In September of 1978, the Grateful Lifeless traveled to Egypt and performed three exhibits at the Nice Pyramid of Giza, with the Nice Sphinx looking over their shoulders. It wasn’t the primary time a rock band performed in an historic setting. Pink Floyd perfashioned songs within the middle of the Amphitheatre of Pompeii in October 1971. However Floyd perfashioned to an “empty” home, playing to no stay followers, solely ghosts. (Watch footage right here.) The Lifeless’s exhibits, on the other hand, had been actual gigs, attended by Lifelessheads who made the journey over, and so they may thank Phil Lesh for placing all of it in movement. Lesh later mentioned, “it form of grew to become my undertaking as a result of I used to be one of many first people within the band who was on the journey of playing at locations of power. You recognize, power that’s been preserved from the traditional world. The pyramids are just like the obvious number one alternative as a result of no matter what anyone thinks they may be, there’s definitely some sort of mojo concerning the pyramids.”
Logistically communicateing, the concerts weren’t the easiest to stage. Rolling Stone reported that an “equipment truck obtained caught in sand and needed to be towed by camels.” As a result of the electricity in Egypt was an “a winkin’, blinkin’ affair,” Bob Weir later recalled, the jetlagged band had difficulties fileing the primary of the three exhibits. However, as with most adventures, the inconveniences had been offset by the gaineddrous nature of the experience.
Weir captured it properly when he mentioned: “I obtained to a degree the place the top of the Sphinx was lined up with the highest of the Nice Pyramid, all lit up. All of a sudden, I went to this timemuch less place. The sounds from the stage — they might have been from any time. It was as if I went into eternity.” The Sphinx and Nice Pyramid date again to toughly 2560 BC.
The Lifeless had been joined on this journey by the counterculture writer Ken Kesey (to not malestion Invoice Graham and Invoice Walton) who apparently captured footage on Tremendous‑8 reels. (Watch it above.) Kesey himself later tried to clarify the symbolism of the visit, saying: “The people who had been there recognized this as a respectful and holy occasion that went again to somefactor we are able to all simply nakedly glimpse, them and us each. Our relationship to historic people. To this place on the planet. To the planet’s place within the universe. All that cosmic stuff is what the Lifeless are based mostly on. The Egyptians may beneathstand that.”
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On the very prime of the put up, you may see the Lifeless pertypeing “Ollin Arageed,” with Egyptian oudist Hamza el-Din and other native musicians, earlier than seguing into “Hearth on the Mountain.” The clip provides you a great really feel for the awe-inspiring scene. Simply above, now we have an extended playlist of performances that occurred on September 16, 1978 — the identical night time there was a lunar eclipse. The complete 9/16/78 present might be streamed on Archive.org, as can the exhibits from 9/14 and 9/15. A 2CD/1 DVD package (Rocking the Cradle: Egypt 1978) captures the Lifeless’s visit and might be purchased on-line.
To get extra on the Pyramid concerts, learn Chapter 43 of Dennis McNally’s e-book, A Lengthy Unusual Journey: The Inside History of the Grateful Lifeless. And right here you may see Lifeless & Co’s homage to the Egypt adventure on the Sphere in Vegas. Take pleasure in.
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