Alexandra Palace, April 29, 1967. The dawn of the Summer of Love. It’s the afternoon of the infamous 14-Hour Technicolor Dream – London’s answer to the American Merry Pranksters-inspired Acid Tests. Roy Wood, guitarist and main songwriter with British pop band The Move, has just done a soundcheck, and is walking off stage when he bumps into a familiar face.
“I was strolling down the big hall, making my way back to the dressing rooms,” Wood recalls. “The place was virtually empty, when who should be coming towards me but John Lennon with another bloke. John was wearing his short Afghan coat with the little badges on it. I thought, bloody hell, this is unreal. I’d never met him, never come across any of The Beatles at that stage, but he was one of my favourite people. As he approached me he suddenly stopped and, like a soldier, he saluted me. So I saluted him back, and he walks on. Then he turns around and says: ‘Nice one, man.’ Cheers, John. Ta very much. I was delighted that he knew who I was.”
