GOOD OL' GRATEFUL DEADCAST — Europe ‘72: Denmark (April 14, 2022)

Episode Overview

This episode of the "Good Ol’ Grateful Deadcast" journeys back 50 years to the historic Grateful Dead tour of Europe in 1972, focusing specifically on the band's celebrated shows in Denmark. Through fan recollections, interviews with crew members and historians, archival recordings, and musical analysis, hosts Rich Mahan and Jesse Jarnow explore the social, cultural, and musical dimensions of the Dead’s integration into Danish counterculture, the scene at the Tivoli Concert Hall and Aarhus University, and the enduring legacy of these iconic performances.

1. The Grateful Dead Land in Denmark: Arrival, Customs, and Local Connections

[03:59 – 09:17]

• Sam Cutler (Tour Manager) on entering Denmark:
  The Dead took two buses (one English, one Danish) for their overnight North Sea crossing, arriving at Esbjerg. Danish customs halted and searched the buses for hash, but the band's stealth (hiding it in curtain straps and using Ozium spray to mask the smell) kept them safe.

  "...so I walked around going, everything all right? Yeah. Alles good, squirt squirt. Alles good, squirt, squirt, squirting Ozium as much as I could everywhere... And the stupid customs guys never found it. So that was one nil. One to the Grateful Dead, zero to Danish customs." — Sam Cutler (05:45)

• American Filmmakers Document the Tour:
  John Norris and Sam Field, following and filming the band, describe their unique position as the only Americans on the entire continental leg besides the band itself.

  "I really don’t think there were any other Americans that were really doing that... There was nobody that I remember seeing more than once, you know, or in more than one town." — Sam Field (07:26)

• Danish Counterculture & Media:
  Dutch photographer Giersbert Hanekroot describes the importance of covering American acts for underground papers in Europe; American music was seen as innovative and cool.

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2. Denmark's Countercultural Scene: Dan Turèll and the Dead’s Influence

[11:18 – 15:56]

• Who Was Dan Turèll?
  Lars Movin characterizes Turèll as Denmark’s leading beat poet, a fixture in every medium, and the nation's prime transmitter of American underground music and literature—including the Grateful Dead.

  "He was the only poet also with the real image... sort of iconic. I can’t think of any other avant-garde poets that are sort of known by everybody in Denmark" — Lars Movin (12:52)

• Turèll’s Acid Communes & “Dark Star”:
  He introduced Denmark’s youth to the Dead, especially the improvisational “Dark Star,” which became a communal soundtrack.

  "He states that Dark Star... was sort of their favorite tune. And they were constantly listening to Dark Star and taking acid in this commune where he lived." — Lars Movin (14:00)

• Meeting Jerry Garcia:
  Turèll interviewed Garcia for “Mm” magazine in Copenhagen’s then-seedy Nyhavn district—a special moment for a devoted European Deadhead and a cross-cultural exchange relaxed by “joint” diplomacy.

  "...with Jerry, I think it went quite good. And maybe because Jerry was... such a relaxed guy. And they could smoke some joints together and just hang out." — Lars Movin (17:14)

3. Danish Fans, Copenhagen Scene & Tivoli Concert Hall

[20:33 – 25:23]

• Local Fans’ Perspective:
  Young Danes like Bjorn Lindstrom were steeped in American comics and music. They anticipated the Dead’s show as a transformational experience.

  “I copied the skull and Roses logo onto a piece of cardboard... and stapled it on the back of an old military jacket...I was celebrating spring...some friends in the park and had had a few large beers before I came.” — Bjorn Lindstrom (23:15)

• Copenhagen’s Musical Culture:
  Tivoli Gardens was a classical music hall embedded in a historical amusement park, but for the Dead it became a canvas for their expansive jamming and connection to fans.

• Show Highlights:
  Both Danish and Swedish fans attended, as the Dead were not playing Sweden.

4. Concert Experience: Onstage and Off, Setlist Highlights

[24:35 – 54:03]

• The Band’s Rituals & Vibe:
  The group bonded by “getting high together, little microdose and go out there and do it.” (Jesse Jarno, 24:38)
  David Lemieux describes 4/14 as "the brightest show on the tour" (25:38).

• Culture Clash: Applause as Discomfort?
  The band struggled to interpret European audience habits (rhythmic clapping as enthusiasm, not displeasure).

  "You don’t have to clap like that, but you can if you want to. If you want to clap, go ahead..." — Bob Weir (29:28)

• Unique Fan Make-up:
  American GIs in the front row (“gave the rest of us a taste of how a typical Deadhead audience would react,” 30:11) and numerous Swedes in the audience.

• Setlist & Fan Favorites:
  Pigpen’s “Chinatown Shuffle,” “Brown Eyed Women,” and “Looks Like Rain” (with Jerry’s last pedal steel performance until 1987).
  Musical analysis of “Brown Eyed Women”: layering, narrative songwriting quality, and Garcia’s evolving solos over two decades (with musicologist Sean O’Donnell from 41:12–48:05).

