GOOD OL’ GRATEFUL DEADCAST

Episode: REWIND: Europe ‘72: Denmark

Release Date: November 3, 2022
Hosts: Rich Mahan & Jesse Jarnow
Theme: Deep dive into the Grateful Dead’s landmark 1972 Danish concerts, exploring the musical, cultural, and historical impact of the Europe ‘72 tour as it swept through Denmark. The episode unearths behind-the-scenes stories, fan perspectives, and archival anecdotes, making the history come alive for Deadheads and the uninitiated alike.

Brief Overview

This episode celebrates the 50th anniversary of Europe '72 by revisiting the Grateful Dead’s Denmark shows. It explores not only the music—highlighting key performances and setlist innovations—but also the intersection of American counterculture and Danish society. Rare voices, local fans, and crew provide a multi-dimensional narrative that blends mythic band lore with ground-level realities of touring, community, and musical evolution.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Arrival & Cultural Collision in Denmark

• Ferry Journey & Customs Scramble

  • The Dead and crew—52 people on English and Danish buses—faced a hashish-smelling bus search at customs, defused by tour manager Sam Cutler with copious Ozium spray.

    “That’s where everyone put the hash. … In the curtains … and the stupid customs guys never found it. So that was one nil. One to the Grateful Dead, zero to Danish customs.” — Sam Cutler [04:11]

• American Outliers on the Tour

  • John Norris and Sam Field followed and filmed the entirety of the European tour, noting differences in American and European fan behavior and the embryonic state of “touring” culture in Europe.

    "I don't think Europeans were hip to being on the tour, following a tour. … There were people who saw two nights in a row … but not from town to town." — Sam Field [07:02]

2. Danish Connections & Counterculture

• Denmark’s Poet Laureate of the Underground: Dan Turèll

  • Biographer Lars Movin paints Dan Turèll as Denmark’s beat bridge to American culture, relaying how Turèll eulogized the Dead in poetry, media, and critique.

    “To get to know something about American underground culture in Denmark, you had to go to guys like Dan Turèll.” — Lars Movin [11:38]

  • Turèll’s interview with Jerry Garcia explored the declining utility of language and the essence of music as communication.

    “The language is getting so weird … The language finally becomes meaningless.” — Jerry Garcia, via Dan Turèll [18:08]

  • Notably, Danish hash culture, the commune scene, and open attitudes towards pot left the Americans both delighted and at ease.

    “It was the first country where they had no law against smoking hash or marijuana. ... I kept asking the guy, you sure it's okay? ... 'You Americans, can't you ever realize it's okay?’" — Steve Parish [63:20]

• Christiania & Countercultural Hubs

  • Founding of Christiania, the open-air hash market, and its ties to Turèll’s circle underscore how the local scene intersected with the band’s ethos.

3. Tivoli Concert Hall, Copenhagen: Fan & Crew Memories

• Audience Experience

  • Fans recall the unique scene—folded legs, hash clouds, Icelandic sweaters, and the blending of American, Danish, and Swedish crowds.

    "You would sit on the floor with your legs folded and hash clouds would be overhead... very intellectual, lots of hair." — Hans Frank [22:07]

  • The surprise and confusion over Danish crowd etiquette (spontaneous clapping = sheer approval, not displeasure) led to playful band-audience interactions.

    "You can if you want to, but you don't have to." — Bob Weir [29:44]

• Backstage & Band Rituals

  • Crew and band “microdosed” together before shows; a vivid photo documents their pre-show circle.

    "What it's really down to is a kind of shared vision thing… little microdose and go out there and do it." — [24:37]

• Pigpen’s Viking Farewell

  • Pigpen’s presence looms large, with his songs (notably “Chinatown Shuffle”) and stage persona celebrated as a rare treat by European Deadheads.

    "It was great having the chance to hear Pig Pen live. ... Many people in the US never got to that." — [32:26]

  • The Copenhagen set included a rollicking “Caution” and one of only three “Who Do You Love?” performances.

    "It was a freestyle so inventive that it inspired a full transcription in the first volume of the taping compendium." — [60:07]

• Visual Spectacle

  • The rotating disco ball during Dark Star made a psychedelic impact:

    “They had this huge glass ball under the ceiling, slowly rotating and the lights going on. ... We were taking places.” — [54:06]

4. Ecstasy of Performance & Musical Evolution

• Key Songs Dissected

  • “Brown-Eyed Women” analyzed as archetype of the Dead’s narrative songwriting.

    "Learning that song confirmed that they were really good as narrative songwriters when they wanted to be. ... Just seeing how it's laid out and how Hunter moves the character through the song is really cool." — MC Taylor [38:38]

  • Musicologist Sean O'Donnell explores the extra beats, harmonic quirks, and evolutionary path of “Brown-Eyed Women” solos through decades.

    “It's really interesting to see a song that ... rides the whole career and doesn't change in any musicological, structural way.” — Sean O’Donnell [42:32]

• Sports & Surreal Moments

  • Anecdotes abound—crew finding themselves stunned by Danish buttermilk [74:33], group sales of Dunhill lighters and Mont Blanc pens [67:25], and Danish sweaters turning into tour uniform (Pigpen even mails one home for his girlfriend) [68:31].

