Sunday, 10 July 2011
Saturday, 2 July 2011
Mansfield 2004 - my show #2
So.... I was having so much fun in Philly, Camden, Merriweather & DC that I never finished blogging my last trip.... but here's my quick Phish.net post of the 2004 Mansfield night one:
.................................................................................................................................................
10 August 2004 - Tweeter Centre (Great Woods), Mansfield, Mass
This was my 2nd Phish show. My first was at the Royal Albert Hall in London and that's what changed things for me from quite interested... enjoying the compilation tape my mate had done for me about 6 months before that was starting to be in regular rotation in my car... to full-on 'this band is absolutely fascinating and I want to know and hear more'. I signed up for the Schvice that night and would look longingly when they arrived in the post at the tour dates - wondering when the next UK tour would be. I didn't realise that any shows outside the US were rare even then and were soon to become non-existent. So by 2004 I was getting desperate and, realising I had to somehow get to America to make it happen, the planets came into alignment and it turned out I had to make a business trip to Rhode Island in August. I paid way too much money on ebay for a couple of tickets and then worried for weeks that they wouldn't get to the UK in time before I had to fly out to Boston.
But everything went perfectly to plan and there I was on a Tuesday afternoon in August driving into a Phish lot for the first time. What an experience. I had no prior knowledge of the lot scene or Shakedown Street and I was blown away by it all. I just felt immediately comfortable (apart from the heat which I was really not used to) and at home with like-minded people. I bought some nice-looking chocolate brownies and spent the afternoon in a pleasant semi-daze, wandering round and round the lot thrilled at all the crazy and cool sights and the endless stream of cars full of happy people being slowly marshalled in.
Eventually it was showtime and I passed on my spare ticket for a fraction of what it cost me to someone who didn't even want to go in the pav - I hadn't realised that anyone would actually prefer to be on the lawn. In fact the idea of 'the lawn' was completely alien to me. There are no venues in the UK remotely like the pavilions that Phish play on Summer Tour.
My recollection of the show was that I was so excited in the first set - thrilled that they started with an extended Bag, played PYITE 3rd song in, and all in all dropped a nice first set which seemed to be over in a flash.
Set break gave a breath of fresh air and I queued to get a nice Mansfield shirt then watched everyone milling round meeting up with their friends and sharing thoughts on what would be in Set 2. Back in my (good, Page-side, halfway down) seat I chatted with the people next to me who had heard my accent and were amazed that someone had flown from the UK for the gig. I was super-thrilled and touched that they shared their bowl with me which only further convinced me that this whole experience was like if I'd imagined what my perfect gig experience could be and here it was - band, music, atmosphere, people, lights, vibe everything....
Set 2 started how I expected a Phish gig to be - Mike's Groove into some laid back jamming and then for me halfway through it all went a bit flat. I wasn't familiar with Makisupa at the time and have always had a bit of a thing against white boy reggae (I'm over it Phish-wise btw), Dog Faced Boy was ok but Friday really bummed me and as much as I liked Hood I felt a bit 'is that it?' as Set 2 ended.
Was very happy that Possum was the encore but all too soon it was back to the car and one of the longest waits I've ever had to get out of a car park. Plenty of time to reflect on an amazing day and how pleased I was with myself and how I'd made it happen.
Next day I had to get back to Boston for my flight back to the UK and kept thinking why hadn't I swapped my spare ticket for one for the second night - surely I could have changed my flight and taken an extra day off work? - but that was it, 2 more shows, then Coventry, then the end and I would never get to see Phish again.
Listening back to the show now, Set 1 is still very good and a 6 song first set is pretty unusual (especially from a 2011 perspective). Set 2 has its moments but I still get a bit bummed by Friday and Trey is clearly not fully on his game at various points in the show. All the same, this show brings back very special memories for me and proved that if you want it enough a little travelling shouldn't get in the way. I'm now up to 13 more shows in 3.0 so have a different warmer perspective on everything... and I love Phish, every day.
.................................................................................................................................................
