Hendrix: The Gigs That Changed History – #5 Ready Steady Go!

Chris Britton (The Troggs): When we used to frequent the greasy spoon up Denmark Street in 1966, we knew Mitch Mitchell as a short-haired mod. At the end of the year we were on the edition of Ready Steady Go! on which the Experience made their TV debut.

Roger Mayer (guitar effects pedals maker): I said: “Damn, this guy is incredible.” He was the epitome of what any rock guitarist should be. We had no one of that calibre in England.

Marc Bolan: It was amazing to watch him [in the Ready Steady Go! TV studio] for the first time. Everyone else used to use backing tracks, but he was going to play live, because they got him on the show the same day. I was in the control room with the producer, just sitting about, when they started Hey Joe, and this old lady really freaked out and said: “Turn the backing track down!” Because it was really loud. All the machines were shaking. And they said: “But there is no backing track.”

Chris Britton: They were miming, but both the music and the act were stunning. I hardly recognised Mitch with this alarming Afro, just like Jimi’s. A few months later you’d see that hairstyle everywhere, even back in Andover.

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