A Long Strange Trip: The Continuing World of European Deadheads
2013; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 36; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1080/03007766.2013.798542
ISSN1740-1712
Autores Tópico(s)Diverse Musicological Studies
ResumoAbstract As the fiftieth anniversary of the formation of the Grateful Dead approaches, the reputation of their fans as an unusually loyal and dedicated cohort of followers is as secure as ever. This has been maintained despite the formal demise of the band following the death of Jerry Garcia in 1995, and has been charted in a significant number of academic commentaries. However, these have been conducted in an American context. There have been few, if any, investigations of the activities of fans in other territories. European fans have been distanced from the routine cultural references to the band and starved of opportunities to attend their concerts. This paper sets out to explore the continuing world of European Deadheads by showing how they have produced alternative, often interrelated, strategies, responses, and understandings to define their status. Notes [1] Warner Brothers refused the Grateful Dead's request that the album should be titled Skullfuck. Thus, their first and seventh albums bear similar titles: The Grateful Dead and Grateful Dead. The address for responses to the "Dead Freaks Unite" plea was Dead Heads, PO Box 1065, San Rafael. As far as we are aware, this was the first documented use of the term Deadhead. In 1972, the band issued the first official Dead Head newsletter. [2] Explanations of the Grateful Dead's choice of name vary. One interpretation referred to "its implications of atomic holocaust, Hiroshima, bitter alienation from society, and playful, joking don't-give-a-damnness…it suggests that in our society the living are really dead, and only the dead are really alive" (Reich Citation206). Accounts offered by the band members themselves suggest that Garcia came across the phrase while leafing through a dictionary at Lesh's home (George-Warren Citation10; Lesh Citation62). [3] Evidence of the Grateful Dead's unconventional relationship with their first record label, Warner Brothers, emerged during the recording of Anthem of the Sun in 1967. A memo sent by the band to WB vice-president Joe Smith announced, "For our next album we're planning something very special: a musical interpretation of an LSD trip" (Scully and Dalton Citation119). During the recording sessions, producer Dave Hassinger walked out, frustrated by the band's demands and the subsequent lengthy delays. In a letter to the Grateful Dead's then managers, Danny Rifkin and Rock Scully, Smith complained of the band's "lack of preparation, direction and cooperation [which] have made this album the most unreasonable project with which we have ever involved ourselves…your group has many problems [and] it's apparent that nobody in your organization has enough influence over Phil Lesh to evoke anything resembling normal behavior" (McNally Citation235). [4] The band's founding members were Jerry Garcia (guitar, vocals), Bob Weir (guitar, vocals), Ron "Pigpen" McKernan (keyboards, harmonica, vocals), Phil Lesh (bass, vocals), and Bill Kreutzmann (drums). Their first acknowledged shows were in May 1965 in Menlo Park (as the Warlocks) and December 1965 in San Jose (as the Grateful Dead). With the exception of McKernan, who died in 1973 as a result of years of alcohol abuse, the core of the band remained together for 30 years. However, the inclusion of additional personnel—drummer Mickey Hart (1967–70, 1974–95), vocalist Donna Godchaux (1972–79), and a succession of keyboardists (Tom Constanten, Keith Godchaux, Brent Mydland, Vince Welnick, Bruce Hornsby)—enabled the Grateful Dead to perform, at different times, with five, six, or seven members. [5] See, for example, CitationCavicchi; CitationDoss; CitationEhrenreich, Hess and Jacobs. [6] Allusions to America in the Dead's work include lyrical references to states, cities and towns (Tennessee, San Francisco, Baton Rouge, Dallas, New Orleans), history (the "cowboy" songs, "Jack Straw," "El Paso," "Me and My Uncle"), institutions (Barnum's circus, Mardi Gras), and modes of transport (Willy's jeep, the Great Northern, Detroit Lightning). [7] The websites included www.dead.net and www.jambandseurope.com. [8] Interestingly, the mean age for UK respondents was 60; among those from continental Europe, the mean age was 40. [9] The names of respondents have been changed in the extracts that follow; all other details are correct. [10] The Acid Tests consisted of 13 one-day and two three-day public parties, organized by Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters, and held in locations around the West Coast between November 1965 and October 1966. Centered entirely on the use, experimentation, and promotion of LSD, the tests were free-flowing, multimedia events, and the Grateful Dead were the "house band." [11] The BBC radio programs hosted by John Peel were among the few that gave airtime to songs by the Grateful Dead. [12] Historic examples of music dress include the drape jackets and drainpipe trousers of teddy boys; the black leather jackets and blue jeans of Germany's Halbstarken and France's blousons noirs; the shaven heads, Levis, and Doc Martens of skinheads; the Mohican hairstyles, safety pins, and ripped clothing of punks. [13] The neckties, designed from Garcia's own artwork and initially priced at $28.50, were manufactured by Stonehenge Ltd, and sold as limited editions. In 1993, the company also introduced ties based on the art of Miles Davis. [14] See, for example, the discussions of older fans within the continuing punk scene (CitationBennett, "Punk") and Northern Soul community (CitationSmith). [15] For a useful discussion of the impact of peer-to-peer networking on fan behavior, see Wikstrom (Citation147–69). [16] The territorial breakdown of Grateful Dead concerts in Europe is as follows: UK 24, Germany 15, France 10, Denmark 4, the Netherlands 4, Luxembourg 1, Spain1, Sweden 1. Ironically, the band's 22-date European tour in April/May1972 has often been cited as the pinnacle of its performing career. [17] See, for example, Neil Young's Archives series and Bob Dylan's Bootleg series. [18] The majority of the Grateful Dead's CD releases are multi-disc or box sets containing several discs. Europe 72 contained 73 discs and was limited to 7,200 copies; the first 3,000 were individually named and numbered. The set, priced at $450.00, sold out within four days, although the resale price is considerably more. [19] In contrast to many of their performing peers, the Grateful Dead publicly approved the recording of their shows. Although, in general, the practice of taping live performances was relatively uncommon in the 1960s, it is nevertheless possible to hear and/or acquire a recording of almost every performance given by the Grateful Dead since 1966. Indeed, from 1984, a dedicated "tapers' section" has been provided at the band's concerts, in line with Garcia's stated belief that "there's something to be said for being able to record an experience you've liked, or being able to obtain a recording of it… my responsibility to the notes is over after I've played them" (Jackson Citation277). [20] See, for example, Internet Archive (http://archive.org/details/GratefulDead) which provides access to more than 8,700 recordings of Grateful Dead shows, from either audience recordings (which can be downloaded) or the band's soundboard (which can be streamed online). [21] The Grateful Dead's official website is www.dead.net.
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