The Phish Thread

[Lammycat]

[Vacant Horizon]

Good. I can't think of a band with a more undeserved reputation than Phish. Keep him locked up.

 

well, it was fun while it lasted. just couldn't keep this thread civilized, could we?

[djembefola]

Did anyone else here check out gadiel's page?

(NP: 12/6/96)

 

andy g...you can catch him at your nearest Tea Leaf Green show...he has good taste.

[IRememberDBoon]

Good. I can't think of a band with a more undeserved reputation than Phish. Keep him locked up.

 

 

you sound really smart!!

[quarter23cd]

But is it their positive reputation or their negative reputation that is undeserved?

[mfwahl]

I love phish, haven't listened to them for a while, but back in the mid to late 90s I spent every cent I had on going to their shows. The only problem I have with them is all the shitty bands they influenced. Hope Trey gets better and would love to see a reunion at some point.

[bjorn_skurj]

Ex-Phish frontman gets reduced sentence for drug charges

 

The Associated Press

 

FORT EDWARD

[Lammycat]

Good for him. Nice to see that the efforts were rewarded.

[lamradio]

Awesome. Now give us that Phish tour.

[wilcoheaven]

Congrats Trey!! I agree on the Phish tour. I personally never got to see them live, and would love a chance to see them....finally!

[lamradio]

Congrats Trey!! I agree on the Phish tour. I personally never got to see them live, and would love a chance to see them....finally!

 

Me too.. Although that's probably just Wishful Thinking.

[mountain bed]

Me too.. Although that's probably just Wishful Thinking.

I agree, but that's definitely a dangerous situation to go back into this soon. It wasn't just Trey who was having problems - the whole scene backstage was pretty rough (from what I've read).

[Moe_Syzlak]

I spent a lot of time backstage at Phish shows from the late '80s all the way to the end. There is no doubt it got out of control. In the '90s they had a BACK backstage that was more private, but they got rid of that post-hiatus. Don't know why. BUT, I rarely saw Trey backstage post-hiatus anyway. I think part of it was a lot of us dropped in on the tour as it got closer to us and, due to lives and jobs and such, took the opportunity to let loose like we were still in college. They got that every night from a LOT of people. They ALWAYS partied though (although I'm guessing heroin was relatively recent development -- I never saw it). I think the decline musically was more due to not caring as much than it was to drugs. The drugs exacerbated the problem no doubt, but when Trey was really COMMITTED to that band, he was a machine and NOTHING was going to get in the way. At any rate, I'm glad to see him get better. He is a genuinely good guy. They all are. I'm sure I'd still go see them if they reunited, but I don't think they'll ever recapture the magic unless they commit to practicing 8 hours per day again. And I don''t think they want to do that.

[Analogman]

They ALWAYS partied though (although I'm guessing heroin was relatively recent development -- I never saw it).

 

When people are sticking needles in their arm, they usually do not want others to see it, and/or they are past the point of most unnecessary human contact.

 

He looked in pretty good shape at the Jammys - good for him - now the real work begins.

[Moe_Syzlak]

When people are sticking needles in their arm, they usually do not want others to see it, and/or they are past the point of most unnecessary human contact.

Yeah, I get that. But you still know...ya know. People disappearing when you expect to see them and a general look about them. I've experienced it with friends. Friends who have died. I am just saying I saw all sorts of drugs (some what would be termed "heavy") dating all the way back, but never saw any of the common signs of heroin.

[Analogman]

Yeah, I get that. But you still know...ya know. People disappearing when you expect to see them and a general look about them. I've experienced it with friends. Friends who have died. I am just saying I saw all sorts of drugs (some what would be termed "heavy") dating all the way back, but never saw any of the common signs of heroin.

 

Good point. Could have been later then - as you say. The good thing is, he is (so far) not another dead rock star story.

[darkstar]

When people are sticking needles in their arm, they usually do not want others to see it, and/or they are past the point of most unnecessary human contact.

 

He looked in pretty good shape at the Jammys - good for him - now the real work begins.

 

 

Good point A-Man......Heroin is a "solo" drug. Most people get into it to withdraw from everything (no pun intended). I was lucky I got to see them a lot back in the days when they were playing bars and such ( I went to college in Vermont in the mid 80's) Dunno if I'd see 'em again if there was some kind of reunion but I am glad to hear he's cleaned up his act.

