Psychedelic gig posters revisit ’60s campus culture

Rediscovered 1960s and '70s concert and club posters decorate the walls of Goldsmiths, University of London this March, taking visitors back to an era when the biggest names in rock and folk played London’s Students’ Unions.

Many of the bands who performed across the city’s campuses went on to achieve global stardom, including Fleetwood Mac, Deep Purple, Love, Procol Harum, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Manfred Mann, John Martyn, King Crimson, Ambrose Slade and many more.

Alongside iconic gig advertising, the Golddream exhibition features photographs by 1970 Goldsmiths alumnus David Bracher, who documented the College and surrounding area in a period of great social and cultural change. From strikes and protests to watching the sun come up on College Green, they paint a vivid picture of New Cross life.

Creative DIY posters for discos at London’s universities and colleges will also be on display, while ephemera and recollections from those who were there provide insights into the personal experiences and stories of Goldsmiths students.

Golddream – titled after a late-1960s campus music festival of the same name - also features a cabinet of the controversial, displaying risqué but attention-grabbing poster artwork and wordplay which many might consider shocking, or at least ill-advised, today.

The posters were collected by David Riddle, Goldsmiths Students’ Union Social Secretary from 1969-70, and have remained virtually unseen for 50 years, hidden away in a desk made by a fellow Goldsmiths alumnus. 

David says: “The images and production techniques, largely silk-screen printing, provide a unique insight into the trends and methods of a truly vibrant, and often less PC, pre-digital era.”

His collection has been curated for display by Will Cenci, Public Engagement Manager, and Dr John Price, Head of the Department of History.

Golddream runs from 4 March – 6 April 2019 from 9am-9pm in the Kingsway Corridor exhibition space, to the rear of the Richard Hoggart Building on Lewisham Way. Entry is free. 

Visitors who would prefer not to return to 2019 so soon can also experience the exhibition How Chicago! Imagists 1960s & 70s at Goldsmiths CCA, the university’s campus art gallery, from 15 March – 26 May. Entry is also free.