Phish: Has the scene been corrupted?

Compared to smaller festivals there were some assholes at Phish last year, but the kind people usually drown them out. I saw a few arguments and small fights, and sometime it resembled a frat house type atmosphere, but no surprise because in alot of cases, you had one hardcore Phish fan that brought all their college buddies.

The more popular and more mainstream the band, the more assholes. Just look at the 90's woodstocks, women were abused there was violence, vandalism. I mean people should boycott water that is $2.50 but I don't think they should set the vending stands on fire.

As Phish gets more popular, the more assholes come in, I think Phish realizes they are getting almost too big, and the scene is being corrupted. I only wish I could have been on the scene in the early 90's. I believe this is why they are ending Phish at a time where they still have some momentum, yet things almost beyond their control are changing the scene.

 

A lot of people nowadays aren't going to the Phish shows for the music, their going for the drugs. To my understanding this started to happen long before last year and your right, it does deeply damage the vibe. Though I've seen a lot of people at the Dead shows who aren't exactly the epitome of Peace. I think it's just the bigger the band, the more people (sometime the wrong people) come to the shows.

 

I felt that way about The Dead. Last year I went to The Dead and everyone was all chill and cool. This year I went up north and everyone was all about "Let's not get to know you, let's just ask you for stuff." I had one guy ask me for a nuggie cause he didn't have any... Didn't even say hi just said "Do you have a nuggie for the ride?"

 

For me going to see live music is almost like a spiritual ritual. I can get high, just off of dancing and the music. The drugs are a side thing for me. It is hard to find a scene that has a great spiritual type atmosphere. I find Medeski shows are pretty good for that. There are alot of obnoxious drunks at the dead shows lately, even some at Darkstar. The Gathering of the Vibes is usually a good atmosphere because the bands aren't too big named. I'm at the point where I expect the scene to be better if the bands are less popular.

 

Rob, I tottaly understand what your saying. At my first SCI show I had a spiritual experience and it changed my life. I don't use drugs anymore but I definitelly get high on the music, dancing, and (usually) the kind vibe. Do you usually go to the Vibes? I went the past two years and I had a great time.

 

Yes I did. This year was pretty good, but 2003 was really really great for some reason. Good vibes there. Then alittle while after I went to "IT", and it was mixed vibes but still had a blast. Where in New York are you from?

 

Im near Rochester. It takes about 4 hours to get to the vibes. Yea 2003 was really cool, great line-up too.

 

Hi all! What is the Vibes? Just from reading your posts, I know that we all similarly approach music. My first SCI show was also a very spiritual experience, I've never been to a Phish show, or a Dead show, but before I moved up here, the local music secene where I was from was my outlet for spiritual energy. I'm new to New England, and I'm searching to find some wayto experience music the way I did back home. I too nderstand how the drugs can corrupt the music scene. It seems almost as if the respect for musicians, and their art is drownwed in a need to get as messed up as possible.

 

Flutterby, go to:http://www.gatheringofthevibes.com for more info.

It's a pretty great festival, not as crazy as the big ones like Bonnaroo, and Phish.

Also, there is an Alternative Energy festival in Randolf, VT looks pretty good:http://www.highergroundmusic.com/vaef/

I'm definately going, maybe we can meet there you sound interesting

 

I hear ya man. I went to see phish last night, and i saw The Dead on the 7th, and at each show there were big crowds of loud, drunken, assholes. They were all yelling and screaming, and I was tripping very hard on shrooms, so my emotions were very strong, and it made me very sad that these people were around me, and i just wanted to listen to the music in peace and groove to it, but i had all these drunken people falling all over me and screaming louder then the music, it makes me sad because I don't want people thinking about the phish scene and thinking of loud, drunkards, I want them to think of peaceful, united people, who all love eachother.

Peace and Love,
Dan

 

Well, well, well, I' very impressed! I've only been here for two weeks, and things are starting to make sense. you went to the vibes this year right? How was it? It sounds like something I would have loved to experienced.. The festival in vermont.... I would love to go, but I don't have transportation yet. I moved up here to be with my best friend from High School. I'm livivng with her and her husband and their children, so they take me where I need to go . We'll see what happens though, I still have some time to figure somethig out. Thanks for sharing! If I don't make it to Randolf, (which i'm hoping that I do) I'm going to try to make it up to Quebec for the International Rainbow Gathering, You should check that out. Have you ever been to a rainbow gathering? I haven't but, would love to.
http://groups.msn.com/OntarioRainbowFamily/summergatheringinfo.msnw
http://cf.groups.yahoo.com/group/kwebekwecaravan

 

To tell the truth, I found there to be more craziness at Phish not the Dead. It probably was because it was close to the last show. But i think even in my mental state, I was able to navigate away from people I didnt want to be near, and I just made sure that I was being as nice as I possibly could to everyone, to counteract those who were possibly being inconsiderate.
We should count ourselves lucky that we can experience the relative peace that we do at these kinds of shows and do not have to deal with crowds at others shows like mainstream metal and pop, I used to work for the Tweeter center taking tickets, and Phish, the Dead(and all variants), and Jimmy Buffett(surprisingly) were always the most fun shows to work, because the had some of the best people. Intresting, fun and somewhat calm and respectful.

