Which band replaced The Kinks as a 1970 Glastonbury headline act at short notice?

Tyrannosaurus Rex replaced The Kinks as a 1970 Glastonbury headline act at short notice. The substitution helped give the first Worthy Farm festival its defining headline performance.

The original plans listed The Kinks and Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders as headline attractions. When those acts withdrew, Tyrannosaurus Rex stepped in. The group was led by Marc Bolan and, at that stage, still performed under the longer Tyrannosaurus Rex name rather than the shorter T. Rex identity that later became famous.

The band’s appearance was especially important because the festival was still a small, experimental event. It took place on 19 September 1970 at Worthy Farm, with about 1,500 attendees and a ticket price of £1. Other acts included Steamhammer, Quintessence, Stackridge, Al Stewart and Keith Christmas.

A common source of confusion is that Tyrannosaurus Rex later became known as T. Rex after Bolan’s sound and lineup evolved. The 1970 Glastonbury bill, however, used the band’s earlier name.