5. The Aarhus Show: From Cafeteria to Connection

• Intimate Gig

  • Only 700 in attendance. Students and locals describe new levels of connection, boundaryless dancing, and the feeling of band and fans as one.

    “It was so intimate. ... They simply mingled with the crowd in a way we never heard before.” — Jens Govi [77:45]

• Unfamiliarity Breeds Revelation

  • Many attendees were unfamiliar with the Dead but left as converts; a third reportedly left at set break, only to miss the transcendent second set.

    “About a third of the audience left simply ... they thought that, well, we have had two hours now. It's time to go home." — [79:59]

6. April 17, Tivoli Gardens: The Legendary TV Gig

• First Live Rock TV Broadcast in Denmark

  • Chaos and comedy ensue backstage as Danish TV is moments from live broadcast, with mishaps over announcer visibility and jumbled introductions.

    “So he didn't know what to do. ... So he takes the fucking [trash] can and spit drop, turns it over and dumps on our cables ... puts the announcer up on it.” — Sam Cutler [94:21]

  • Though the full broadcast is now mostly lost, the segment that remains is a cult artifact—featuring the debut of "He's Gone" and the legendary Bozo mask performance during “Big Railroad Blues.”

    “And it was me that went in New York to a joke shop and bought all those Bozo masks ... They became such a historical thing.” — [103:08]

  • That night, the Dead played three sets, jammed for over three hours, and basked in the comfort and approval of Danish fans.

7. Legacy, Farewells, and Danish Deadheads

• The Enduring Impact on Denmark

  • Local poet Dan Turèll’s lifelong relationship with the band (including a final California pilgrimage and Black Muddy River at his funeral) exemplifies their lasting influence.

    “The Grateful Dead followed him right till the end. You could say: ‘I will walk alone by the black muddy river / Sing me a song of my own.’” — [117:14]

• Modern Danish Dead Culture

  • Danish Deadheads keep the spirit alive through close-knit gatherings, a local “Dancing Bear” shop, and cherished memories.

    “I have some Deadhead friends whom I meet once a year. ... We go there and listen to great music for a long, long evening and most of the night.” — [118:48]

• Farewell to Denmark

  • The tour leaves Denmark via overnight ferry, and Donna Jean discovers the joy of European comforters.

    “When I got on that ferry and there were ... comforter, like, things that we slept in, and I went, wow, that is really cool. ... I loved being on that ferry.” — Donna Jean [122:15]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Cultural Clash at Customs:
  “That was one nil. One to the Grateful Dead, zero to Danish customs.” — Sam Cutler [04:11]
• Garcia on Language:
  “The language finally becomes meaningless.” — Jerry Garcia, via Dan Turèll [18:08]
• Classic Fan Experience:
  “You would sit on the floor with your legs folded and hash clouds would be overhead... very intellectual, lots of hair.” — Hans Frank [22:07]
• Bob Weir Crowd Banter:
  “You can if you want to, but you don't have to.” — Bob Weir [29:44]
• MC Taylor on Songwriting:
  “Learning that song confirmed that they were really good as narrative songwriters when they wanted to be." — [38:38]
• Sam Cutler, TV Fiasco:
  “He takes the fucking thing and ... puts the announcer up on it.... I tackle him and he falls off the garbage can. I go, you're not doing this.” — [94:21]
• Donna Jean’s Ferry Revelation:
  “When I got on that ferry and there were ... comforter, like, things that we slept in, and I went, wow, that is really cool.” — [122:15]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Band Arrives & The Hashish Incident:
  [03:59]–[06:25]
• Dan Turèll & Danish Underground:
  [11:18]–[15:56], [114:16]–[117:14]
• Backstage Ritual & Tivoli First Show:
  [24:34]–[26:14]
• Pigpen’s Role & Mystique:
  [32:21]–[34:47], [59:10]–[62:04]
• Brown-Eyed Women Deep Dive:
  [34:24]–[48:12]
• Copenhagen’s Unique Scene & Hash Culture:
  [62:33]–[66:19]
• The Aarhus University Show:
  [71:23]–[81:18]
• April 17 TV Show & On-Air Chaos:
  [83:05]–[94:21]
• Bozo Masks & Band Pranks:
  [101:50]–[104:23]
• Dead’s Ongoing Danish Legacy:
  [113:05]–[119:53]
• Tour Farewells & Donna Jean's Comforter Epiphany:
  [122:06]–[122:15]

Flow & Tone

The episode blends archival storytelling, articulate analysis, and a warm conversational tone—interspersed with affectionate nitpicking and reverence, interviews, and oral-history gems that position the Danish leg of the Europe ‘72 tour as both a pinnacle of the Dead’s expansive journey and a touchstone for musical community at large.

For Further Exploration

• Dead.net Deadcast website: Full transcripts, photos, and bonus materials.
• Giesbert Hanekrut’s photography: dead.net (as referenced in the episode).
• Dan Turèll’s Grateful Dead writings and Danish translations.
• Europe ‘72: The Complete Recordings, box set liner notes by Paul Leike (Aarhus show history).

Perfect for Dead scholars and the Dead-curious alike, this Denmark rewind revisits a Godchaux-and-hash-fueled chapter in Grateful Dead lore where American psychedelic fervor met Danish open-mindedness head on—forever immortalized in music, memory, and the persistent scent of Ozium.

End of summary.