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Kris Griffiths

One of Those Nights: The Ungrateful Dead

20/4/2019

12 Comments

 
Grateful Dead tribute

​We've all had one of those nights, be it a party or, in this case, a gig, where the whole affair is punctuated by a series of bizarre incidents, when you can't predict what else is going to happen but know that something definitely will, with alcohol usually the culprit. I had such a quintessential one of these last Saturday that I had to relate it in a blog post for posterity.

It all began with the suggestion from my 60s music-loving mate Pete that we go and see 'Cosmic Charlies' at Fiddler's Elbow in Camden, the band being "Europe's premier Grateful Dead tribute" est. 1988, and the venue a dive pub near Chalk Farm Station, in its own words "a classic, no-nonsense, retro live music venue".

What made this an attractive proposition is that Pete is a proper 'Deadhead', having seen the real deal a couple times in the 60s & 70s, and he rated the Charlies - had even bumped into fellow Deadheads at their shows who were at the same concerts fifty years ago. So for me, having listened to a lot of Grateful Dead over the years and knowing that it was more about the  'live experience' with them, this would be the closest I could get to it, surely.

After roping in mutual muso mate Gordon, 10 years older than me and 20 younger than Pete, and equally beguiled by the Dead's legacy, we assembled in nearby retro bar Joe's for pre-beers, ​where Pete primed us by waxing nostalgic on the quasi-religious communal experience of the Dead's often 7-hour sets, plus how he once climbed up the scaffolding tower at one of the big outdoor shows while off his face before remembering that he hated heights and couldn't work out how to get down. Tonight would have a lot to live up to.
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                                                                                                 Peter and Gordon - back in the day


​The gig venue was exactly how I'd envisioned it: rough and ready, walls emblazoned with vintage music posters and vinyl, battered Chesterfield sofa in the corner. After handing over the £10 door charge we were branded with a large brown stamp which made our hands look like they'd been badly scalded. When I asked at the bar what wine they had - "red or white mate" was the brusque reply, but it was Pete & Gord on the vino while I was pleased to find they sold the much more fitting Iron Maiden Trooper beer by the bottle.

We had fortuitously arrived just as the Charlies (*named after a song from the Dead's 1969 album Aoxomoxoa) were taking to the stage, and all were ready to go except lead guitarist and band leader ​Brian Kenneally, who was on his knees aggressively fiddling with his assemblage of effects pedals. This went on for some time, during which I couldn't help notice that the other, much younger guitarist had his pedals neatly arranged in a square box, all good to go, while Brian's were strewn around the floor, which surely had contributed to this late flurry of faffing. The tone of Brian's turbulent evening had been set. ​
​
Cosmic Charlies Fiddler Elbow
gig flyer featuring Brian
​At long last we had lift-off! And with the fourth-beer buzz kicking in I really got into this opening sequence of folky jam tracks, dancing at the front among some women who were clearly devout followers of the Charlies - hollering every lyric and over-enthusiastically applauding the start of each new song, while the band themselves looked like they were just going through the motions. This was to become a bone of contention with buddy Gordon, who disapproved of the absence of audience acknowledgment, something I personally didn't have an issue with because to me, as with jazz bands, it's more about the musicianship, and the Charlies' was so far collectively decent.

What I did have a slight issue with was the positioning of the keyboardist centre stage with a lyric/music sheet stand which he stared raptly at throughout, which not only looked uncool but obscured the view of the drummer. I was beginning to sense also that they wouldn’t be playing my favourite Dead tune – one of my all-time favourites of any artist – called Touch of Grey. Released in 1987, it was the band's only hit single: a paean to getting old, lyrics penned by their guitarist Robert Hunter (a descendant of Scottish poet Robert Burns), and one of my earliest music memories, from the late-80s MTV era when they actually played music videos (the band were memorably portrayed by skeletons in theirs). However I learnt decades later that most diehard Deadheads never took kindly to younger whippersnapper fans like myself who had bandwagonned on the back of Touch of Grey’s crossover success (we are known as 'Touchheads' to them).

