Festival Express (15)
- Consumer Advice: Contains strong language and drug references
- Run time: 1 hour 29 mins
- Genre: Documentary
- Release date: 3rd September 2004
- Starring: anis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, The Full Tilt Boogie Band
- Directed by: Bob Smeaton
- Official Website: www.festivalexpress.com
- Distributor: Optimum Releasing
Plot Synopsis
In 1970, a train journeyed across Canada carrying some of the greatest rock bands of the time. Janis Joplin, The Band, The Grateful Dead, Delaney & Bonnie, Buddy Guy, Ian & Sylvia and others lived (and partied) together for five days, giving concerts where and when they stopped. The train was called the Festival Express.
Festival Express might just have been the greatest, and certainly the longest, non-stop rock n' roll party ever. Nicknamed "The Million Dollar Bash" by Rolling Stone magazine, Festival Express was designed to capitalise on the then-burgeoning craze for multi-day, talent-heavy music festivals. Following in the footsteps of Woodstock, by the summer of 1970 such festivals were a regular part of the rock’n’roll landscape. Festival Express was planned as a festival with a difference -- it would be portable.
“Should rightfully take its place in rock history as one of the greatest performance films of all time” – Hollywood Reporter