Thankfully it wasn't an open air event; it was in a marquee - which was pretty empty until the first band, Franklin's Tower, started: everyone was huddling in their tents out of the rain apart from me and my brother Mark (who had point-blank refused to camp, forcing me to book us into the very adequate youth hostel in Cirencester).
It stopped raining and Franklin's Tower gave us some very fine Grateful Dead tunes, with some tasty guitar and complete with female vocalist, without being over exciting, and were followed by a bluegrass duo Texas Tick Fever - but it was the Grateful Dudes I (and, I think, many others) had come to see. One of the Franklin's guitarists commented that it was nice playing to an audience who knew the songs! (Unlike their usual audiences in and around home town Oxford). And later it was suggested that this event, at 300, was probably the biggest gathering of Deadheads in 30+ years.
After a long wait, at 8pm, the Dudes took the stage and what followed was, for me anyway, simply the best night of music in over a decade. There's a link to the setlist at the bottom of this piece as it's almost unfair to highlight some sections and not others.
Frankly I was having such a good time that much of the gig is a blur. I do know that every band member was on top form and enjoying themselves. It was great to see my old friends Greg and Richard, and 'new guy' Sean seemed to be fitting in well - allowing Richard to skip around his 6-string bass again. But Andy was positively celestial, driving the jams forward with consumate skill, exuberance, inspiration, and energy. There's something about the guitar in the jams that can lift you out of your head when your feet are already off the ground, and Andy dealt it out in spades.
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It was clearly a '72 night, with all the songs and pairings drawn from that era (no 'Shakedown St' or 'Scarlet' then😞). It got to 9:30pm and we're thinking 'they must take a break soon', especially as many of the songs played were the fast ones, the ones where your body has to move! Well no. They took it down a notch, after a thundering Good Lovin', with 'Casey Jones' and closed the set at about 10pm.
I think everyone needed a breather and a drink; welcome because the second set was another monstrous 2 hours of music!
Bertha, Jack Straw, Truckin' - then into a long Other One-based section. To be honest I've never been into the Drums/Space stones, no matter who's playing, the only exception being (live) at Wembley Arena 31/11/90. So I nipped to the Gents during Drums. This was inside the wood and the trees at the edge of the field were full of starry lights, right to the tops (they must have had a crane!); even without psychedelics it was very special.
I was returning across the field Drums eased into Bobby McGee and suddenly the whole evening coalesced into a perfect moment of magic that stopped me in my tracks, spinning slowly under the stars until the 'The Other One' came round again. Then it was back under the tent for a short rest (Morning Dew) followed by yet more powerhouse dance numbers: Sugar Mag, Lovelight, Not Fade Away, and finally One More Saturday Night.
I'm fearful that Dark Star Orchestra are going to be an anticlimax in September!
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| Great artwork from Peter Williams |
The following day Mark (in no way a Deadhead) commented that 'they don't have a proper singer' and I pointed out that they don't need one; most of the band members can, and do, sing. (Like the Dead, who also had different voices, each with their own qualities, but never a dedicated singer unless you count Pigpen. Anyway Bill is a perfectly good front man when he wants to be.) Notwithstanding this, he did have a really good evening. (His other comment was "Does Andy know how good he is?". Please will somebody tell him?!)
A massive thanks to everyone who helped to make this happen. It would be wonderful to do it again next year. Thanks also to Stranger Remains, who filled the gaps between bands with superb music. Hearing Jim Morrison intone "Stairway to Heaven" was a revelation (and I still have a fond spot for Hornsby's 'Sunflower Cat'). And a very special thanks to Andy for coming and playing his heart out under very difficult family circumstances.
Great lights and sound, as well!
The band :
Andy Scoffin lead gtr, vocals; Sean Daly rhythm gtr, vocals; Bill Giles keyboard, vocals; Richard Hill bass, vocals; Bob Bryars drums; Greg Myles, drums, vocals
more Dudes
Great to see you again after quite a few years! Thanks for posting this, so glad you enjoyed it. Hope it's not too long before we do it again :)
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