To be fair, I can kind of empathise with their antipathy towards us Johnny-come-latelys, and so can only apologise for clambering aboard not long before frontman Jerry Garcia ungratefully snuffed in 1995. But for tonight in Camden 25 years later, I would've given anything to behold in my boozy haze the song being performed by this well-drilled tribute outfit.  When the intermission arrived and they came out to mingle I grabbed my chance.
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                                                                                                             Touch of Grey (1987)
​
​
​The bearded bassist looked the friendliest so I nabbed him as soon as he alighted from the stage. Annoyingly I had instant competition from one of the groupies so had to content with a three-way confab about the show so far before I slipped in the enquiry do they ever play Touch of Grey? Groupie chick upon hearing this widens her eyes, covers her mouth and steps back saying “I can’t believe you just asked that!”. This was obvs a heinous crime even in the tribute-act community. Thankfully the bassist responded a bit more gracefully, shooting a frown at drama queen before explaining that yes, they have played it before, but the main reason they wouldn’t tonight is that their new guitarist hadn’t yet learnt the chords.

Gladdened that this had been pre-discussed by the band, at odds with groupie's reaction, as of course they’d be playing not only to hardcore Deadheads but to some cheeky Touchheads too, I was still disappointed that new boy couldn't at least play along, them being a homage to the most famous improvisational jam band in history. 

I grabbed the keyboardist for a second opinion, asking the same question as if I hadn’t already just done so, and heard likewise - he’d love to play the song but the newbie hadn't yet nailed it. What’s newbie’s name out of interest? I asked. Awkward pause, then: “I’m really sorry but I can’t actually remember?”, with a look of cringe that he’d been defeated by this line of questioning. He then 'spotted' someone and hastened away.

Picture
Fiddler's Elbow - on another night

​Bemused by this exchange I go to find Pete & Gord, but can't see them anywhere. While rolling a cig in the smoking yard I hear raised voices on the street but think nothing of it. Moments later I get a text from Pete saying "outside!" so duly hasten outside to find a small crowd of punters on the pavement, including one of the Deadheads I'd earlier seen swaying blissfully to the band, but now in a state of angry agitation. Pete grabs me and fills me in: matey here had got into a hostile altercation inside with none other than Brian the band leader, over Brexit, with the pair having to be pulled apart, Brian bellowing "the EU are fascists!", before the fan was ejected by the bouncers.

​It's not clear how it began, or why exactly matey had copped it (I guess they couldn't throw out the band leader during the intermission). He had calmed down now though, and seemed happy enough that he'd had his £10 refunded. He invited us back to his flat in Finchley to "listen to some proper Dead and smoke some homegrown", but we politely declined. Of far greater interest now was how the Charlies' second set would unfold, after Brian's little political fracas. As Pete mused to me while we retook our positions, what the hell was the revivalist of a hippy institution doing screaming UKIP slogans outside his own gig venue?
Brexit protester
​Sure enough, when Brian returned to the stage he didn't look happy, and Gordon took the opportunity to point out how much he looks like Chief Vitalstatistix from the Asterix books, although I disagreed - he looked more like the angry fish-monger Unhygienix. To be fair to Brian though, he's a decent lead guitarist, and despite his ill-tempered countenance he got on with the job of skippering another jaunty folk-rock jam, the band then delivering some jazz-esque solo flourishes which Pete and I warmly received, however Gordon was no longer enjoying it. "This is shit," I heard him gripe over my shoulder, "let's go somewhere else".

And then the crowning moment of weirdness occurred: Brian just suddenly stopped playing mid-song and stormed offstage, past us lot and through a door into the back of the pub, while the flummoxed-looking band played on. And he was gone for ages, no one quite sure what was occurring - had he spotted another 'Remoaner' in the crowd? Or had he suffered a moment of crisis which I'm sure many tribute act members must experience while playing the same old covers to another heckling dive-pub rabble. ​

And I say 'heckling' because by this stage I'd reached sloshed-and-wanting-answers mode, exclaiming my displeasure at this development when the band had finished the track and still no sign of Brian - I'd paid my ten pounds by Jerry Garcia's beard. "Where's Brian!?" "Release Brian!" "I demand a pro-rata refund!". Pete was now telling me to pipe down, while Gordon implored me not to encourage him back because the band sounded better without him? That was beside the point to me - if James Hetfield just randomly bailed mid-gig you would rightly feel a bit short-changed.
Unhygienix the fishmonger
Unhygienix the fishmonger
At long last Brian finally re-emerged, explaining on the mic that he'd managed to snap a couple of strings mid-song, which I found hard to believe as he was only playing delicate lead licks not windmilling power-chords. And even so, an improv guitarist should work around a string breakage until at least the end of the song. I didn't buy it. It was all really weird and unprofessional.

