Somehow strange seemed the fact that the event was celebrated at the location of the former Griffiss Air Force base (Griffiss Business and Technology Park) in Rome (the U.S. state of NY), and at the entrance already greeted  a B-52 with a loading capacity of 12 cruise missiles. The military plane was almost the first that the music fans were looking at, when they flocked to the area. A bit of anti-peace-flair this had, if you just think about it, not a particularly good omen for Peace, Love & Music Event. Especially when one thinks of the development towards the end of the event.
There rioters put fires, destroyed the Art Mile "ARTWALL" and their tents in which the artworks were previously issued. Barely succeeded the galerists to rescue  the original works prior to safety before the highly open scratched crouds used these tents as trampolines, only for a better view on the East Stage and afterwards simply to rampage.

The atmosphere was heated not only by the great summer heat, high prices for entry, food, drinks and the lack of toilets and sanitation facilities, did the rest, which eventually led towards the end of the festival to vandalism and fires. Where these fires and their size reminded of "Johannisfeuern". Cynics spoke of a "festival of peace and profit." Five dollars for a hamburger, four for a coffee.

Who couldn’t be there live, sat in front of the TV to join the event, but had to fork out $ 30 for "pay per view". The justification for the prices producer John Scher said, was that the media for this  musical event would have cost at least ten of millions Doller.

In the end the fences still no longer stood against the masses and were torn in many places.
Only through the intervention of the State Police, the situation was somewhat brought under control, where they seemed well prepared on the basis of notifications that were telling that there would have been 500 State Police troopers outside the festival gates, apart from the 1,250 security guards.

At least one of the three Editions of the festival had something in common with the 1st  - the legendary mud battle and with 40 bands, solo artists and major stars like James Brown of the event opened, with Elvis Costello, Alanis Morissette, Limp Bizkit, Cheryl Corwen and last but not least, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Their bassist actually appeared completely naked, their performance eventually also marked the start of the fires.

Despite of all of this, Art & Peace was celebrated with exhibitions of paintings and photographs, there was an extreme sports area and also naked bicycle riding. Of course, bodypainting was another attraction, where the well-known German artist Christine Dumbsky was flown in, she worked and exhibited there at the art area. Many young people simply wanted to painted by her instead of being completely topless.

Even 40 years later, the "Love & Peace" thoughts hardly left a trace. The festival founders argue about a memorial concert. Due to lack of sponsors Roseman and Lang had to give up their plan to organize free festivals in New York (22./23.08.) and at the 15./16.08. in Berlin. Emergencily Woodstock will be held on the Internet. Financially lucrative, it should be in any case, because the department store chain Target sells anniversary merchandise items such as towels with the Woodstock logo, and Michael Lang's autobiography, with his memories. Profitable exploitation is and has always stood in the fourground of the founders, including the commercial exploitation of their websites www.woodstock.com which they drive ahead further.

On 25 October Celebrates Artie Kornfeld – celebrates together with the organization "Musicians and Artists for World Peace," the free "West fest." Among the members of Musicians and Artist for World Peace "include the Dalai Lama. Stars like Country Joe McDonald, Canned Heat, Moby Grabe, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Jessie Blue Cheer, Merl Saunders, Wavy Gravy, will be awaiting the guests.  Additionally in 2010 there is planned the “Imagine" festival in Canada.

Bethel also conjures the flower children era with a culture- and event center, including open-air stage and museum. Because the operator and Lang and Rosenman were unable to agree, Bethel wants to initiate its own "hero of Woodstock festival” where to go on a U.S. tour with. The original historic venue is their biggest trump card, as well as the commitment of artists, from which even 1969 some had been playing, such as Jefferson Starship, Ten Years After, Canned Heat, Melanie, etc.

The first event was a dream and a nightmare at the same time, which is reported by contemporary witnesses and the press. Among others, the New York Times considered the event as "disaster without palliative" – perhaps to be translated with "an accident without relief", but they cemented also the opinion that after the return of the auxiliary helpers a positive aspect was imposed all over, which highlighted the musical richness, the pacific coexistence, the openness of the young crowd, bathing naked.

The fact was that the kitchens of the Hog Farm commune were wonderful, although they would probably have had collapsed without the Emergency-rations from nuns or jewish women of the area up to the donations and assistance of the hotels.

As well the first press articles seriously pronounced and highlighted the danger of epidemics and hunger.
Ultimately the calmness also resulted from the triumph of the art of living over the revolutionary impulse. Exemplary was the impetus from Pete Townshend of The Who to Abbie Hoffman to address the troop of seditious hippies, who began to break into the scene.

Powerful interests compelled them to portray a bright and promising scenario of Woodstock to get out of the red numbers come with the launched release of the records and the premiere of the film. Despite everything, the counterculture's own goal was to spread around the idea that half a million young people are united to listen to music, have fun and live together in harmony.

And as with the age and the time in general, the perception of the past usually transforms and changes towards the positive, Woodstock also follows this human weakness and produces up to today just exactly this myth.

Perhaps one of the really positive impacts until our present day, which threatens the reincarnation of Woodstock - the wish and the thought it might be possible to live peace and love.
(Press Office Kurt Röhrken)