Hi everyone- Does anyone have any info on the Spinners or The Family or Church of Unlimited Devotion that used spinning or whirling as a meditation during Dead shows? There is virtually no info on the web. Are there still organized groups of spinners? I see the occasional solitary spinner at a show but do they still exist as a group? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks! Henry
those solitaries are not part of the Family, spinning was also a Sufi-derived dance style practiced by LOTS pf brothers and sisters, Deadhead through today's bands. I spin some to get "caught." But, they were some sort of Christian based, big on modesty (always a red flag when surrounded by a libertine subculture. Have you tried Rick Ross.com or Belief net?
Drumminmama- Thanks for your reply. I figured that the solitary spinners that I see now are not part of any organized group. I know a lot of sisters and brothers spin independently, but I am kind of fascinated by the Unlimited Devotion Family that would spin in the halls at shows and fall down in prostration/supplication after each song. I've done some research into the origins of the dance in Sufism, but there's very little available on this phenomena within Deadhead (or wider music) culture. I've searched both RickRoss and Beliefnet with no luck. I think RickRoss cites an article about the group's founder being expelled from the group but nothing with any detail. I know that there were some red flags and kind of bizarre beliefs within the group during it's heyday but I believe that there was something of a revision within the group after the founder was expelled and that some of the modesty rules (like the celibacy requirement) were abandoned. There's Deadhead blog http://undereternityblue.com/Log/pivot/entry.php?id=31 that has some photos of Spinners and some comments that state that the group was still organized and spinning after Jerry's passing. I'm asking for 2 reasons. One, I'm just fascinated by the whole religous subculture. Second, I feel a strong pull to spin, but I never have, just looking for some guidance on the subject. Thanks so much for your reply. Henry
well, fronm my interactions, they seemed quite cult-like. Sort of like the Twelve Tribes messianics. THey did start the patchwork revival on tour, but they could be so self-righteous about their modesty, non-consumption, their sexually-rigid community (women's work and men's work...and most was women's) for the basis on spinning, look to Sufi thought. the practicioners are dervish/ whirling dervish depending on the source. A couple of the Deaf Heads also spun in the halls, mostly in the FM transmission years. it looks like your contact is Libby in the comments: she took the pix and was curious how the blogger knew they were from the church in Santa Cruz. I think I did see some at String Cheese 12-30-98, now that I think about it (I was in the camera pit)
