pOoTer's pSycheDelic shAcK
ChroniKles - 1965

February

The Beatles experience their first LSD trip as a result of their drinks being spiked at a party by their dentist!!

11th February

New President Lyndon Johnson orders the first sustained bombing campaign against the Vietnamese forces.

21st February

Malcom X shot in New York.

March

8th March

Combat troops enter Vietnam.

21st March

Civil rights march in Alabama, led by Martin Luther King.

June

11th June

Poets Of The World/Poets Of Our Time reading at the Royal Albert Hall, London, England.

What is now regarded as the official beginning of the British Psychedelic scene, this legendary meeting of 18 poets including Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Gregory Corso was a turning point that effectively gave birth to the entire UK underground scene.

The audience were handed flowers as they arrived and many many people were high on LSD, which for 1965 was way ahead of its time....

21st June

The Charlatans play at the Red Dog Saloon, Virginia City, truly a massive milestone in the entire West Coast music scene!!.
This event also spawned what later became known as 'The Seed', THE first in a legendary period of psychedelic poster art.

July

10th July

Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones is No.1 in the U.S charts.

25th July

Bob Dylan is booed by traditional folk fans when he plays at the Newport Folk Festival using amplified guitars.

29th July

Help! by The Beatles premiers in London.

August

11th August

Race riots erupt in L.A’s Watts district, 200 million dollars worth of damage is caused and during the following week 34 people are killed as a result of the rioting.

13th August

Marty Balin opens the Matrix in San Francisco, the Jefferson Airplane play their first gig here.

September

The World Psychedelic Center is opened in Pont Street, London by one Michael Hollingshead, spreading the gospel of Psychedelia by selling copies of The Psychedelic Experience and The Psychedelic Reader, fresh from Tomothy Leary’s Millbrook Center in New York.

As well as these items, Hollingshead also brought with him 5000 doses of LSD..............
After introducing LSD to Leary 4 years earlier, Hollingshead set out to ‘Turn On London’ which he succeded in with fine chaotic style.

Many famous celebrities visited the Psychedelic Center including William Burroughs, Roman Polanski and Paul McCartney.

Within four months Michael Hollingshead was arrested on a ‘minor narcotics charge’ and banged up for 21 months in an attempt to suppress his attempts to spread the gospel of LSD........but by now it was too late..............

21st to 26th September

Lightning Hopkins and Jefferson Airplane play at The Matrix Club, San Francisco.

October

14th October

14,000 protestors arrive outside the Oakland army camp to stage an Anti-War demonstration.

15th October

The Great Society play at the Coffee Gallery, San Francisco.

16th October

A fledgling collective called The Family Dog present A Tribute to Dr. Strange at the Longshoremen's Hall, San Francisco, featuring Jefferson Airplane, The Charlatans, The Marbles and The Great Society. The event was billed as a 'Rock n Roll Dance and Concert'.

24th October

A Tribute to Sparkle Plenty, the second Family Dog event is held at the Longshoremens Hall. The Loving Spoonful and The Charlatans entertain.

November

6th November

The Family Dog's third event 'A Tribute to Ming the Merciless is held at the Lonshoremen's Hall. On the bill were The Mothers and The Charlatans.

6th November

The San Francisco Mime Troupe holds an appeal party for one of its members. Amongst the various people appearing were The Family Dog, The Fugs, Laurence Ferlingetti and The Jefferson Airplane.

27th November

The Mystery Trend play at the Peter Voulkos Studio, Berkeley.

27th November

The first Acid Test is held in Santa Cruz by Ken Kesey.

December

The Jefferson Airplane record their first LP, Surrealistic Pillow in a week.

3rd December

The Beatles release Rubber Soul.

4th December

The second Acid Test is held in San Jose after invites called ‘Can You Pass The Acid Test?’ are handed out at a Rolling Stones gig. An estimated 400 people arrive at the Acid Test in a house in San Jose, the Grateful Dead perform.

10th December

San Francisco Mime Troupe Dance at the Fillmore Auditorium featuring The Great Society, Jefferson Airplane, The Mystery Trend and Sam Thomas and The Gentlemen’s Band.