Stephen Stills involved in fight whilst raising funds for the Institute for the Study of Nonviolence - Watch

As author Peter Doggett writes of the event; "Even the most idealistic of festivals had been tainted and corrupted by reality."

Ahead of Stephen Stills' performance with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young at The Big Sur Folk Festival on the weekend, a local artist decided to protest the event. The concertgoer felt that the big celebrity artists had tarnished the festival and he began heckling each performer before they went on stage. When he did this before C.S.N.Y's set, Stephen Stills reacted and got into a tussle with the man.

David Crosby was on the microphone throughout the altercation.

"Just for you, man. You'll be the only guy we'll tell all day that we're doing it for free. Since you didn't pay, shut up, cos we're not civilized." Once the fight breaks out Crosby can be heard saying, "Peace and love, peace and love. Kick his ass!"

Watch the incident below, followed by Stephen Stills' subsequent explanation of what happened, and his performance of "4+20."

According to Peter Doggett, one reveler said of the incident;

"Everyone there seemed to be able to see through each other's games and disguises, and seemed to be too tired to keep up the morale of illusion. People actually looked happier going back to their cars, on the way home. Now they could assume their individual identities, and be free from the demands of the long-dead love generation."

The Big Sur Festival saw artists being paid only $50 with all proceeds going to Joan Baez's Institute for the Study of Nonviolence.