• Showstopper Jams:
  Dark Star—detailed musical breakdown by Graham Boone and others (50:46–54:03); disco ball and immersive lightshows left fans entranced.

• Pigpen’s Showpiece:
  Caution > Who Do You Love — a rare and wild Pigpen jam, “a full transcription in the first volume of the taping compendium” (60:07).

  “He was not the big fellow that he was in the early pictures. He was quite little and skinny...but building out those reps. That was awesome.” — Fan recollection (60:12)

5. Danish Counterculture: Hash, Christiania, and Group Life

[63:17 – 68:17]

• Legalization & Experimentation:
  Denmark was progressive about hash use and communal social spaces, as the Christiania squat illustrated.

  “It was the first country where they had no law against smoking hash or marijuana. ... The Danish people were great, man, oh boy. We had a lot of fun in Denmark.” — Steve Parish (63:21)

• Christiania's Roots:
  “Some were into the environment, some were into exotic foods, and some were into politics. ... Just anarchy.” (Hans Frank, 63:55)

• Band as Shoppers and Cultural Participants:
  Everyone bought distinctive Danish sweaters, turning them into a “tour uniform” visible in later photos.

  "My roommate in Europe was Sue Swanson, ...we found a great basement shop selling hand knitted Scandinavian sweaters...We all walked around with our beautiful hand knit Danish sweater." — Rosie McGee (66:19)

• Pigpen’s Tenderness:
  Pigpen wrote home about sending his girlfriend a sweater, reflecting band members’ connection to people and places (68:31–69:02).

6. Excursions and Local Color: Hamlet’s Castle & Mood

[69:10 – 71:23]

• Tourist for a Day:
  The band visited Kronborg Castle (of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” fame), resulting in moody portraits and a tough crowd of gloomy “Hamlets.”

  “I’m a musician, I’m not a fucking tourist. I’m not joining you. But eventually he did.” — Jerry via Giersbert Hanekrut (69:10)

7. Aarhus University Show: The Student Jazz Club

[71:23 – 79:53]

• The Venue:
  Aarhus’s Studenterjazz Club, typically a jazz venue (Dizzy Gillespie, Bill Evans, etc.), hosted the Dead—for possibly only 700 people.

• Intimate Vibe:
  Students, unused to a band’s open and interactive style, were drawn in by the Dead’s collaborative energy.

  “There was no security at all...a tighter connection between band and audience than he had ever experienced before. ... They simply put out their arms and hold us. It was so intimate.” — Paul Leek & Jens Scovby (74:33–78:00)

• Musical Notes:
  The show’s second set jammed fiercely. About a third of the audience left at intermission, unaccustomed to the Dead’s marathon sets.

8. The Return to Tivoli: TV Broadcast and Onstage Hijinks

[82:59 – 106:45]

• April 17th: TV Cameras Roll
  Danish TV filmed and aired 30 minutes live—making Dead the first rock band to truly play “live” on Danish TV (beyond pre-filmed sets by Zeppelin, etc., 94:21–94:35).

• Backstage Anecdotes:
  Young Lars Bennecke (now at Warner Denmark) and his father (Olaf, then Metronome exec) attended and facilitated the event—sharing early impressions of Garcia and the Dead’s energy ("He was very happy and cheerful as I remember. But there was this grin and this huge face, hairy face." — Lars Bennecke, 87:38).
  Interviewer Egmond Jensen’s earnest but comedic exchange with Garcia:

  "You played a favorite of mine just a moment ago, Uncle John's Band. What does that tell about then?"
  "Well, what does it tell you about?"
  "Well, you got me there."
  "But you like it anyway, right?"
  "Okay, well, that's the way it is with me." — [86:46–87:04]

• Live Debuts/Set List Highlights:
  The band debuted “He’s Gone” live (92:00), soon to become a Dead classic.

• Chaos and Comedy:
  The TV broadcast’s opening was marked by confusion—an announcer needing a box to be seen by the cameras, “garbage all over the stage,” and last-minute heroics.

  "So the guy’s up on it...turns it upside down and stands on it...the camera’s like, oh, got him. At which point, finally, you know, there’s like 15 seconds to go..." — Sam Cutler & Steve Parish (94:35–97:30)

• Bozo Masks and Dead Humor:
  The band and crew donned clown masks onstage during “Big Railroad Blues,” an iconic and surreal scene.

  “We would go into towns in our two buses and we had 50 of us and we would have all those masks on..." — Steve Parish (103:08)

9. Musical Legacy: Jams, Song Evolution, and Pigpen

[106:45 – 113:58]

• Musical Analysis:
  In-depth breakdown of two Dark Star jams, their modulations, improvisational adventures, and how the suite closed with "Sugar Magnolia."

• Pigpen’s Impact:
  He would pass away the following year, deeply affecting European and Danish fans. Danish TV replayed segments in tribute.

