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This Grateful Dead show is legendary!
What began as a scheduling mishap became one of the most unique nights in Grateful Dead history. After rain canceled planned French dates, the band unexpectedly found themselves in Amsterdam and agreed to play a surprise “Oops!” concert at the intimate Melkweg club. Using borrowed instruments and playing to a lucky crowd of fans who could hardly believe their good fortune, the Dead delivered a performance unlike any other.
The evening wasBob Weir’s 34th birthday, and the celebration runs throughout the show.
The show starts with the audience singing “Happy Birthday” to Bobby, creating a warm, family-like atmosphere.
The first set is acoustic, featuring favorites such asOn The Road Again,Dire Wolf,Bird Song, andRipple. The second set shifts into electric mode and quickly enters the history books.
Highlights include:
•The only performance ever of “Hully Gully.”
•The first “Gloria” since 1968.
•Bob Weir’s first-ever performance of “Turn On Your Lovelight,”and the first version by the Grateful Dead since the passing of Pigpen nearly nine years earlier.
• A rare, intimate club setting with the band performing on borrowed equipment.
• One of the most unusual and charming “accidental” concerts of the entire Grateful Dead era.
It’s part Birthday party, part surprise gig, part historical curiosity, and entirely Grateful Dead, the Melkweg show captures the band at their most spontaneous and adventurous. For longtime Deadheads and newcomers alike, this remarkable evening stands as one of the hidden gems of 1981.
🌹💀🎂
* Soundboard issues on On The Road Again. Bobby’s mic drops out at first..
** Playin In The Band fades in due to missing 50 seconds because of a reel change.
