From: shell@gandalf.Berkeley.EDU (Shelly Culbertson)
Newsgroups: rec.music.gdead
Subject: Re: DEAD PHISH:')
Date: 7 Sep 1992 18:00:30 GMT
Organization: Dept. of Statistics, U. C. Berkeley
NNTP-Posting-Host: gandalf.berkeley.edu

In article <6uDPqB1w165w@quake.sylmar.ca.us>, loose@quake.sylmar.ca.us writes

> It doesn't really matter as you say...but someone did suggest the baton
> (as if there is one) should be passed to Phish (which brings up another
> question: how many Phish fans are NOT Deadheads or former Deadheads?).

That's a good question - I've wondered that myself at times.  But I also
think it would be interesting to find out how many Phish fans are
(current or former) Zep-heads or AC/DC-heads or Yo Yo Ma-heads.  It is
my impression that, though many Phish fans have indeed seen the Dead (often)
and collected Dead tapes, they have not limited their musical tastes in
the past to the Dead exclusively, as some (though of course not all)
Deadheads choose to do.  And, as others have noted, a surprisingly high
proportion of Phish fans are musicians themselves. 

> Does anyone really think the mass of Deadheadia can suddenly shift to
> just one band.  

I certainly hope not - and, particularly for Phish's sake, I hope it doesn't
happen to them!!

> In reality I see us spreading out to any number of
> bands, most promient of course are Phish, Blues Traveler, Spin Doctors,
> Radiators etc.  I don't think in twenty or so years you're going to
> find us gathered around a chosen "heir" to the throne.  We're going to
> disseminate and spread around and infect other scenes and create new
> scenes perhaps...

I agree with this completely, and it sounds like a very good thing to me 
(especially the part about creating _new_ scenes).  

It's a little hard for me to talk about Deadheads - it can be an emotional
topic.  Certainly that was the cultural group I identified with most strongly
for about eight years (1983-1991)...but I worry for the most visible segment
of the Deadhead population these days.  I work in Arcata, in northern 
Humboldt County, California.  At the time of the cancellation of the Veneta
shows, I would estimate that there were about 500 tourheads in town en route
to the shows; two-thirds of them are still here, having been deprived of
their destination.  Most are living in vehicles, downtown (it's a small
town, pop. 12,000) or in the Co-op parking lot.  Most whom I have spoken
with are kind, friendly people; and most are begging and panhandling for
food and spending money.  What worries me is the apparent attitude that it
is society's responsibility to support them...I wonder how long the Dead
will need to be off tour for these folks to find a life of their own,
something positive they can create for themselves instead of pulling energy
from the Dead scene.  Please don't misunderstand me - I don't wish to 
criticize this lifestyle choice, but wouldn't the Dead scene be a lot more
positive these days if all the participants were prepared to contribute
as much to it as they expect to receive from it?  I guess that's true of
life in general.  So what has this got to do with Phish?  Well, it just
seems, so far, as though the Phish fans I've encountered have learned
something from the rise (and fall?) of the Deadhead culture, and aren't
looking for a free ride; I hope we can maintain this attitude.  I'm very
glad that Phish are _not_ touring right now, during the Dead's vacation.

I understand very well that the folks who have settled in the Arcata Plaza
this month do not represent the largest portion of Deadheads, and I also
realize that they do not read Usenet!  But it is this small, visible group
that I worry about when people suggest that Deadheads might attach themselves
en masse to Phish.  I sure hope it doesn't happen.

Shelly


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