Grateful Dead Crowd-Control Strategies

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

This show was a new one on me. Check out track 4, "Hey, you all up on the balcony."

SPAC, 85-27-06

I should try some of those lines when my classes get unruly.

[balogna pogna]

Does Bobby ask them to "Take a step back, and now another, and now take another step back, take a step back"?

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

No, it's more along the lines of "Watch that first step, it's a doozy.... Don't hang off the balcony!"

I think it's Mickey who points out that "there's 50,000 people waiting for you to get back in your seat!"

"We don't want you falling on somebody else. Do it yourself all you want, man."

[StoneMtn]

I was once at a Dead show (Foxborough 1990) when the stands completely emptied onto the floor, crushing all of us who actually had floor tickets.

My (then) girlfriend and I adopted the practice of closing our eyes while we danced, pretending we were really "out of it", and danced using a lot of kicking and elbowing. We managed to get a pretty good radius around us with no people there at all. lol

[ollie]

One of my favourites! Love the High Time.

[M.O.B.E]

This show is awesome and yes it is Mickey that points that out. My wife is sick of me playing that over and over.

the Stagger Lee-> El Paso, Crazy Fingers-> Supplication-> High Time is fuggin sweet. One the most listened to shows in my collection. The next I believe is Hershey PA and that show is wicked too, then off to the Merriweather Post shows. The summer of 85 is one of my favourite tours. Its just to bad I was to young to be out there for those.

[Kanada Kev]

It helped that that was one of the tours that had so many high quality sbds circulating so soon after the tour (in relative terms back then).

I also liked the time-killer tune that Bobby pulled out that year in September ... Frozen Logger. I think it's at a Red Rocks show (old tape, long gone):

http://www.midigal.com/frznlogger.htm

The Frozen Logger

Words and Music by James Stevens

1. As I sat down one eve-ning

With-in a small ca-fe,

A for-ty-year old wai-tress,

To me these words did say;

I see that you're a log-ger,

And not just a com-mon bum,

'Cause no-bod-y but a log-ger,

Stirs his cof-fee with his thumb.

2. My lov-er was a log-ger,

There's none like him to day,

If you'd pour whis-key on it,

He would eat a bale of hay.

Well, he nev-er shaved his whis-kers,

From off of his horn-y hide,

He'd just drive them in with a ham-mer,

And bite them off in-side.

3. My lov-er came to see me,

Up-on one freez-ing day,

He held me in a fond em-brace,

Which broke three ver-te-brae.

Well, he kissed me when we part-ed,

So hard that he broke my jaw,

I could not speak to tell him

He forgot his mack-in-aw!

4. I saw my log-ger leav-ing,

Saunt-'ring throught he snow.

Go-ing brave-ly home-ward,

At for-ty-eight be-low.

The weath-er it tried to freeze him;

It tried it's lev-el best,

At a hun-dred de-grees be-low ze-ro,

He but-toned up his vest.

5. It froze clean through to Chi-na;

It froze to the stars a-bove,

At a thou-sand de-grees be-low ze-ro,

It froze my log-ger love.

And so I lost my lov-er,

And to this ca-fe I come,

And here I wait till some-one,

Stirs his cof-fee with his thumb!

(repeat last 4 lines to ending)

We are truly spoiled these days in many ways .

[M.O.B.E]

I also like the first week of April 85 shows when they tried all the Beatles tunes out and the Down in the Bottom>I ain't superstitious. 85 saw the Cyrpitcal and Somestack returns too. Its really an all round kickass year.

[timouse]

I was once at a Dead show (Foxborough 1990) when the stands completely emptied onto the floor, crushing all of us who actually had floor tickets.

My (then) girlfriend and I adopted the practice of closing our eyes while we danced, pretending we were really "out of it", and danced using a lot of kicking and elbowing. We managed to get a pretty good radius around us with no people there at all. lol

nice one in the spirit of "everyone on the floor..."

i think it was buffalo 1990...

bob: "take a step back...take another step back."

jerry: "this is the face of the planet in 20 years. learn to love it now."

brilliant.

