Emerson, Lake & Palmer: The Birth of a Band, Isle of Wight Festival 1970

Continuing our release of DVDs from Oscar-winning director Murray Lerner’s filming of the August 1970 Isle Of Wight Festival, we have Emerson Lake & Palmer’s The Birth Of A Band. It was ELP’s first proper live concert, their only previous gig having been a warm up in Plymouth the previous night. Playing in front of a record 600,000 people, at what remains the biggest festival in rock history, they became overnight stars. With a spectacular stage show that included real cannons being fired over the heads of the audience, they became overnight stars with the press raving about their virtuosity and daring. lntercut with the live footage from the show , this film also features brand new Interviews with Keith Emerson, Greg Lake and Carl Palmer as well as their then manager John Gaydon and creates a vivid portrait of the birth o f a band. They would go on from here to become multi-million selling artists, but this unique film is there right at the beginning.

Directed by —, Emerson, Lake & Palmer: The Birth of a Band, Isle of Wight Festival 1970 leans on a strong ensemble — Keith Emerson, Greg Lake, Carl Palmer — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about music titles of 2006.