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From: cliff@unmvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.music.gdead
Subject: Re: Political? (benefits for Hell's Angels and other)
Message-ID: <788@unmvax.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 14-Apr-85 16:38:38 EST
Article-I.D.: unmvax.788
Posted: Sun Apr 14 16:38:38 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 18-Apr-85 04:48:47 EST
References: <9690@brl-tgr.ARPA> <529@spp2.UUCP> <241@sdcc12.UUCP>
Organization: Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque
Lines: 43

> Forgetting the concerts for the Hells
> Angels ( a group that I do not consider a positive political force) they
> have done concerts for

...

Perhaps the Hell's Angels aren't a positive political force (I consider them
a social group or fraternal ogranization), but the benefit concerts were to
raise money for a political problem the HA were having at the time.  It became
Politically Correct to say bad things about Hell's Angels members, much like
it is PC to be part of Reagan's "War on Drugs."  This led to all sorts of early
70's government b.s. (remember what Nixon was doing to the country in general).
Among other things the then current HA leader was arrested and tossed in jail
on trumped up charges.  I believe much of the money went to his legal defense.
Check out the movie "Hell's Angels Forever" for a brief explanation as well
as a few shots of Jerry and Friends playing and talking ~1974.  Don't take
this paragraph as an attempt to justify my "non-political dead" stance, I just
thought I would mention "Hell's Angels Forever."

On another note, I received this letter in the mail the other day:

    Subject: Re: Are they political?
    In-Reply-To: your article <771@unmvax.UUCP>

    I have have always thought of the dead as very much non-political.
    In fact, the concept of ego death which pervades their early material
    is the antithisis of political statement.  I suppose that this holds less
    truth these days in light of Jerry's recent bust and Bobby's IZOD shirts.
    See what happens when you give up hallucinagens? :-

I guess there is general agreement that the band started out quite less
political then it is now and that even now they are not anywhere near as
political as say Joan Baez in the woodstock days.

Back to the days of early dead:
It's fun listening to a tape of 2-14-68 with the full Alligator that was editted
to fit on "Anthem of the Sun."  At one point in the background someone (Phil?)
is singing "Burn down the Carousel and the Avalon..."  Sounded like a fun time
for all.  Who else would like to see a good chaotic Alligator at a future show?
They knocked out a couple of acoustic gators in '80, but I'd love to see an
electric feedback soaked alligator (maybe even with Matt Kelly harping away).

					--Cliff