Poster for the Open Air Love + Peace [Festival] at Isle of Fehmarn, Germany, September 4-6, 1970

This poster for the Open Air Love and Peace Festival at the Isle of Fehmarn in Germany marked Jimi Hendrix’s last concert performance.  

An atmosphere of love and peace were definitely not in the air as Hendrix and his band Cry of Love took the stage on September 6, 1970. Severe weather delayed Hendrix’s show a full day and the freezing, wet crowd was tired of waiting for him to appear. He was greeted by boos and cries of “Go home!” as frequent fights broke out between audience members. For the first part of his set, Hendrix gamely played on despite the heckling, telling the crowd that he didn’t mind the booing “as long as you boo in key.” A menacing version of Howlin’ Wolf’s “Killin’ Floor” finally brought some cheers and Hendrix, along with bass player Billy Cox (b. 1939) and drummer Mitch Mitchell (1946-2008), continued with concert favorites “All Along the Watchtower,” “Hey Joe,” “Foxy Lady” and “Purple Haze.”  He ended the performance with “Voodoo Child (Slight Return),” in which Jimi sang, “If I don’t see you no more in this world, well I’ll meet you in the next one…” Less than two weeks later, Hendrix passed away in London, England on September 18. 

Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970) was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter who gained mainstream prominence in the late 1960s with hits such as “Hey Joe,” “Purple Haze,” “All Along the Watchtower,” and “Fire,” and is now celebrated as one of the most influential electric guitarists of all time.