 | Eric, playing at Cream's official debut, the Sixth National Jazz and Blues Festival, July 31, 1966. The trio followed Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames. Cream's forty minute set was well received by the ten thousand fans who braved the pouring rain and stood in the mud to hear the group play. The crowd's enthusiastic reception seemed to surprise the group, and while they were pleased, they were also somewhat taken aback. As well, Eric had already become wary of the direction the band was taking. Cream was certainly not a blues band, and not at all the type of band he had envisioned. Photo; Michael Putland. |
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Phil Johnstone was at Cream's Windsor debut. Phil had thought of beginning a career as a professional photographer. He had managed to get a backstage pass for the event, and took a great many shots as Cream performed their set. All of the photos on this page, except for the one above, are his. |
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Phil writes: "The picture of Eric watching Ginger play Toad is a personal favourite of mine. I think it captures the mutual admiration the
musicians had for each other at the beginning. At the debut Eric and Jack stood and watched Ginger with, what I felt was, a lot of admiration - but a few months later, as soon as Ginger started the drum solo Eric and Jack would walk offstage to have a couple of cigarettes and leave him to it, only re-appearing just in time to start playing again for the ending. Whether their intention was to leave the spotlight to Ginger, or they had just seen it all before, I don't know, but the photo-opportunity never occurred again." |