The rest of the performance went to pot after that to my ears, with bum notes, a drop in tempo, and Brian looking even more like he just wanted to get home to his Daily Mail. The night had also got to that messy, desultory stage where we'd wander off separately then lose each other; at one point I found Gordon in the rear bar area but we were then accosted by a yammering twenty-something in late-stage stimulant frenzy, who followed us into the smoking yard doing maniacal "Get to the chopper!" Arnie impressions, then Pete unwittingly opened the door and was immediately set upon.

​It was swiftly decided to call time on this psychedelic extravaganza, instigator Pete the first out, Gordon and I following shortly afterwards but boarding the wrong tube going in the wrong direction, only realising four stops later. Amazing what nights like these can do to intelligent men's brains. I woke the next morning on his living room floor with a killer headache and ashtray mouth so rank that I this week took the plunge and bought my first vaper, report to follow. 

So just to conclude, should anyone from Cosmic Charlies happen to read this: if you play Touch of Grey at your next London gig, all will be forgiven. I'd be happy to sing and/or play guitar if your mysterious new lad still hasn't nailed the chords. And if Brian wants to belligerently discuss the merits of leaving the EU again during the intermission, tell him not to be such a knobhead. At least wait until after the show so he can receive the ejection he deserves.


*POSTSCRIPT: By sad coincidence, Robert Hunter - writer of Touch of Grey - died three months after this blog post.

​Also, a former member of the band has got in touch below, in the comments section. Apparently this gig turned out to be the Cosmic Charlies' last! I can't say I'm particularly surprised.

12 Comments
Tom
23/12/2019 02:24:37 pm

Hi Kris

I just found your blog post after it popped up in a totally unrelated google search! Thank you so much for your write-up of what turned out to be the last ever Cosmic Charlies gig! I nearly split my sides laughing!

You should have been at the Fiddler's Elbow in December 2015 when I made my one and only guest appearance with the Charlies playing pedal steel guitar and we actually played Touch of Grey!

December 2015 was a similar night of surreal hilarity. Thankfully, that was pre-Brexit!!! I keep telling Terry (a remainer), who was their keyboardist, that the continuous stream of bizarre incidents of that night would make a great comedy film as we both recount our favourite episodes of that night with much laughter! I must commit it to paper...

Thanks again, you made my evening! LOL!

Reply
Karl Mee
23/12/2019 03:17:01 pm

It was crazy night....
The Road Crew.

Reply
PETER ROBERTSON
3/1/2020 08:40:46 am

hi kris. i was there and had brought a friend of 30 years whom i had been telling all the way (he was staying with me up from devon and also has a touch of autism) how great they were. i had been going to their shows for 30 years and had even made a live concert film of them play glastonbury in 1992 (it also had an hour of footage of the whole festival and the crazy stall i was running with my girlfriend which brian always refused to return. when i took it to him at some even more grusome venue they used to play in depford area to see and he still charged me a tenner, in fact i never got a cent off even after following them all that time ) anyway. this night was atypical as their performance was dreadful from the start. the keyboard was new too and was consistently totaly out of time and they let him sing, which he couldnt.. it was so bad that at half time i could take no more. i went and asked for my money back. his son very aggressively demanded to know why and i said your all over the place which he vehemently denied but very grudgingly did return my friends and my tenner grunting (as i say after attending their shows for 30 years) AND NEVER COME BACK ! my friend mimiking arnie said 'we'll be back' and i said no we wont and at that moment i realised that the charlies were done. i knew wild horses wouldnt get me back in there after years of brian managing just a grunt of recognism every time i saw them and after that performance i couldnt bear to hear my beloved dead sounding like a cat being strangled in an irregular way. and i noticed there were none of the old regulars there either. i actually felt relieved that i would never have to drag myself out on cold dark wet nights to obscure and horrible places to be at best ignored when i said hello.
as i say i knew it was over. at least i got my last tenner back and he can keep the tape as he was never going to return it anyway.
he was at times brilliant and i had some great evenings dancing and singing to the good old greatful dead but now it had become just sad and bad natured. only 2 weeks later my son in law took myself and an ex to see THE GRATEFUL DUDES whom i had never heard of before and who were excellent. ) they describe themselves as EUROPES best dead cover band. they play the half moon in putney which is a much nicer venue and they are not autistic. i only ran into your blog just now as i was checking to see if they were still on the go but i already new inside that they were dead. dont know if you will see this but i thought it might amuse you to hear. oh yes and as i was leaving he said youve never done this before and i said well neither have you. he says are you on drugs ? and i said no. thats maybe the problem i never noticed how bad you were before. rip charlies.

