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Though initially conceived as Hendrix's backing band, The Experience soon became much more than that.

Following the lead of Cream, they were one of the first groups to popularize the " power trio " format, which stripped a rock band line-up down to guitar, bass and drums.

This smaller format also encouraged more extroverted playing from the band members, often at very high volumes.

In the case of The Experience, Hendrix combined lead and rhythm guitar duties into one, while also making use of guitar effects such as feedback, and later the wah-wah pedal, to an extent that had never been heard before.

Mitchell played hard-hitting jazz-influenced grooves that often served a melodic role as much as they did timekeeping.

Redding played deceptively simple bass lines that helped to anchor the band's sound.

Visually, they set the trend in psychedelic clothes and, following his band-mates ' Bob Dylan 1966-style hair-dos, Mitchell got himself a permed copy.

On January 11, 1967 the band conquered London when they appeared at The Bag O ' Nails nightclub.

In attendance that night were John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Brian Epstein, Lulu, The Hollies, Small Faces, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle, Mick Jagger, Brian Jones, Donovan, Georgie Fame, Denny Laine, Terry Reid, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton who rarely missed any of Jimi's London gigs.

Townshend admitted, " changed the whole sound of electric guitar and turned the rock world upside down ".

Clapton agreed, " after Pete Townshend and I went to see him play, I thought that was it, the game was up for all of us, we may as well pack it in.

" The group came into prominence in the US only after the June 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, one of the first major rock music festivals.

The band's performance ended with Hendrix famously setting his psychedelically painted Fender Stratocaster on fire.

After the festival they were asked to go on tour with The Monkees.

They joined the tour on July 8, 1967, in Jacksonville, Florida, the second act on a three-band bill, opened by The Sundowners ( band ).

Less than two weeks later, and after only a handful of engagements, they left the tour, reportedly frustrated by audience response.

The last Hendrix / Monkees concert was performed at Flushing Meadows in Queens, New York – Chas Chandler later said that it was all a publicity stunt.