Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!mtuxo!mtunh!mtung!mtunf!ariel!vax135!petsd!pesnta!hplabs!sri-unix!WILKINS@SRI-AI.ARPA From: WILKINS@SRI-AI.ARPA Newsgroups: net.music.gdead Subject: Re: VIDEO DEAD Message-ID: <434@sri-arpa.ARPA> Date: Mon, 22-Jul-85 15:02:41 EDT Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.434 Posted: Mon Jul 22 15:02:41 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 25-Jul-85 06:09:57 EDT Lines: 33 From: Wilkins One very good reason for not allowing video is that the experience of a Grateful Dead concert does not evolve in the atmosphere of a recording studio. For some people, the ultimate experience seems to be hearing a hot show on cassette tape. But for many other people, the ultimate experience is being at a Grateful Dead show, sharing it with the people around you, dancing with them, and experiencing all the human energy around you. This cannot be captured and replayed later, certainly not the energy and dancing, and not even the sound. There has already been enough problems with audio tapers preventing the real magic of Dead shows from evolving (they take up lots of space, their space is stationary and cannot move with the flow, they want you to not bump into them, not make any noise near them, and let them have the best spots). The Dead realized this and made the tapers sections which does a lot to help the problem. The problem with video is that it tremendously exacerbates a problem which is already on the borderline of being unacceptable. Good video will bum out a lot more people's trips. The equipment is bulkier, many will want tripods, you need to see the stage not just hear it, you can't tape your camera to the top of a stick and hold it up, etc. I can just see every third person showing up with a tripod, camera, tape deck, microphone stand etc. so that walking thru the crowd without tripping will become impossible, much less trying to dance. Some of us do not want to give up the magic of a Dead show just so we can later listen/see some pale reconstruction of it that misses 80% of the experience. Just thought you might like to hear the other side of the coin from one of the dancers, David -------