 

Nice set duckandmiss. I'd like to hop on that.

 

If I had a nickel for every time I heard that...

Trey told Charlie Rose that his one main regret was that the party had become more important than the music. -true dat.

 

i just read the article that had a trey anastasio interview in it in guitar magazine and it really explained a lot of how i've felt about phish ---

my first phish shows were in 2000, and i was expecting something really great like the shows i'd heard on cds, and well, i thought they were utter crap. the band was just bored and hopped up on drugs, or so it seemed.

come to find out, well that's pretty much true!

anyway the article made me like trey at least a little bit more than i did (because at least he could be honest and say that they'd gone down hill tremendously, not just in the last little bit, but since like 5 years ago)... and i'd say the fans kinda do what the band does - trying to keep the buzz alive when the buzz has left the music.

check the article out if you get a chance, it's in the october issue. very good.

and yeah, shows dominated by drugs and alcohol just suck all around. but it happens, we've just got to enjoy what we can, when we can i guess.

 

Thanks, she is great, but shes no slut, so sorry haha.

I agree with the buzz in the music part, they didnt really seem as into it anymore as they first did.
All I feel we can do is try not to be the people we dislike at shows. I try to be as nice as possible.
Also, I would like to say that Im there just for the music, and when I am at the show and watching the band thats what I am there for, but you have to understand that sometimes the only place to gets some of these drugs is at these shows. I dont see acid until the summer starts and the shows come around. I feel I am an exception to the rule, because I usually dont take anything at shows I horde it for later, or I use something to enhance my listening enjoyment. I flat out dont drink at shows, thats not how I want to feel there.
Anyway, despite these things I still enjoyed myself at the Phish show in Camden on Thursday. Heh, after the show, we found a whole box of Les Claypoole stickers that a street team was supposed to hand out and dumped in a bush, we took handfuls of them and started giving them out to people. Most people were brushing us off until they realized we said Free Les Claypoole Sticker, then they usually turned around and took one.

 

I totally agree, thats why the Grateful Dead stopped touring for a while...sad how assholes you are just goin for drugs fuckes it up for us, the music and atmosphere lovers. And i like the drugs to, but thats not why i go...

 

NAMASTE

One thing that i have seen as the years gone by and many shows later that people few years ago went for the music or to be with family and share in the vibe.For me and others Dead tour was spiritual and positive one.
Yes there were some freaky things that went down but all in all it was a very high vibe.Now what i see is less people who feel that way and are there just for the party or to make some fast cash.One thing is going on more and more is the smaller shows that seem to keep the spirit alive.More positive energy and less bad energy from what i have seen.I agree with you all.All you can do is do your part and spread good vibes were ever and any show you go to.With more people who do this you can make a great change.

 

Personally, I started seeing this change back in the late 90's. I basically stopped going to phish shows after 98. I had seen them about 70 times prior to that. I prefer smaller shows these days by bands that kinda fly under the radar screen and just keep it centered around the music. ekoostik hookah is probably my favorite band to see live now for this very reason. Likewise, if I had to choose between a giant festival like bonaroo or a smaller one, like those held at Sunshine Daydream, I'll pick the smaller event everytime.

 

my friends and i were discussing this at the dead shows the other day. i actually had some lady pull a knife on a guy near my car in the lots... were just trying to vend and have a good time and someone almost got stabbed. i saw three fights... all the kind folk i met cancelled it out, if not beat out the violence and bad vibes, but it was just.. well it wasnt cool.



im glad to hear vibes is still good- the fest that my friends and i usaully hit up are no more due to 3 deaths there this spring. were planning on hitting vibes up next year (ive wanted to the last two years but never got shit together to do so.

for me concerts and fests are about the music... im one of the weirdos who dances around for myself. the music starts and (if its good tunes) im in a zone. im dancing for myself, i cant help but groove to the tunes. the lots or the non music parts of the fests are about meeting like minded kind folk, theres all sorts of interesting people at these things. all differnt backrounds, people from all over the world, all united by music. to me thats an amazing, beautiful thing. thats all its about. its not about how much you can sell or money or whatnot. Its about the music and the unity. The one-ness and the love. thats it.

so as much as some people can be a bit of a downer, theyre not ruining this part of my life for me. Fuck it. I'll keep touring and festing.