Max Mingardifter
MONSTERS OF ROCK 1981
a few initial rumours about who was to headline the second festival (Rush, Kiss, Black Sabbath), it was announced that AC/DC would be the main band with Whitesnake as special guests.

Our entourage more than doubled this year (5 in 1980 to 12 in 1981), including a couple of girlfriends. We travelled down in a transit van. This was to become our normal form of tr… Moreansit for the next decade or so.

For me, the band of the day title was taken from under AC/DC’s nose by the mighty blues rock of Whitesnake. Coverdale and co were one of the best live bands around in the early eighties.AC/DC were let down by over-long gaps between songs. Also, apart from ‘THE’ Bell, their stage show was a bit sparse. Their shows at later Donington’s were much better.

Blue Oyster Cult had a ‘very’ bad day at the office.

Slade were a breath of fresh air on a wet Saturday afternoon. I can’t recall whether it was footballs or toilet rolls (or both) that they threw into the crowd, but I do remember Noddy Holder proclaiming that the rain was ‘pissing’ in from the (AC/DC)Bell hung from a crane high above the stage. Great fun.

Blackfoot were also in the form of their life in August 1981. Good Morning and Wishing Well going down a storm, but the piece de resistance was Highway Song (a song almost, but not quite as good as Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Freebird).

Paul Hartshorn Less