Rare original 1.25 x 2.5 ticket stub for a concert featuring the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Pink Floyd, held at the Empire Theatre in Liverpool, England, on November 18, 1967, as part of Hendrix's second European tour, issued for “Block E,” “Row F,” and “Seat 22.” Also included is an original vintage program for the Jimi Hendrix Experience's 1967 United Kingdom Fall Tour, published by the Hastings Printing Co., 12 pages, 10.25 x 8, with front cover featuring psychedelic artwork by Anthony Litri and Paul Martin, and the program including images and biographies of the tour's scheduled performers: Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pink Floyd, The Move, The Amen Corner, The Nice, The Eire Apparent, The Outer Limits, and Pete Drummond as compere. In very good to fine condition, with creasing and staining to the covers of the program; the ticket bears ink collector's notations on the reverse. Accompanied by a modern photo of the musicians from this now legendary tour.
The 16-date UK package tour kicked off on November 14, 1967, and consisted of a total of 31 shows in 16 cities, with each act playing two shows a night; at each gig, the headlining Experience were allotted exactly 40 minutes, The Move a half an hour, and Pink Floyd were given between 15 and 20 minutes. At this juncture, Hendrix was well on his way to becoming a major star: his first three singles, ‘Hey Joe,' ‘Purple Haze,' and ‘The Wind Cries Mary,' had all been top ten hits, and his debut album, released in May of that year, sat in the top 20 for 33 weeks. Pink Floyd had also seen chart action with both ‘Arnold Layne’ and ‘See Emily Play’ reaching the top 20; The Move had three top ten hits including ‘Flowers in the Rain,’ and Amen Corner were just about to score what would become their biggest hit to date with ‘Bend Me, Shape Me.'
An excerpt of a review of the concert from the Portsmouth Evening Review on November 23, 1967: ‘Jimmy Hendrix, as loud as any of the others but twice as talented and a superb showman. He crouched, he leapt, he did a somersault—but still he played that guitar with one hand, two hands, his teeth, his forearm and his hips! The remorseless roar of his guitar, coupled with bass player Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, formed a crude and earthy blues style which made the other groups seem dull.”
Pink Floyd were having a few problems with their founding member, Syd Barrett, who was not enjoying the tour. Arriving in a new town, Syd would go for a walk and not get back to the venue until just a few minutes before Floyd were due onstage. He’d play the show, go off again, come back hours later, in time for the second performance. This tour unfortunately would be Syd’s last and not long afterwards he would go into seclusion never to return to playing music again.
