Grateful Dead

Sorry, guys, they definitely didn't do Deal on this occasion

I have to concur with Simon 'Deal' was not played.

Both deadbase.com and deadlists.com also indicate that "Deal" was played between "Mr.Charlie" and "Beat It On Down the Line" (sorry I can't link to those setlists, as the navigation on those sites won't allow it). Nevertheless, it's of course entirely possible that who were there have it absolutely correct --that "Deal" was not played at Bickershaw and that a factual error has burrowed itself into the Interweb and has made its way across the length and breadth of it. Me, I'm in no position to take one side or the other...

The Bickershaw Festival DVD has been released, but only in Britain. Also the movie is not like the one about Woodstock or the Isle of Wight. Mostly stills and amateur footage. However I am sure the film is worth seeing because this was such a fascinating festival. The Dead's set is really a classic.

The above setlist was merely copied from Deadbase, so that is why "Deal" is erroneously listed.

Sing me Back Home - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Spanish Jam

At this gig i was one of only a very few (were you one?) who got over the fence went backstage and met Jerry sitting on the back step of a truck. Inside other members of the band were checking equipment. Security said to Jerry that they would remove us, but Jerry said let them stay and we (5/6?) remained and spent a while talking to him. I remember him asking me about a pink (i don't believe it now!) cardigan i was wearing with GD and NRPS knitted into it in another colour (red?). Anyway we were allowed to stay and when the Dead performed i positioned myself under the stage on a plank a few feet off the ground. The show was great.

If you info geeks remember where and when you were you have missed the point completely.Did you all have a sibling who went and now you have the ticket??? I was there I know it was Great in my soul. Davy Beggs and Jerry Garcia smoked a joint (I think)

Grateful Dead5/7/72 Bickershaw Festival Wigan, England Disc 1 1st Set 1. Intro> Truckin' 2. Banter 3. Sugaree 4. Banter 5. Mr. Charlie 6. Beat it On Down the Line 7. Banter 8. He's Gone 9. Chinatown Shuffle 10. China Cat Sunflower> 11. I Know You Rider 12. //Black Throated Wind 13. //Next Time You See Me Disc 2 1. "Happy Birthday Billy" 2. Playin' in the Band 3. Tennessee Jed 4. Good Lovin' 5. //Casey Jones 2nd Set 6. Greatest Story Ever Told 7. Big Boss Man 8. Ramble On Rose 9. Banter 10. //Jack Straw Disc 3 1. //Dark Star(patched)> 2. Drums> 3. The Other// One(patched)> 4. Sing Me Back Home Disc 4 1. Banter 2. Sugar Magnolia 3. Turn On Your Lovelight> 4. Going Down the Road Feeling Bad> 5. Not Fade Away Encore 6. One More Saturday Night 7. Bonus - Banter Highlights There is no break in the sbd between Mr. Charlie and Beat it On Down the Line so I can guarantee Deal was not played between those songs. If you don't believe, then email me and I will burn discs for you. True believers=free; doubters=$10,000 :)

I was in my last year of high school, a few of us drove up from St. Albans. My bud A.B. and I happened by as a few locals opened the fence and we all jumped though...I lost touch with the guys I came with but made good friends with a bunch of good people... The Festival was great and the Dead were the high-light for me... I met a lovely young lady...She was visiting from the states too...We hitched a ride back south rolling multi-tiered joints as we rolled.. We parted ways...Then i got a ride with a sweet couple of newly-weds and we saw a rain-bow...Happy Trails!

The festival started on Friday evening and it I can't remember if it ever stopped raining

...it rained solidly through Saturday night and into Sunday. Stopped raining roughly when the New Riders played, but.... .... the sun came out as the Dead came on stage!!! And that's true - to my memory, at least.

I'm sure I remember Bob saying "we don't play that stuff anymore" when people were shouting for St Stephen as well as saying later how cold it was despite some kind of fan heaters being there.

mark606 I also remember Bob saying that about St Stephen. He also looked off the stage and said "I don't know what you're burning down there, but it smells awful". I think there was another comment about "it's colder than Hell up here". Apparently the space heater helped but made it difficult to keep the guitars in tune, so they were almost relieved when it packed up. These problems may be why they did not put any material from Bickershaw on Europe '72.

The six CD, two DVD set is for sale at deep discounts.com. It is quite expensive @ $151, but......

DickL, Yes, I got that impression too, that they wanted to pack it up - unfortunately, my sense of time was completely skewed having taken some acid and I remember saying to a friend "what, they've finished already!!" The three hours or however long it was seemed to flash by in ten minutes so it's wonderful to hear what I missed all those years ago on GDradio this evening. I learned my lesson - the next and last time I saw them was at the Ally Pally where I stuck to tequila and hash:-)

Jimi-ro I think you are right - after a couple of days of rain and cold, the sun appeared just as it was setting as the Dead started - I can't be 100% sure because I was under the influence. The only other time I saw something similar was at a festival at a place called Weeley when, again after a couple of days of rain, the sun came out as the Incredible String Band took the stage:-)

Listening to gdradio's broadcast of Bickershaw this evening and Bob says of St Stephen "maybe one day we'll listen to it" and "cop our own licks" - that second phrase brings it all back:-)

I spent quite a lot of the time sitting under one of the sound towers to get out of the rain. I think I was wrapped in a sleeping bag trying to keep warm after a weekend of miserable weather. Having said that I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

I turned 18 at midnight and the band were playing Lovelight. The most joyous birthday imaginable.