  “Well, I’m really happy that we managed to see and hear Pigpen play and sing. That was amazing..." — Hans Frank (113:05)

10. The Album, Aftermath, and Legacy

[113:33 – End]

• Europe 72 as a Touchstone:
  The triple album captured the tour for Danish fans—reliving those nights became a communal experience.

• Dan Turèll’s Last Encounter:
  Before his death, Turèll saw the Dead in California in 1989, completing his journey as both fan and cultural conduit. His request: to have “Black Muddy River” played at his funeral (114:17–118:36).

• Danish Deadheads Today:
  Bjorn Lindstrom runs Denmark’s DancingBear DK UK shop, and the local scene maintains its regular get-togethers and import trade for Dead merchandise.

• Tour Life:
  The crew’s intergroup frictions, Danish shopping sprees, and classic moments (such as breaking down the Tivoli Gardens set) round out the colorful narrative.

• Departure & Danish "Hygge":
  The band's final ferry ride out of Denmark, with Donna Jean recalling the comfort of Danish bedding and a "very cool" end to their Danish adventure.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (w/ Timestamps)

• On Outmaneuvering Danish Customs:

  "...The bus smells of hashish. So I of course went, no, no, no, no, no, no. Ridiculous, of course not. ...And the stupid customs guys never found it. So that was one nil. One to the Grateful Dead, zero to Danish customs."
  — Sam Cutler [05:45]

• Dan Turèll on the Dead as a Life Soundtrack:

  "He [Turèll] states that Dark Star...was sort of their favorite tune. And they were constantly listening to Dark Star and taking acid in this commune where he lived."
  — Lars Movin [14:00]

• Fan Culture, Clapping, and the Language Barrier:

  "You don’t have to clap like that, but you can if you want to. If you want to clap, go ahead, go ahead, get it on. But we won’t do one in that tempo, you know, necessarily."
  — Bob Weir [29:28] "It was spontaneous, sort of, we’re going to be part of this. ...We want to give something back to them."
  — Hans Frank [29:44]

• On the Evolution of “Brown Eyed Women”:

  "He makes the conversation longer and longer. ...By 73 they're already decorated...and then when they come back, it starts off in a one verse version, but by the time you get to May 77, it's three. Three verses already and quite more verbo."
  — Sean O’Donnell [44:00–46:29]

• On Open Use in Denmark:

  "It was the first country where they had no law against smoking hash or marijuana..."
  — Steve Parish [63:21]

• Bozo Masks and Dead Humor:

  "We would go into towns in our two buses and we had 50 of us and we would have all those masks on...and they became such a historical thing. People loved them."
  — Steve Parish [103:08]

• On TV Broadcast Mayhem:

  "The little guy was a little too short, the announcer, and he starts yelling at the cameraman...So he didn't know what to do. He takes a garbage can...and dumps on our cables and all over the stage, all this garbage, man. ... and stands on it. And the camera's like, oh, got him like that, right?"
  — Sam Cutler [94:35–97:30]

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:59] — Arrival in Denmark, customs hijinks (Sam Cutler)
• [11:38] — Danish counterculture & Dan Turèll (Lars Movin)
• [20:37] — Early fan perspectives (Bjorn Lindstrom, Han Frank)
• [24:35] — Band rituals, show begins, David Lemieux on color of shows
• [29:15] — Culture clash: audience clapping, language barrier (Hans Frank, Bob Weir)
• [32:26] — Pigpen's contributions and "Chinatown Shuffle"
• [40:21–46:29] — Detailed analysis of “Brown Eyed Women,” song evolution
• [50:46–54:03] — Musical deep dive: Dark Star, Tivoli's disco ball
• [60:07] — Pigpen's Caution > Who Do You Love sequence
• [63:17] — Open hash culture and Christiania
• [69:10] — Hamlet’s Castle excursion, moody band
• [71:23–79:53] — Aarhus jazz club show: intimate gig, local recollections
• [82:59–87:38] — Tivoli TV night: behind the scenes, key interview
• [94:21–97:30] — Live TV chaos and comedic introduction, crew anecdotes
• [103:08] — The infamous Bozo mask segment
• [113:33–114:17] — Aftermath: LP release, Pigpen, Dan Turèll’s last Grateful Dead experience

Episode Tone & Final Thoughts

This episode of the Deadcast balances reverence, humor, and curiosity, matching the band’s own exploratory spirit. It captures the social kaleidoscope of early-70s Denmark: unguarded hash use, the formation of Christiania, existential poetry, fan euphoria, and the Dead’s seamless embrace of local color. Musically, it offers expert breakdowns along with first-hand memories, stitching together a tapestry of fan and band perspectives that expands the legend of the Europe '72 tour.

For both “the committed and the curious,” this episode is a must-listen for its affectionate, detailed, and idiosyncratic look at a beloved chapter of Dead (and European) history.