10 August 2004 - Tweeter Centre (Great Woods), Mansfield, Mass
This was my 2nd Phish show. My first was at the Royal Albert Hall in London and that's what changed things for me from quite interested... enjoying the compilation tape my mate had done for me about 6 months before that was starting to be in regular rotation in my car... to full-on 'this band is absolutely fascinating and I want to know and hear more'. I signed up for the Schvice that night and would look longingly when they arrived in the post at the tour dates - wondering when the next UK tour would be. I didn't realise that any shows outside the US were rare even then and were soon to become non-existent. So by 2004 I was getting desperate and, realising I had to somehow get to America to make it happen, the planets came into alignment and it turned out I had to make a business trip to Rhode Island in August. I paid way too much money on ebay for a couple of tickets and then worried for weeks that they wouldn't get to the UK in time before I had to fly out to Boston.
But everything went perfectly to plan and there I was on a Tuesday afternoon in August driving into a Phish lot for the first time. What an experience. I had no prior knowledge of the lot scene or Shakedown Street and I was blown away by it all. I just felt immediately comfortable (apart from the heat which I was really not used to) and at home with like-minded people. I bought some nice-looking chocolate brownies and spent the afternoon in a pleasant semi-daze, wandering round and round the lot thrilled at all the crazy and cool sights and the endless stream of cars full of happy people being slowly marshalled in.
Eventually it was showtime and I passed on my spare ticket for a fraction of what it cost me to someone who didn't even want to go in the pav - I hadn't realised that anyone would actually prefer to be on the lawn. In fact the idea of 'the lawn' was completely alien to me. There are no venues in the UK remotely like the pavilions that Phish play on Summer Tour.
My recollection of the show was that I was so excited in the first set - thrilled that they started with an extended Bag, played PYITE 3rd song in, and all in all dropped a nice first set which seemed to be over in a flash.
Set break gave a breath of fresh air and I queued to get a nice Mansfield shirt then watched everyone milling round meeting up with their friends and sharing thoughts on what would be in Set 2. Back in my (good, Page-side, halfway down) seat I chatted with the people next to me who had heard my accent and were amazed that someone had flown from the UK for the gig. I was super-thrilled and touched that they shared their bowl with me which only further convinced me that this whole experience was like if I'd imagined what my perfect gig experience could be and here it was - band, music, atmosphere, people, lights, vibe everything....
Set 2 started how I expected a Phish gig to be - Mike's Groove into some laid back jamming and then for me halfway through it all went a bit flat. I wasn't familiar with Makisupa at the time and have always had a bit of a thing against white boy reggae (I'm over it Phish-wise btw), Dog Faced Boy was ok but Friday really bummed me and as much as I liked Hood I felt a bit 'is that it?' as Set 2 ended.
Was very happy that Possum was the encore but all too soon it was back to the car and one of the longest waits I've ever had to get out of a car park. Plenty of time to reflect on an amazing day and how pleased I was with myself and how I'd made it happen.
Next day I had to get back to Boston for my flight back to the UK and kept thinking why hadn't I swapped my spare ticket for one for the second night - surely I could have changed my flight and taken an extra day off work? - but that was it, 2 more shows, then Coventry, then the end and I would never get to see Phish again.
Listening back to the show now, Set 1 is still very good and a 6 song first set is pretty unusual (especially from a 2011 perspective). Set 2 has its moments but I still get a bit bummed by Friday and Trey is clearly not fully on his game at various points in the show. All the same, this show brings back very special memories for me and proved that if you want it enough a little travelling shouldn't get in the way. I'm now up to 13 more shows in 3.0 so have a different warmer perspective on everything... and I love Phish, every day.
Friday, 10 June 2011
Somewhere in Delaware
Friday 10th June 2011
Time to shower and get moving. Leisurely 30 minute drive to Philadelphia and time to look around for a couple of hours before heading over to Camden about 2:00pm. Bring it on!
