Followed by Faithful Fans Even Across the Atlantic August 31, 1996 - Frankfurter Rundschau (Germany) by Detlef Kinsler "Phish are a real phenomenon. The east coast quartet allows itself the luxury simply to love good music. Be it Bach or Duke Ellington, Beatles, Zappa or Led Zeppelin and Gentle Giant - Phish-music is full of quotes and still always has an identity of its own. For the fans, Phish are even more: a lifestyle. The U.S. Band Phish: A Phenomenon like Grateful Dead A normal German summer day in 1996 - chilly, grey, humid and rainy. In front of (Hamburg's) Markthalle, that classic live venue, an unusual, very cheerful traveling party of 300 camp out in spite of the bad weather. Broths are simmering on camping gear, bottles are passed around by fans of the U.S. band Phish. As often as possible on the road with the band at home, they have followed their darlings even across the Atlantic during summer break: traveling with DAT- and tape recorders to capture the Hamburg gig on official bootlegs. That is reminiscent of the late Grateful Dead and their loyal followers, the Deadheads. Except that the Phish followers (should we call them Phishheads?) are much, much younger. "That's just a really crazy, but great story," comments keyboarder Page McConnell on the unusual loyalty of the fans. "You can't force something like that. But we have encouraged our audience, because we avoid the confrontation of regular rock concerts: us up here, you down there. Instead, we're looking for interaction." Phish concerts, improvised for the better part and hence always spontaneous, imply communication first of all - among the musicians and between the stage and the auditorium. "Each of our 900 shows so far was different - maybe that's what makes the fans come back to our gigs time and again," guesses Page. "And that they're always part of the show. Phish concerts are a communal experience." A small town on the road. Teens and twens should be enjoying themselves at grunge gigs or in discos with techno and trance music. Page and his combatants, guitar player Trey Anastasio, bass player Mike Gordon and drummer Jon Fishman, are no beaus or pin-up types, but rather outstanding musicians, who play music which fits none of the current categories. Seven albums have Phish put out since 1988. 'Stash' offers an (almost) representative compilation of eleven Phish classics. The twelve-minute title track is an appropriate calling card: after a pop-soul-jazz intro with vocals and piano, the guitar takes over and steers the band towards early Pink Floyd, to surrender to the piano - for an energetic latin finale a la Santana, with whom they've been touring Germany recently. Phish - that also means the subtle art of quoting without mutating to mere copy or even plagiarism. Phish also represents undying respect for good music - be it blues or country, all-American folk, for Zappa, the Beatles, but also jazz and classical music (Richard Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra" a la Deodato is part of the repertoire). One is even contantly reminded of British Progressive Rock or even Italian Art Rock by PFM. Coincidence? "No," laughs Page. "Personally, I prefered Emerson, Lake & Palmer, King Crimson, too, and Trey and 'Fish' have Gentle Giant and also PFM records." Thus the logical Phish principle is: Always expect the unexpected, meaning: Don't think you know where the quartet's musical trip is taking you next. "Every piece has its own identity which we develop by the rule 'We know no limits,'" explains McConnell. "We follow the inspiration of the moment and don't worry if what we're playing is alternative, progressive or fusion rock." The new studio album is in the bag. And after their next tour through Germany, Phish will lose their insider status in this country." © 1996