[Atticus]

I'm so pleased by this news

 

break the cliche

[mountain bed]

I spent a lot of time backstage at Phish shows from the late '80s all the way to the end. There is no doubt it got out of control. In the '90s they had a BACK backstage that was more private, but they got rid of that post-hiatus. Don't know why. BUT, I rarely saw Trey backstage post-hiatus anyway. I think part of it was a lot of us dropped in on the tour as it got closer to us and, due to lives and jobs and such, took the opportunity to let loose like we were still in college. They got that every night from a LOT of people. They ALWAYS partied though (although I'm guessing heroin was relatively recent development -- I never saw it). I think the decline musically was more due to not caring as much than it was to drugs. The drugs exacerbated the problem no doubt, but when Trey was really COMMITTED to that band, he was a machine and NOTHING was going to get in the way. At any rate, I'm glad to see him get better. He is a genuinely good guy. They all are. I'm sure I'd still go see them if they reunited, but I don't think they'll ever recapture the magic unless they commit to practicing 8 hours per day again. And I don''t think they want to do that.

Moe, I would really like to sit down and have a beer with you sometime. I thoroughly enjoyed this post.

[MattZ]

when Trey was really COMMITTED to that band, he was a machine and NOTHING was going to get in the way. At any rate, I'm glad to see him get better. He is a genuinely good guy. They all are. I'm sure I'd still go see them if they reunited, but I don't think they'll ever recapture the magic unless they commit to practicing 8 hours per day again. And I don''t think they want to do that.

 

Couldn't agree more... When they were clicking on all cylinders, and practicing 8 hrs a day, it was really something. It was hard to listen to some of their shows at the end. You could tell they were just going on fumes. I heard a guyute once that Trey just absolutely butchered. Never would have happened in their prime. It just sounded like the band was rusty.

 

And I agree. I have a sense that there is just something about being young, and excited and passionate, that drives you to get together with your 3 buddies every day to practice. I don't see them ever getting back to that point (although far be it from me to be offering opinions about what drives them). As much as I loved that band in their prime, I really hope they don't get back together to milk the good ol days. Phish was always bigger than the 4 of them -- a reunion for the wrong reasons would be hard for me to take. It would go against what the band means/meant to me.

 

(And as far as the scene backstage goes, I was pretty young and naive when I got into the band -- 95 were my first shows in college and I pretty much stopped in 00. Quality control went straight downhill after Big Cypress. I had no idea that there were hard drugs being passed around, but I always heard the rumors. I certainly never knew about heroin. Just curious -- where are people reading about this or hearing about it?)

[Analogman]

Speaking of early shows - someone has been putting shows they played at college parties up at bt.etree lately.

[MattZ]

speaking of going downhill, I assume most phans accept that the band started going downhill after '97? I am so out of the Phish loop these days, but that was my opinion at the time. Has that opinion survived? I remember those summer shows in '98 and everyone just shaking their heads... They then had their brief moments in 99 and they recaptured the magic on 12/30-31/99, but it was really never the same for me. Maybe I just changed...?

[jff]

I saw these guys several times during the Picture of Nectar/Rift/Hoist era and they were always great. I saw their (apparently) legendary Roxy show in Atlanta where "Gene Simmons" joined them onstage and Page dedicated "Lawn Boy" to his parents who were in attendance.

 

It's sad to hear that they went downhill. I remember reading about their unorthodox practice methods and finding them pretty inspiring. I really should have tried to rip off their ideas, but every band I was ever in either hated Phish and would be unwilling to try out their ideas, or was too undisciplined to try anything that seemed like an exercise.

 

Trey talks about their method for practicing improvisation (or "Including Your Own Hey") in this interview, about half way down:

 

http://www.phish.net/archives/interviews/1995/199506.html

 

Anyway, thanks for the update. Hopefully the rough times are over for all those guys.

[Analogman]

A good friend of mine use to follow them around - he was at a couple of those big festival shows they put on.

[mountain bed]

speaking of going downhill, I assume most phans accept that the band started going downhill after '97? I am so out of the Phish loop these days, but that was my opinion at the time. Has that opinion survived? I remember those summer shows in '98 and everyone just shaking their heads... They then had their brief moments in 99 and they recaptured the magic on 12/30-31/99, but it was really never the same for me. Maybe I just changed...?

In my opinion Matt the last great run was the Island Tour in April '98. I saw them later that summer and something definitely had changed. For one, all the covers that started to pop up were an indicator (to me) that the creativity and inspiration were starting to dry up. And in the jams there were many times where they just couldn't seem to turn the corner - they'd just cruise along, sometimes aimlessly. It was really sad to see.

 

There were exceptions of course post-hiatus (Star Lake 7/29/03 for sure), but I don't think it's a stretch to say they could have/ should have retired after BC.