I loved the opening scenes in the Sunshine Daydream movie where you see the stage being built and all. It wasn’t like some crack events team – they were just regular people.
Oh, yeah. People making it happen. It was a great scene … except it was unbelievably hot. You had the equivalent of, like, eight football fields spread out there in the sun and it was terrible. They’d stocked up on a bunch of salt tablets to hand out; in between tunes, Babbs and Wavy Gravy would urge, urge, urge people: “Take your salt pills – if you don’t, you’ll die.”
At one point in the soundboard recording of your set – between “Linda” and “Louisiana Lady”, I believe – Marmaduke says, “Let’s hear it for the wind … maybe that’ll make the wind god happy and he’ll keep on boogieing here for awhile.” I take it a cooling breeze must’ve wafted through?
Yeah – a slight one. (laughs) All we were doing was just trying to survive, it was so hot. At one point I noticed that there were all these women in halter tops … some were down to their brassieres at that point. We were all shirtless and me being me, I was kinda moved by it.
Uh-oh.
Yeah. (laughter) So I yelled back to Marmaduke, “tell the girls to drop their tops!”
And of course John didn’t get it at all; he went [Buddy does a spot-on Marmaduke imitation], “Whaaat? Wh-whaaat?”
And I yelled, “TELL THE GIRLS TO DROP THEIR TOPS!”
And he went, “Oh – oh, yeah! I get it!” And he goes back to the mic and says, “Uhhhh … the steel player just asked if the girls wanted to just drop their tops!”
And within a space of five seconds, there had to be, like, a hundred that just dropped their tops! I got to tell you – it was unbelievable.
So Pole Guy was your fault!
Who?
In the Sunshine Daydream movie, there’s a stretch where there’s a guy up on a pole in the background behind the stage. He’s right over top of Jerry’s head – dancing totally bareassed. When my wife and I saw it on the big screen, the theater audience cheered when the guy finally put some shorts on.
Oh, Jesus … (laughs)
So, the way I see it, you’re responsible, Buddy. I think that dude would’ve kept his clothes on if you hadn’t gotten the gals to take their tops off earlier.
Well, what can I say, man – one follows the other. (laughter) But I’ll tell you about a real heart-stopping moment: I remember Wavy being on stage with a mic in his hand, doing his thing. And for whatever reason, there was a bucket of water on stage –
Oh, no …
Oh, yeah. And this guy came up onto the stage – I don’t know why the Dead crew didn’t catch him, but they missed him. The guy was soooo stoned; absolutely twisted on acid. He picked up the bucket of water and dumped it on Wavy, microphone and all.
Jesus, Buddy.
Yeah – I’ve got the shudders right now talking about it. Oh my God … it was a live mic, you know? It could’ve killed him. I’m sure the guy just thought he was helping Wavy out – cooling him off, right? There was an agonizing moment, but Wavy shook it off … and thanked the guy. (laughter) And then [Dead road crew member] Steve Parish came up and whisked him offstage.
It was heart-stopping for a moment there.
Oh, man … I imagine. Any particular Prankster memories from the Field Trip?
Ha! I remember when we got ready to leave to head back. The bus pulled up and we all got on – as Jerry used to say, “The full complement of creeps.”
You know, he was going to name the band Full Complement Of Creeps before it was the New Riders … or what was the other name? Murdering Punks – that was it. That really didn’t go over that well. (laughter)
Anyway, we loaded onto the bus and I had my girlfriend with me. Ken Babbs stood up front and he was very much like a Hollywood tour guide, doing this “home of the stars” rap, you know? Expounding – and anytime Ken Babbs is talking, I’m listening, you know?
Then Ken disappears, and he’s replaced by Kesey. And now he’s talking – and you can bet your fanny that we’re all listening to that … it was wonderful, man! I was so delighted to be there at that moment.
But my girlfriend, who was from Toronto, Canada, says to me, “I know Babbs … but who’s the other guy?” (laughter)
And I’m looking around and I see Mountain Girl and Garcia just taking their seats and I told my girlfriend, “Why don’t you ask Jerry?”
I don’t think he stopped laughing the whole ride back.
*****
Brian Robbins takes his salt tablets (and keeps his pants on) over at www.brian-robbins.com.
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