[Kanada Kev]

20th Anniversary Year

Edited October 10, 2006 by Guest

[StoneMtn]

That quote is definitely from a much earlier show than that. I can't recall exactly, but it was pre-1990 for sure (unless it happened again in Buffalo that year).

I almost made it to Buffalo, BTW, which was the show right after Foxborough. Let's just say that things went somewhat awry between Massachusetts and New York, and I was not exactly "at liberty" to get to Buffalo the next day.

'Nuff said.

[Booche]

bob: "take a step back...take another step back."

jerry: "this is the face of the planet in 20 years. learn to love it now."

06-06-92

Guaranteed.

[StoneMtn]

Really? '92? If it's guaranteed, I guess it's guaranteed. I swear I thought that line was from the early '80s.

[StoneMtn]

Hey, wait a minute. I think I was there.

Was that with Sting opening?

[MarcO]

Steve Miller Band.

[Kanada Kev]

Bobby's been doing the "Take a step back" since the 70s.

5-8-77 is another example

Here are some more:

http://kazart.com/bus_stop/banter.htm

Later . . .

Kanada Kev =8)

Edited October 10, 2006 by Guest

[M.O.B.E]

the best line to come off the stage was 9/2/83 when Phil opened the show with " Citizens of Boise, submit or perish you are a conquered people">Wang Dang Doodle

[nattyMatty]

I love hearing them speak.

[nattyMatty]

Standing on a tower, world at my command

you just keep a turn'in, while im play'in in the band!

YEAHHHHHHHHH! WoooOO!

[nattyMatty]

I thought it was 80's too.. I have that around here somwhere. Could it be possible there were 2 take a step backs...but only 1 without jerry saying anything? Hmmmm no i think about it...wasn't there one with phil saying that too... Now im getting all confused.. So ill be getting back to this in just a little bit.

Edited October 10, 2006 by Guest
somthing about phil possibly

[StoneMtn]

It was specifically that line about the world in 20 years that I thought was from the early-80s. (That being said, I can't really remember what I ate for breakfast today, so don't go by me...)

[nattyMatty]

Yea I think that is must be the 20 years thing i have heard it, I think i have it around here somewhere...I know that take a step back thing was used a few times. the 1 2 3 thing.. Hey Man you still going to be around for that jackfruit show in collingwood?

[StoneMtn]

hahahaha

I doubt it. I didn't even put it on my calendar when I figured out where Collingwood really was.

When is it, though? I do love jackfruit.

[Kanada Kev]

GRATEFUL DEAD: MASTERS OF CROWD CONTROL

12/28/69 Miami Pop Festival

(Cold Rain & Snow)

(tuning)

Pigpen: We's tuning up now. Hey how come you guys can't come up this way, closer a bit. I mean ain't no cops around, I don't see none.

Phil: Now you've done it Pigpen, now you've done it. Hey, be real careful of the wires, folks, look out for the wires, be really careful of the wires. Otherwise, it all come down on top of you, and you wouldn't want that, would you.

Pigpen: Just be careful of them there towers & wires, it'll come down on your head, a disaster.

Jerry: Just be real cool, you know

Bob: You might, you might want to move back on account if you're if you're real up close you can't see or hear shit.

Pigpen: Hey, your lens cap is on, you

Jerry: Also --

Pigpen: Hey wait a minute, wait a minute -- one of the towers already did fall down, so I'd like you to cool it from them wires & towers. Just don't mess with the wires & towers, & everything'll be fine. And the man over here says don't push on the fence ??: in tune yet? do hard to handle

Jerry: Remember, at least 50% of all this is to make it so that somebody's who's afraid somewhere will know everything's gonna be cool and that means, don't anyone get hurt is what it's all about

(Hard to Handle)

(Mason's Children)

Pigpen: Thank you. Hey listen I've just been informed that you guys got to move back a taste because if them things fall down it's IN TROUBLE city for you. They just ask you like to move back. So you can either move back or you can stay, but if you stay, you might get smashed, so it's your decision.

