Grateful Dead - 1981-10-02 - London, UK (SBD)

Grateful Dead

1981-10-02

Rainbow Theater 

London, UK

Soundboard Recording

320 kbps

Artwork Included

1st Set

01. New Minglewood Blues

02. Sugaree

03. C.C. Rider

04. Cumberland Blues

05. Cassidy

06. Dire Wolf

07. Mama Tried >

08. Mexicali Blues

09. Althea

10. Lost Sailor >

11. Saint Of Circumstance

            

2nd Set:

01. Playin' In The Band >

02. Shakedown Street >

03. Bertha >

04. Playin Jam >

05. Drums >

06. Spanish Jam >

07. Truckin' >

08. Black Peter >

09. Sugar Magnolia >

            

Encore

01. U.S. Blues  

Grateful Dead - 1981-10-02 - London, UK (SBD)

GD 1981 - Back to Back - #1: After a short 5 show run in Europe in March 1981, done as  favor to Pete Townshend of The Who, the Grateful Dead returned to Europe in Fall of that year for 13 shows in 7 countries between September 30 and October 19.  The set lists showcased songs from their latest album, Go To Heaven, including Althea, Alabama Get Away, Far From Me, Feel Like a Stranger, Lost Sailor and Saint Of Circumstance. Generally, the band's playing is strong throughout the run, though some signs of the trouble that would plague the band in the mid 1980s are evident. Most noticeably, Jerry Garcia takes Less of a leadership role in driving the band musically, hanging back at times and even having difficulty with some of the faster solos. Garcia's heroin use had begun to impact his personality and musical skills, and his band mates were growing weary of it. In fact, on the last night, in Barcelona, they presented Jerry with a letter, penned by Phil but signed by everyone in the band, expressing their dissatisfaction. The letter opened with “Dear Sir and Brother. You have been accused of certain high crimes and misdemeanors against the art of music. To wit: playing in your own band; never playing with any dynamics; never listening to what anyone else plays." For a band that tended to avoid any sort of confrontation, this was quite a large step, though it did not seem to have any lasting impact. In any event, this soundboard recording captures the bands first night in London on October 2, 1981, 42 years ago today.  Stop back tomorrow and the next day for 2 more in this Back to Back set.