August 20, 2004 Festival Express-Canada's Woodstock 1970

Anyone who remembers the rock music stars of the 1970’s – Janis Joplin, Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead, the Band and many more will love the 2 hour documentary Festival Express originally filmed in 1970 that opened last week in Toronto and elsewhere across the country. 

Festival Express film poster

The bringing of the music and personalities of numerous musical starts mostly in their 20’s to the screen 34 years later has an interesting history. I am especially interested because my oldest son Clarke at age 19 was one of the cameramen and shot the medium and long shots of the event, much of which appears in the film. 

In the spring of 1970, 22 year old Ken Walker a budding impressario and Thor Eaton from the Eaton stores family had an idea that made rock and roll history just a year after Woodstock. They decided to rent a train, load it with top notch musicians and travel across Canada putting on a concert each night. They got the train, the musicians and the venues but not the crowds. Some people balked at the 14 dollar ticket price (about $75 today) and protested vehemently. Thousands did attend in Toronto, Winnipeg and Calgary but expenses were not being met and the last 2 shows were cancelled. 

The concert was a success for those who attended and for the musicians who travelled together and got to know each other and share their music. Walker and Eaton used their family connections to bully the CNR into creating a special train for $200,000 to carry some 100 musicians and feed and house them. A lot of the film footage was shot on the train and several of the many songs in the film were shot in jam sessions. Janis Joplin and Jerry Garcia are featured in the film along with many others including Ian & Sylvia Tyson. One of the best numbers was where many of the bands joined Ian & Sylvia onstage for a film number and Walker and Eaton were presented with a miniature replica train and a case of tequilla. Joplin thanked the people who organized the show and said “The next time you throw a train man, invite me." 

In a recent Globe & Mail interview Ken Walker showed the model train signed by all the stars to the reporter. Sylvia Tyson had a long article in the Globe & Mail and said that she as the mother of a 4 year old was one of the few not high on the trip. 

Many musical events in the 1970’s were filmed – Woodstock being an excellent example. Willem Poolman who owned a movie theatre in Toronto was given the task of filming the train event. It was not too well planned and in some cases rights were not received or given and some sets could not be filmed. It was Willem Poolman’s son Gavin who ten years ago using some of his fathers film and discovering more at the National Archives who pulled the new film together. He hired a famous rockumentary filmmaker Bob Sweaton who did an excellent job of creating the film from hours of footage and adding some current interviews and improved sound. Quite a remarkable achievement. 

My Personal Connection 

As mentioned my teenage son Clarke was a cameraman at the concert. He had a passion for film from his mid teens and made 8mm and 16mm films and became an editor at the CBC. In 1970 he was making his own feature film that gave him an award and his lead actress the Canadian Film Award for the best female in Canadian Film in 1971. He was offered a cameraman job for a week and the money was good and the experience interesting. 

Photo of cameraman Clark Mackey

In a recent discussion with him he gave me some details on his adventure. There was no room on the train so he flew to Winnipeg and Calgary. A tower was built so he could get up high to record the long and medium range shots. Another cameraman Denis Miller did the closeups. He thinks one of the best scenes in the new film was this cameraman’s closeup of Janis Joplin through a long song. Sound men did an excellent job of recording the sound in synchronization with the film The sound in the film is remarkably well preserved and is a treat to hear. 

His memories of Janis Joplin are particularly strong. She had a bottle of Southern Comfort which she drank during her set. He later found out it was a prop. He recalls running out of film during part of her performance. Some of his film footage appeared in a film on Janis a few years ago. He has a credit on both films. He remembers that while Joplin was singing the last set in the show that several fans climbed the tower he was on and that it rocked back and forth. He also remembers a back stage get together where he bumped into Joplin and said “How are you doing?” She replied “Good man, really good man”, and excused herself when my son couldn’t think of anything to say. She died of a drug overdose 3 months later. 

During the Calgary stop several random people including my son, Garth Hudson keyboard player from the Band and Jackie Burroughby the future Aunt in the Anne of Green Gables TV series travelled to Banff for a visit and returned in time for the evening performance.  

By the way, my son went on to make many films and is currently a Professor in the Film Studies Department at Queens University. He will be on Sabatical next year and is working on several projects including a new film script. 

Festival Express will be out on DVD later this year with 10 additional items not in the movie version of the film. There is no indication of the film coming to North Bay but the Film Club may consider it.