Jerry: And now we told you all right.

Pigpen: The warning is there so I, well, forget it, just do what you want

1/10/70 San Diego

Phil - We just said something about the aisles. You want to say more about the aisles?

Jerry - Clear the fuckin' aisles, will you?

Bobby - Has anyone else got something to say?

2.14.70

pigpen (i think) when someone screams says, "put that horse out of it's misery"

2/14/70 - Fillmore East

Audience member - "hey Garcia"

Jerry - "What?"

A.M. - "play Saint Stephen" Much hollering.

Jerry - "You want to hear Saint Stephen?" More hollering. "then buy the record."

5.2.70 (maybe)

phil says "how do you expect us to play when you're screaming."

7/2/70 somewhere (Stonehill College, someone once told me)

think it's Bob: Everybody just sit back, we've got you all night long!

[random noodling, crowd going wild]

Bob: All right, all right! How d'you expect us to play music if yer screamin'?

Jerry(?): Cool it everybody... gotta behave like a mature responsible audience.

Bob: Don't lissen ta him...

10/31/71 Cincinnati

before Ramble On Rose, which was apparently fairly new at the time, Jerry introduces it saying

Jerry: ...we laughingly call [this] Rambling Rose.

Bob: Hah hah hah. [guffaws unnaturally]

Anyway, the banter starts after Ramble On Rose ends...

[audience noise]

Heckler: Hey! Play Truckin'! Play Truckin'! . . . Truckin'! . . . Why won't you play it?!

Band member: We don't know it.

Someone: Eat it, man! Eat it! Eat it!

Heckler: Truckin'! . . . Truckin'! . . . Truckin'!

Jerry: Come on, man. Come on, man. You gonna be a cop? Is that it? "Play Truckin', play Truckin'." We'll play whatever we like.

[audience cheers]

Jerry: 'Course, that's not saying you--

Bobby: Yeah, it's a free country, y'know.

Jerry: --won't like it. You might like it too. You might like it too. It might be all right. It might be something perfectly OK.

[rinkydink cartoon theme from piano]

Jerry: What about all those people that might not like Truckin'?

[sugar Mag tune-up hint]

Jerry: Well, how 'bout it, man?

Band member [to Heckler]: Why don't you play Truckin'?

Bobby?: Hee, hee, hee. [giggles]

[tuning sounds]

Phil: We realize we're wasting valuable time folks, but it's really OK in the long run.

Bobby: You folks up there--are you folks back there sittin' right under the ba--the lip of the balcony. You wanna watch out--

Band member [as Porky Pig]: the rubbabubbabubba balcony. . .

Bobby --'cause any minute now--

Other band member: a-dab-a-dab-a-d. . .

Yet another band member: Hey buh-buh-buh. . .

Bobby: --any minute now they're gonna be dropping a whole load of live chickens one you. Aha. [chuckles at own witticism]

-> Sugar Magnolia

[tuning]

Phil: OK, man. This one's for you! This in the one you've been waiting to hear!

Bobby: We're gonna pause for about 3 or 4 seconds and scratch our asses and think it over.

[they saw at axes in fingernail-on-blackboard fashion]

-> Truckin'

7/26/72 Paramount Theatre, Portland, Oregon Before opener:

Phil (spoken with a down-home accent): Okay, folks, now, uh what we gotta ask you is would y'all please move out of the aisles because, you understand,, we only sold enough seats as were available here in this house and if you're in the aisle y'all don't belong so get on back to your seats otherwise we're gonna have to stop the show, you understand?

>>Cold Rain and Snow>>

After CR&S, some yelling in audience (unrecognizable)

Phil: Hey, man, you got the wrong band! Don't you believe everything you read in Time magazine!

