An unlikely on-stage collaboration between Pete Townshend and Grateful Dead had the musicians perform Not Fade Away.
The Who guitarist joined the veteran rockers on stage for the performance back in 1981. The Who would release Face Dances the same year Townshend took to the stage with the Jerry Garcia-featuring band. Fans of both Grateful Dead and The Who have since described the moment Townshend joined the Garcia-fronted band for Not Fade Away as an “unforgettable” moment. A video upload of the performance to YouTube has been hailed by fans of the two groups, with some wondering whether Garcia had brought Townshend in for the performance as he knew the energy the veteran guitarist would bring to the show. That moment never came for some viewers, who believe that as cool as it is to see Townshend perform with Grateful Dead, it doesn’t live up to expectations.
One viewer wrote: “I was 23 years old as I went to this incredible Rockpalast show. The Who and Grateful Dead on the same evening on stage! I am sure this is proof that God loves us! I stood directly in front of Bob Weir, and I will never forget as Pete Townshend came back on stage and performed Not Fade Away and Around and Around jointly with the Dead! Unforgettable! Therefore, thanks for uploading!”
Another viewer added: “It’s been over twenty years since I’ve watched this and both times, I get the impression Jerry and the boys are just waiting for Pete to step up and crush a solo, as you can tell they are bringing Who-type energy to this version…. and both time I feel Pete just never felt comfortable up there and never really steps up. Cool moment on paper but kinda falls a bit flat in reality.”
A third wrote: “Jerry and Bobby are grinding hard, Pete is bouncing, and Phil is dancing a jig. And they’re all as tight as ever. Boy do they look like they’re having fun!”
Others believe Townshend and Grateful Dead members were simply glad to be performing together. One person noted: “I think both Grateful Dead and Pete Townshend were both stoked to be playing with each other.” Another joked: “Pete just looks like he’s fighting the urge to go completely off and smash his guitar.”
Townshend has been open about his guitar-playing style and how “painful” it is to play guitar like he does. He said: “It is terribly painful. But I’m used to the fact that there will be pain. I know that I will take my nail off at the beginning of every tour. Still.
“The string gets under the fingernails and rips it off. It’s part of the job. I am playing sometimes and I go does a windmill, ‘Wang, wang, wang, blood’ and then I think, ‘This is it. I’ve arrived.’ It is the place where I should be, like a boxer in the middle of a fight. It’s difficult to hold the pick because it gets slippery. But that doesn’t matter. It actually energises me.”
You can watch Townshend and Grateful Dead perform Not Fade Away below.
