Almost 60 years after he headlined the legendary Barbecue 67 festival soul legend Geno Washington is returning to Spalding this autumn.
Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band will perform at the South Holland Centre on Thursday November 12, 2026 at 7.30pm, with a support act to be announced.
The special evening will launch a major oral history project led by Past Present Possible CIC who are inviting people who were at Barbeque 67 to come forward and share their memories, photographs and memorabilia.
The aim is to preserve those memories and interpret them to build a definitive picture of Barbeque 67 – not simply who appeared on stage, but what it was like to be there and what the event meant to the people of Spalding.
Held in the tulip auction hall in Spalding (on or around the site where Halfords now stands), Barbeque 67 brought together an astonishing collection of musical talent.
Along with Geno, the bill included Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Cream and local band Sounds Force Five, making this remarkable Spalding event a piece of music history in its own right.
BBQ 67 is believed by many to have been the world’s first music festival – predating the festivals that would go on to define the era including the Monteray Pop Festival and Woodstock.
Cream’s legendary drummer Ginger Baker also has a special connection with the project, his daughter, Nettie, is lending her support to the oral history initiative.
While those on the stage went on to become music legends, the audience was no less remarkable.
Among those reported to have been at BBQ 67 were author and feminist Germaine Greer, newsreader Alastair Stewart and, rumour has it, Rod Stewart.
There could be no more fitting person to launch the project than the man who headlined the original event.
Originally from Evansville, Indiana, Geno Washington came to England in the 1960s with the US Air Force. His love of Blues and Soul soon led to him jamming with local bands around Ipswich before he moved to London, where he performed with leading R&B acts including Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames and Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band at the legendary Flamingo Club in Soho.
Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band quickly became one of Britain’s most exciting live acts.
Their incendiary performances were immortalised on the bestselling albums Hand Clappin’ Foot Stompin’ Funky-Butt…Live! and Hipsters, Flipsters and Finger-Poppin’ Daddies.
His reputation was cemented for a new generation in the 1980s when Dexys Midnight Runners paid homage to him with their worldwide No.1 hit Geno.
More than half a century later, Geno continues to tour and perform to audiences around the world.
His return to Spalding on 12 November 2026 will therefore be much more than a concert. It will be the beginning of a six-month journey back into the town’s musical past, leading towards the 60th- anniversary celebrations in May 2027.
Geno said: “It’s a wonderful feeling to know that people in Spalding still remember that night. I’ve played all over the world during my career, but those early days in Britain were incredibly special. I’m looking forward to coming back to Spalding, seeing the people again and hearing their memories of a night that happened almost 60 years ago. And, of course, we’ll make some new memories too!”
Tickets are on sale tomorrow (Wednesday August 26) priced £20. Available from the South Holland Centre: www.southhollandcentre.co.uk or by ringing 01775 764777
A spokesman for the Past, Present, Possible Community Interest Company (CIC) that has been formed to put on events marking the 60th anniversary of the concert, said: “BBQ 67 is an extraordinary part of Spalding’s history and a hugely important part of the history of music festivals around the world.
“What makes this project so exciting is that we now have an opportunity to capture the memories of the people who were actually there.
“We want to hear from everyone – whether you remember Geno, Hendrix, Pink Floyd or Cream, how you heard about the event and how you travelled there, or whether you simply remember standing in (or outside) that building with your friends. Every memory can add another piece to the story.”
“We’re looking for anyone who attended (or indeed tried to attend or even knew someone who attended) BBQ 67, whether they remember the whole night or simply have one vivid memory.
“We’re also keen to hear from people who may have inherited photographs, tickets, programmes, press cuttings or other memorabilia from friends or family members who were there. Every memory could provide another piece of the story and will form part of a digital archive and exhibition that will take place in 2027.”
Past Present Possible CIC are also curating a month-long programme of events for May 2027, working with a host of community groups and organisations. The next public meeting is on Wednesday, September 9 from 12pm to 2pm at Spalding parish church.
