Bobby Weir of the Grateful Dead reflects on the band's unique ethos, particularly their acceptance of concert taping, which fostered a dedicated fanbase. Celebrating their 60th anniversary with extensive releases, the band remains a cultural phenomenon despite minimal mainstream chart success. Their independent nature allowed them to thrive outside conventional music industry norms. Weir emphasizes the importance of live performances in capturing the essence of their music, highlighting the storytelling aspects inherent in their concerts and the ongoing spin-off projects like Wolf Bros and Dead & Company.
We didn't want to be the cops, says Bobby Weir, guitarist and founder member of the Grateful Dead, laughing as he describes his band's legendarily lax attitude to people taping their concerts... It was an easy decision to make.
...when we first got started, it quickly became apparent that the business of music was pretty much populated by people who were only a notch above... the level of professional wrestling. The business was really tawdry.
The Dead have duly operated largely outside the mainstream: not so much a band as a fiercely independent travelling circus that could comfortably sell out 100,000-capacity stadiums, while only ever having had one single grace the US Top 40 (Touch of Grey in 1987).
...we've got to be there at a gig. What are the storytelling possibilities?â
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