Reply
Terry Keen
4/1/2020 01:20:38 pm

The encore of the last Cosmic Charlies gig was actually Touch of Grey, which I did sing (but as it was I who sang it, maybe Peter Robinson.will be very pleased that he didn't witness it!).

The keyboardist of the band was new? News to me as my first gig with the band was in October 2003 and I had been in the band as a permanent member since 2007. I also take umbrage with the fact that my playing was consistently out of time and my singing was atrocious.

Never mind the singing point, if my playing was always out of time, why has nobody told me that before, in all the bands that I have been in and are currently in?

Oh, I now remember what the rhythm guitarist's name is. Dan. :)

Reply
PETER ROBERTSON
4/1/2020 01:50:24 pm

sorry terry, actually, you are right it was the whole of the rest of the band who was out of time i did bring up the point to his son, didnt go down very well and you had never been out front while i was there... your singing was almost inaudible as the sound mix was so poor but its true that the organ in the middle of the stage and songsheet did not do you any favours. but from where i was the show was a bad trip and was making me boke. i must have been for 100 times and as the lad said this has never happened before ( me having been one who always sang along and danced at the front ) but i also thought to myself as i was leaving ' nothing good lasts for ever or even 'theres nothing you can have for very long' and you had many night s of sheer brilliance. i just saw the writing on the wall. sorry to have offended you.. happy new year.

Reply
PETER ROBERTSON
4/1/2020 02:00:30 pm

ps. i did enjoy your playing on 'gone are the lullabies '
see you at the dudes some day. i have red hair.

Reply
Clive Jackson
5/1/2020 01:14:28 pm

The band were mostly great and at times genius but this new guys hamfisted chops argos catalogue keyboard sound were what halted the charlies from becoming the deads answer to Australian Pink Floyd.

Rock n roll is a turblent game and the bands stressed attitudes maybe down to the addition of this cak handed hack sucking the life out of the performance.

Some how this guy failed to understand what the music of the dead was all about by completely bypassing extended feeling led inventive fluid jams and substituting it with rigid learnt playing devoid of dynamics, soulfulness or indeed emotion.

Sadly this seems to be one lineup change too many and it looks like they had to pull someone in who looked he had not really heard much Dead and who was in the early stages of learning his craft. Still hats off for having the minerals to give it a go.

Great shame to see a once great band fall fail of poor management! End if an era

Reply
Paul
23/7/2021 03:11:11 am

I used to go and watch this lot quite often as they offered quite a good approximation of the GD (we're talking 20 years ago)

It's interesting that you mention the political thing. They used to have a Facebook Page but at some point they (or Brian) started to use it to post a series of very extreme right wing political rants, not just about Brexit, but about all sorts. It was a bit sad and disturbing.

Initially some people thought the page had been hacked by a disgruntled ex member, but it soon became obvious that it was all from Brian. The more people replied to his posts disagreeing with what he said, the more extreme he became. Eventually the whole page was pulled. This was around 2015 or 2016.

So yeah, there's history! Looking forward to seeing Tom Constantens band this November instead. See you there?

Reply
Kris Griffiths link
23/7/2021 04:19:39 am

I can't say I'm surprised about the right-wing ranting on the FB page. No doubt it would've turned into anti-vax covid-conspiracy propaganda in the last 18 months.

Yes - I will be at the Live Dead gig in London on November 12th, so yeah, see you there if you're going the same night.

Reply
Paul
5/9/2021 10:38:33 am

Yes, both nights!

Kris Griffiths
5/9/2021 10:48:56 am

Ok well come and say hello if you spot me: longish-haired speccy dude with me old mate Pete :)

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