the biggest musical event in Toronto.

The fateful day arrives. Lennon doesn’t feel well and refuses to go, putting everyone in a panic. At the last minute, John Lennon consents, hearing that Eric Clapton has also agreed to perform.

The photo montages are lively and entertaining, featuring Alice Cooper raving like a madman with a live white chicken and Yoko Ono screeching like a dying bird effectively protesting the war in Vietnam, as Lennon devotedly turns up the volume on stage. The couple also performs the song “Give Peace A Chance” for the first time.

The most compelling aspect of the festival is that it was nearly a hair’s breadth of folding due to low ticket sales and the possibility of no-shows.

Spontaneously and with luck, the show finally coalesced. With the immense crowd and the sheer volume of ecstasy and joy one sees the musical version of Antonin Artaud’s Living Theater with Yoko Ono executing an entire musical number from inside a white laundry bag.

This documentary fits well alongside the films “The Last Waltz” and “Summer of Soul.

Write Ian at ianfree11@yahoo.com