Grateful Dead

Modeps

Lifer
Oct 24, 2000
17,254
44
91
I like a few of their songs, but much like the Rolling Stones and Aerosmith, I can't understand the devoted fanbase. I presume it has something to do with drugs because most things do these days (did you hear alcohol was a drug?! :Q)

Anywho, yeah... whats your take?
 

FoBoT

No Lifer
Apr 30, 2001
63,084
15
81
fobot.com
the cultish following is due to the drugs
they are all stoned all the time, so they don't want to have jobs and stuff
 

funkymatt

Diamond Member
Jun 2, 2005
3,919
1
81
the wiki page sums it up. I think it was just a group of people that followed a band of amazing musicians because their music was different every night and there was almost always magic in the air. Sure people can sum things all up with "drugs" but there was more to it than just drugs and a lot of people can't understand this until you experience it.
 

joutlaw

Golden Member
Feb 18, 2008
1,108
2
81
From the outside it may appear to be only drugs, but it may be their effects combined with the music and overall family-like essence of their following.

In the early days it was probably more of a rebelion against mainstream rock and conformity, but leaned more towards the drug end of the spectrum in the late 70s and early 80s. I suspect in the mid to late 80s and early 90s a lot of concert goers followed them for them for the nostalgia and memories from their youth.

I was into a band in the late 90s and early 2000's with a similar following and sound... Widespread Panic. I quit following them after their lead guitarist died of cancer.
 

1sikbITCH

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2001
4,194
574
126
It wasn't about "drugs" in general, it was about one drug in particular, LSD. Everything else was irrelevant.

I went there, I tripped, but I didn't "get it" and never understood what they saw in it. The music itself was crappy and the performance was nothing to get excited about.
 

daveshel

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 1999
5,453
2
81
Originally posted by: funkymatt
the wiki page sums it up. I think it was just a group of people that followed a band of amazing musicians because their music was different every night and there was almost always magic in the air. Sure people can sum things all up with "drugs" but there was more to it than just drugs and a lot of people can't understand this until you experience it.

It has to do with the psychedelic experience but doesn't really depend on it.
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,866
31,364
146
Originally posted by: funkymatt
the wiki page sums it up. I think it was just a group of people that followed a band of amazing musicians because their music was different every night and there was almost always magic in the air. Sure people can sum things all up with "drugs" but there was more to it than just drugs and a lot of people can't understand this until you experience it.

:thumbsup:

the did have a rather captive audience at the time, being that they were the house band for The Acid Tests, their house in the Haight became the epicenter for all of the musicians and artists that made it big at that time. Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, etc....This culture just came along with them, and refused to stop, I guess.

The unique thing about them is that they did offer something new every night. Many times, even the band didn't know what they were going to play before they went on. They allowed free recording of their shows. It took many, many years for any other band to adopt this policy. They're also a ridiculously talented group of musicians. The problem with the Dead is that they have so many incredible songs, yet few will attempt to approach them b/c they refuse to venture past the "Greatest Hits" collection (Maxicali Blues? wtf...) and are too blinded by the drug thing.
 

rudder

Lifer
Nov 9, 2000
19,441
86
91
The Gratefuld dead never released many albums.. and there was a reason. They preferred to tour. When Jerry Garcia was alive they were constantly one of the top earning bands every year.

Part of the reason for the devoted fan base was because of the style of their concerts. Typically the concerts were at least 4 hours long and no two shows were ever the same. They would come up with the set to play the da of the show. Most tours are packaged to where the band plays specific songs from their newly released album and then some classics... even if the set list did change the sound of the song was practically the same from venue to venue. The grateful dead were a very free flowing band musically and never played any canned music.

That and the rampant drug use at their concerts.
 

Platypus

Lifer
Apr 26, 2001
31,046
321
136
Those who replied with drugs as the main/only reason are extremely short sighted.

 

conehead433

Diamond Member
Dec 4, 2002
5,569
901
126
Some people just don't like good music.

"All I can say is ain't it a shame".

A live performance by the GD was almost always special.
 

Chaotic42

Lifer
Jun 15, 2001
34,896
2,055
126
Originally posted by: joutlaw
From the outside it may appear to be only drugs, but it may be their effects combined with the music and overall family-like essence of their following.

In the early days it was probably more of a rebelion against mainstream rock and conformity, but leaned more towards the drug end of the spectrum in the late 70s and early 80s. I suspect in the mid to late 80s and early 90s a lot of concert goers followed them for them for the nostalgia and memories from their youth.

I was into a band in the late 90s and early 2000's with a similar following and sound... Widespread Panic. I quit following them after their lead guitarist died of cancer.

I just started listening to WSP. They're an excellent band.
 

MiniDoom

Diamond Member
Jan 5, 2004
5,305
0
76
A few more things to add...
The sound system or as they called "the wall of sound". The dead was one if not the first to have a kickass sound system and travel around with it. Before that you got what the crappy venue had to offer.
The first jam band. The would play songs that transitioned into a song that transitioned to another song, doing it very smooth. This has led to other bands (phish, DMB, etc.) and DJ's following this style of a constant flow of music.
oh yeah, and the drugs.:beer:
 

hanoverphist

Diamond Member
Dec 7, 2006
9,867
23
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Originally posted by: tidehigh
you can't know without experiencing it, and its too late for that.

nah, now they are phish heads arent they? just follow them for a while.

as for why the following? they wanted to hear their poetry, as this all started in a time when hippies roamed the earth and ran in packs. the dead were living poets, and attracted many of these free range hippies. when they felt comfy and at home, they decided they needed to do that at every show. hence, the following. the drugs were just a red herring, you see.
 

MiniDoom

Diamond Member
Jan 5, 2004
5,305
0
76
Originally posted by: hanoverphist
Originally posted by: tidehigh
you can't know without experiencing it, and its too late for that.

nah, now they are phish heads arent they? just follow them for a while.

Phish broke up dude. Welcome to 2004.:p