News that Woodstock promoter Michael Lang is planning two free Woodstock concerts in Berlin, Germany and in New York to mark the 40th anniversary of the original 1969 festival has been met with a ripple of controversy – mainly because the proposed site of the European concerts on Aug. 22 and 23 is the former Nazi-run Tempelhof Airport, reportedly Adolph Hitler’s favorite landing field.
Lang has fired back, telling the Poughkeepsie Journal that plans were not yet finalized and all of the above was just conjecture at this point.
“We’re exploring several options,” he said. “But nothing is confirmed.”
In contrast to the original concert’s message of peace and love, subsequent Woodstock incarnations have proven problematic, including 1999’s 30th anniversary show, which ended disastrously with riots, fire and allegations of rape.
Earlier it was reported that the promoter is hoping get some of the festival’s original participants from 1969 to return for the occasion, including Santana, the Who, Joan Baez, Joe Cocker, Grateful Dead and Country Joe and the Fish. The New York shows would take place on Aug. 15 and 16, but no specific venues have been mentioned.