Mainly aimed at local residents, the festival did not have overnight camping facilities and was financed by donations and benefit gigs.

After problems were caused by a temporary move to Hengrove Park in 2001, due to the foot and mouth crisis, and a washout in 2007, the organisers declared bankruptcy in 2007.

The first festival took place over four successive weekends with bands playing from a stage improvised from a flat bed truck.

[2] In 1980, large numbers of people from far afield attended, trees were damaged and burnt and there was illegal camping and lurid press reports of drugs and nudity.

[2] The festival took place in a large sloped clearing surrounded on three sides by New Barn Wood and Clarken Coombe.

Ashton Court Estate, which includes a deer park, was closed as a quarantine measure due to the outbreak of foot and mouth disease that affected the United Kingdom that year.

The move caused a massive drop in attendance and a heavy financial loss, leading to debts which hung over the organisation.

[9] This, along with changes to licensing laws and tightening health and safety requirements, led to a more commercial style of organisation, with a compulsory entrance fee and a strict security presence around the perimeter fence.

[14] On the second day, the event was cancelled due to torrential rain, which made the site inaccessible to emergency vehicles.