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Rick Griffin's 'Flying Eyeball'
How much did Jimi Hendrix get paid for his first Bay-side performance? Why did Bill Graham really give out concert posters at the end of each gig at The Fillmore? And what on earth is ‘The Flying Eyeball’?
San Francisco is a treasure trove of rock music history particularly from the 60s and 70s. Yet as well as the glaringly obvious remnants on the Haight Ashbury crossroads, there is also a time capsule of facts, figures, photographs and memorabilia right at your fingertips.
Named after Bill ‘Wolfgang’ Graham, infamous Fillmore owner and concert pioneer, Wolfgang’s Vault is an online archive of music’s best bits, some of which are free, and some of which are for sale from Bill’s personal collection – including original artwork that suffered damage when his office was firebombed in the mid-80s.
The site offers everything from new issues of the reignited rock magazine ‘Crawdaddy’, badges, pins, vintage ticket stubs and backstage passes to previously unreleased (yet professionally recorded) concert audio. Original photography from legendary snappers including Joe Sia and Gene Anthony are also available as well as vintage t-shirts and concert posters that can range in value depending on the print run.
“Wolfgang’s Vault is the home for the past, present and future of live music,” says Vault President, Eric Johnson.
“It’s an exclusive destination for The Bill Graham Archives, the King Biscuit Flower Hour and the Record Plant along with a dozen other archives that live here, and are relived here.”
For reference, ‘The Flying Eyeball’ was a psychedelic concert poster created by the late the late Rick Griffin. The poster was used to advertise a concert for Jimi Hendrix and John Mayall at The Fillmore in 1968.
Griffin discovered The Eyeball in the 1950s auto detailing art of California pinstriper Von Dutch and reworked it over time to become the winged, bloodshot figure parting a ring of fire with serpent-like tentacles. The Eyeball became synonymous with Hendrix's music in future billings and recordings of his performances.
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