Woken up at 5 by big lorries outside running their engines. Got a headache. In one of those motel rooms you see in the movies. Delaware - funny state, funny shape, wonder how it came to be - must go and google that. First, check emails, phone home, and get some breakfast. Need to plan the day out - it's going to be a hot one and I'm going somewhere I've never been before. Phish are on fire this tour - 10 shows in, couple of new covers debuted (Led Zep 'No Quarter' and Al Green 'Rhymes') and one new original 'Steam', a 25-minute 'Down With Disease'/'A Love Supreme' at Clarkston, MI and excellent reviews all round.
Today it's Camden, NJ - spitting distance acress the river from downtown Philadelphia - a location the band have played 11 times before and known for always pulling out a special one.
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| Camden Susquehanna Bank Center |
Thursday 9th June 2011
London - Washington DC - Newark, DE
Unfortunately it was then slow slow progress round the 'Beltway' - like the M25 on a bad day - and then more of the same once through the Baltimore tunnel... but it doesn't seem so bad when you're in an american car and taking in the sights - the cars, the scenery, the evocative road signs: Rockville, Frederick, Baltimore... song titles everywhere... but I had Chapter 3 of Hal Masa's Summer Mix 
http://phishcoventry.blogspot.com/2010/08/you-enjoy-my-summer-2010-mix-by-hal.html to keep me company ..... 
Virgin Atlantic 11:15 flight to DC... pretty uneventful (which is always a good thing) - in economy, but paid the extra £30 for an 'extra legroom' seat, which is very worth it and I had noone sat next to me so plenty of room to stretch out. Read the paper, read some magazines, did some work til the laptop battery ran out, eat the slightly dodgy food, watched the first 2 episodes of 'The Trip' again, dozed off for a bit, watched 'Cedar Rapids' http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cedar_rapids_2010/ (perfect inflight film) and read a few chapters of 'Moonraker' and there we were, making a bumpy landing at Washington Dulles right on time at 14:30. They have these funny buses to take you from the plane to the terminal that they call 'mobile lounges'.... yeh, right.... but what a different experience to last time when I waited in line for 90 minutes at immigration. This time straight through - apart from a particularly sullen 'Homeland Security' grilling - and I was driving out of the car rental by 15:30 in one of these...
Unfortunately it was then slow slow progress round the 'Beltway' - like the M25 on a bad day - and then more of the same once through the Baltimore tunnel... but it doesn't seem so bad when you're in an american car and taking in the sights - the cars, the scenery, the evocative road signs: Rockville, Frederick, Baltimore... song titles everywhere... but I had Chapter 3 of Hal Masa's Summer Mix
http://phishcoventry.blogspot.com/2010/08/you-enjoy-my-summer-2010-mix-by-hal.html to keep me company ..... and then halfway up the I95 I realised I was driving on Joppa Road which completely made my day.
Oh, and it was hellish hot
So anyway, three and a half hours later, after getting a bit lost and stopping for a Beef Brisket dinner at Boston Farmer's Market (?) I finally made it to Newark Days Inn which seems OK for a £40 a night stay. The air was soooo hot. It hits you when you get out of the air-conditioned car... a heat you don't feel in the UK. Checked in, then a quick drive round the corner to pick up some water and a small bottle of wine and the sky suddenly got dark and the air got very close and I just got back in my room before it absolutely pissed down. Glad I wasn't driving in that, and pleased the temperature's dropped immediately and I can turn the noisy AC off...... very tired now, that's it for tonight...
Thursday, 9 June 2011
Summer 2011 Phish mini-tour
So here's the plan...
- Thursday 9th June - fly LHR to Washington Dulles - pick up hire car and drive to hotel near Newark, Delaware
- Friday 10th June - drive into Philadelphia and look around - check into hotel - get over to Camden Susquehanna Center for the Lot and the Show
- Saturday 11th June - drive down to Baltimore - check into hotel - get over to Merriweather for the Lot and the Show
- Sunday 12th June - drive back to Washington Dulles, with maybe some sight-seeing on the way - evening flight back to London arriving early Monday morning
Last night's set from Darien Lake looks fascinating, can't wait to hear it. They are raging so far on this tour. Day off today - wonder what they have in store for tomorrow night. Camden shows are known for being consistently good....
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