Oh God, Not Another Boring Old Knebworth
T-Shirt
1978 (made)
1978 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This T-shirt is from the fifth music festival held in the grounds of Knebworth House. These were not annual occurrences, but a series of large-scale gigs. This particular event, known as Oh No, Not Another Boring Old Knebworth from the accompanying poster campaign, was the second Knebworth festival of 1978 and one of the smallest ever held there. Nevertheless, there were still crowds of over 40,000, who travelled across the country to see Frank Zappa, The Tubes and Peter Gabriel.
With T-shirts becoming a staple fashion item for youth and rock 'n' rollers in the 1960s, promotional T-shirts that advertised products were commonplace. This trend moved from corporate arena to youth movement with the merging of rock 'n' roll, advertising and fashion to create the concert or festival T-shirt, of which this is an example. Not only do these T-shirts advertise an event that the wearer has attended, they can also show the wearer's allegiance to specific musical subcultures.
With T-shirts becoming a staple fashion item for youth and rock 'n' rollers in the 1960s, promotional T-shirts that advertised products were commonplace. This trend moved from corporate arena to youth movement with the merging of rock 'n' roll, advertising and fashion to create the concert or festival T-shirt, of which this is an example. Not only do these T-shirts advertise an event that the wearer has attended, they can also show the wearer's allegiance to specific musical subcultures.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Oh God, Not Another Boring Old Knebworth (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Screen print on cotton |
| Brief description | Pale blue 1978 Knebworth Festival short-sleeved cotton T-shirt, featuring a cartoon of Leda and the Swan, and a list of the band's appearing at the Festival: Zappa, The Tubes, Peter Gabriel, Boomtown Rats, Rockpile featuring Dave Edmunds + Nick Lowe, and Wilco Johnson's Solid Senders |
| Physical description | Pale blue short-sleeved cotton T-shirt, with a printed colour cartoon of a Leda and the Swan sculpture. A thought bubble containing the words 'OH GOD, NOT ANOTHER BORING OLD KNEBWORTH...' is above the statue's head. On the plinth is the Festival line up, scrawled as if graffitied. The date and venue (Knebworth Park) are printed below the image. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Mass produced |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Literary reference | Leda and the Swan |
| Summary | This T-shirt is from the fifth music festival held in the grounds of Knebworth House. These were not annual occurrences, but a series of large-scale gigs. This particular event, known as Oh No, Not Another Boring Old Knebworth from the accompanying poster campaign, was the second Knebworth festival of 1978 and one of the smallest ever held there. Nevertheless, there were still crowds of over 40,000, who travelled across the country to see Frank Zappa, The Tubes and Peter Gabriel. With T-shirts becoming a staple fashion item for youth and rock 'n' rollers in the 1960s, promotional T-shirts that advertised products were commonplace. This trend moved from corporate arena to youth movement with the merging of rock 'n' roll, advertising and fashion to create the concert or festival T-shirt, of which this is an example. Not only do these T-shirts advertise an event that the wearer has attended, they can also show the wearer's allegiance to specific musical subcultures. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.223-2008 |
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| Record created | September 22, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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