janis joplin, frankfurt, 1969

This is an amazing and rare piece of footage of Janis Joplin in Frankfurt, April 1969, backed by her then, new Stax style soul band The Kozmic Blues Band. It was her only date in Germany on the European tour.
In a later interview on the Dick Cavett show (US television) she admitted that she had a terrible time touring in Europe, claiming that audiences there are "very uptight and don't get down". Although that's not all together obvious from this footage as the venue had no security and the stage became invaded by the audience as the gig went on.
This video is some of the best footage of her out there, demonstrating what a force of nature Joplin was performing live. The charisma, charm, vulnerability and power this young woman had kept an audience enthralled. The following year October 1970, Janis was gone from a heroine overdose.
During the show this has some cutaways to an interview (why?) she had while in Europe and judging by the miserable questioning style of this example it was hardly surprising she had little interest in the media. Also the video begins 22 minutes in avoiding some rather tedious talk over to get straight into the show.

janis joplin

Janis Joplin died October 4th 1970 just 27 years old.
The Queen of Rock and a pioneer in a male-dominated rock industry of the late 1960s. Janis, or 'Pearl' as she was nicknamed, was a real box of emotions, vulnerable, self-concious, full of suffering but on stage, raw and powerful.
She died just 16 days after Jimi Hendrix and if there was any chance the impact of the 1960's would continue into the next decade it was abruptly over when these voices went missing.
Here she is on the Dick Cavett Show in great form. 2 months later she was gone.