8/12/72 Sacramento (I think that's the day),

where before the third song Bobby or somebody says something about "Would the people with the flash bulbs kindly..." and Phil cuts in "FUCK OFF!"

Then he proceeds to say "That means you, man!" There's more chatter, but I forget and couldn't quite catch all of it.

6/22/73 PNE Coliseum, Vancouver, British Columbia

Phil (to screaming audience): We're going to play a long show, so why don't you all relax.

(some screams of approval, and then random shouting)

Phil: You, too.

12.1.73,

i think phil says "since you won't go back to your seats, i guess we're just going to have to conclude that you're just not going to act like ladies and gentlemen." someone screams NO and phil says "well is that right or isnt' it?"

6/16/74 Iowa State Fair Grandstand

Phil, to guy in the crowd screaming to do Me and My Uncle "Don't make an idiot of yourself, man."

5/8/77 Cornell University:

Bob: Now it's time to play everyone's favorite fun game, move back!... Take a step back! Now take another...step back! And another! Take a step back!!

(funky drums and keyboard)

Bob: Now doesn't that feel better?... Whatdaya mean, NO?!?

Jerry: Everyone up front here is geting horribly smashed. If you just move back some....

Bob: then all your friends up front won't look real bug-eyed.

10/29/77: take a step back routine

11/05/77: take a step back routine

7/8/78 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO

Jerry (?) (to quiet rambunctious fans during bridge in Wharf Rat): SHHH!

1983 Dane County: take a step back routine

6/27/85 Saratoga NY SPAC

Set I, after Little Red Rooster Which ended: (not surprisingly) "Leave everything in the barnyard people, Fucked up in every way."

Bob: Hey, Hey. Y'all up on the balcony. The management has kindly requested that you don't hang off there. You gotta realize, that first steps a real doozie (sp) and so kinda cool it. [angrily] Don't hang off the balcony.

Phil: Seriously now. Yo Butch! You! Off the balcony.

(kinda hard to tell who said what in the next 3 lines)

Jerry: See those guys there.

Bob: Stop hanging off the balcony. Off the balcony.

Phil: Get back in a seat would'ya. There are 50,000 people waiting for you to get back in your seat man. You got any friends up there?

Bob: There we go. I say Phil, my dog has no nose.

Phil: No Nose? 'ows 'ee smell?

Bob: Blummin' awful! [guffaws]

Phil: Sorry man, that goes for you too over here man. Hey, get back in. We don't want you fallin' on somebody else. You do with yourself what you want man.

---> Into Stagger Lee

1989 (?) Foxboro.

The fratheads were all pressing up into the front, things were mighty tight near the stage - dangerously so for anyone altering their blood pH. They went into this cute little riff, heavy on the rhythm, and

Phil(? May've been Bobby, memory's fuzzed) chanted "1...2...3, Take a Step Back. 1...2...3, Take a Step Back."

Some interesting Crowd Control:

Date/venue unknown; included as ~45 seconds of filler at the end of a Phish tape.

Bob: We were gonna wear our gorilla suits tonight, but we lost the keys to the wardrobe. Besides, there are enough gorillas in this world without us wearing our gorilla suits.

Jerry: So it's just the usual bozo masks. All you people who are thrown' joints up here on the stage, save it! Why don't you light 'em up and pass 'em around-

Phil? Pass it to your neighbor, man. we're already high, thank you. No, no, save it.

Jerry: We get high on you guys.

Bob: That ain't gonna do nobody no good, man. What a waste! I mean, dope is expensive, isn't it? And if you're gonna throw anything heavy out there, anything heavy that might hurt someone, make sure you're throwing it at somebody you don't like.

[Booche]

StnMtn, there are a number of reasons why I vividly recall that line from that show but the main reason is that one of our friends was dancing like a stoned freak. Its probably because he was one at that moment.

He truly 'let go' that night like I aint never seen him do. God bless ya buddy.