10-31-80

[high time loser]

Does anyone know if a DVD exists of this mainly acoustic Grateful Dead set, at Radio City from 10-31-80?
It seems like there might be one because almost all of it is on youtube, and even though it is, I'd still like a real DVD of it if I can buy it.

By the way, the 'Little Sadie' is incredible and will make your ears drool.

[playingdead]

It was released commercially as "Dead Ahead" and can still be found out there. It's not the complete show, but outtakes are floating around, too. They also filmed the night before as a test run for the live simulcast that was in movie theaters around the country.

[KCJones]

Yeah, Dead Ahead is a good addition to anyones vidi collection. Although I still cringe, and often forgo watching/listening once I hear and/or remeber just how god awful Garcia's acoustic tone is. The loud fret buzzing and lack of any clear tone drives me nuts. Never could understand why he put up with that.

[Pete B.]

...They also filmed the night before as a test run for the live simulcast that was in movie theaters around the country.

Anyone have a link to footage of 10-30-80?... I was in attendance that evening and would love to re-view the festivities.

[playingdead]

Some of the footage on Dead Ahead is actually from the show on the 30th, not exactly sure which tracks, To Lay Me Down is definitely from the 30th as they didn't play it on the 31st ... but there is an "expanded version" that has some of the electric material from the 30th included ... Shakedown, Sampson, He's Gone and Truckin.

I saw some of those Radio City shows, what great memories. Garcia was, unfortunately, saddled with the acoustic technology at the time, which was an undersaddle piezo pickup on his Takamine ("fake" Martin) guitar. He had tried his Martin D-18 with a mic, but too much feedback resulted. I think they had a mic on the Takamine as well but most of what you hear is that buzzy piezo sound. Weir played an Ovation Balladeer, but he also tried a small Martin OM guitar with a FRAP pickup (Neil Young's classic tone), but got too much feedback as well.

It would be really interesting to take those raw tracks and remix them, running Garcia's and Weir's raw signals through an Aura preamp, or a Mama Bear, to get that acoustic tone back. It would sound SO much better. Great performances that whole tour on the acoustic sets.

[DenverEd]

5 of 8 outta that run for me.

Crazy NYC crowd each night.

[joethepainter]

Hey Guys, found this on the tube...

...seems to be legit...

Some of the footage on Dead Ahead is actually from the show on the 30th, not exactly sure which tracks, To Lay Me Down is definitely from the 30th as they didn't play it on the 31st ... but there is an "expanded version" that has some of the electric material from the 30th included ... Shakedown, Sampson, He's Gone and Truckin.

I saw some of those Radio City shows, what great memories. Garcia was, unfortunately, saddled with the acoustic technology at the time, which was an undersaddle piezo pickup on his Takamine ("fake" Martin) guitar. He had tried his Martin D-18 with a mic, but too much feedback resulted. I think they had a mic on the Takamine as well but most of what you hear is that buzzy piezo sound. Weir played an Ovation Balladeer, but he also tried a small Martin OM guitar with a FRAP pickup (Neil Young's classic tone), but got too much feedback as well.

It would be really interesting to take those raw tracks and remix them, running Garcia's and Weir's raw signals through an Aura preamp, or a Mama Bear, to get that acoustic tone back. It would sound SO much better. Great performances that whole tour on the acoustic sets.

...They also filmed the night before as a test run for the live simulcast that was in movie theaters around the country.

Anyone have a link to footage of 10-30-80?... I was in attendance that evening and would love to re-view the festivities.

[krzykat]

THE NIGHT BEFORE WAS MY 1ST SHOW!

[ebick]

It was released commercially as "Dead Ahead" and can still be found out there. It's not the complete show,

Dead Ahead is actually the vid accompanying the two releases of Reckoning and Dead Set. The acoustic portion is quite limited. From what I saw....

Bird Song
On The Road Again
To Lay Me Down
Ripple

And I think there's a bonus of Heaven Help The Fool.

[jdsmodulus]

I was looking through some boxes and I found a VHS realease that has alot more songs than the later version of these shows. Including skits with the band. If anybody wants a copy let me know!

[krzykat]

I was looking through some boxes and I found a VHS realease that has alot more songs than the later version of these shows. Including skits with the band. If anybody wants a copy let me know!

i would love a copy!

[jdsmodulus]

No problem pm me your addy!

[KCJones]

I think they had a mic on the Takamine as well but most of what you hear is that buzzy piezo sound.

If anything, the mic simply exaserbated the buzzing problem that was most likely not caused not by the piezo, but just a plane old crappy, yet probably intentional, set up on the guitar. Too low of action.

[tcsned]

I think they had a mic on the Takamine as well but most of what you hear is that buzzy piezo sound.

If anything, the mic simply exaserbated the buzzing problem that was most likely not caused not by the piezo, but just a plane old crappy, yet probably intentional, set up on the guitar. Too low of action.

Yep, piezo is responsible for the rubbery tone not the the fret buzz. I think it was an attempt to get the acoustic to play closer to his electric so the transition between wouldn't be that bad. I've done a bunch of shows going back and forth between acoustic and electric and those first few minutes back on the electric I'm a little more ham-handed than usual till I get my touch back . . . as it is. I keep my acoustic action medium/high so it's a lot stiffer than the electric, especially the Dell'Arte with the 26 1/2" scale neck.

[Charlie]

There are actually two versions of Dead Ahead out there. I bought it as soon as I saw it and a few years later my wife, not realising I already had it bought another copy for me. The good news was that her version had about an extra 50 minutes of bonus material that wasn't on the version I already had. The songs included Heaven Help the Fool, Shakedown Street, Samson and Delilah, He's Gone and Truckin'.

Highly recommend this DVD if you can get hold of it.