So we’re heading out on tour tomorrow to mainland Europe with some of the nicest people around; Veronica Falls. We have a couple of our own shows at the very end as well. If you have any friends in the towns below, let them know, maybe we can hook them up. Always open to recommendations as well… vegetarian food, good bars, karaoke spots, book shops, record shops etc etc. mazesmazesmazes at gmail dot com

See you soon!

24TH APRIL 2013
La Piniche w/Veronica Falls
Lille FR

25TH APRIL 2013
Nouveau Casino w/Veronica Falls
Paris FR

26TH APRIL 2013
Noumatrouff w/Veronica Falls
Mullhouse FR

27TH APRIL 2013
Le Sonic w/Veronica Falls
Lyon FR

28TH APRIL 2013
Bad Bonn w/Veronica Falls
Dudingen SZ

30TH APRIL 2013
Mascotte w/Veronica Falls
Zurich SZ

2ND MAY 2013
Arena w/Veronica Falls 
Vienna AU

3RD MAY 2013
Orangehouse w/Veronica Falls 
Munich DL

4TH MAY 2013
Merlin w/Veronica Falls
Stuttgart DL

5TH MAY 2013
Beatpol w/Veronica Falls
Dresden DL

6TH MAY 2013
Festsaal w/Veronica Falls
Berlin DL

7TH MAY 2013
Roter Salon w/Veronica Falls
Kiel DL

8TH MAY 2013
Molotow w/Veronica Falls
Hamburg DL

10TH MAY 2013
Ekko
Utrecht NL

11th MAY 2013
013
Tilburg NL 

(above: Greg Ginn/Black Flag)

To any Americans reading this or anyone who gets it, me writing something about Grateful Dead, something that’s trying to draw attention to them, will probably seem superfluous. They’re a massive band, they’ve sold tens of millions of records and were undoubtedly the biggest live draw in the world for a long long time. But, growing up in England, even among friends who were into psychedelic music and the counter culture, I was alone in liking the Dead. And for my teenage years, that was it – I liked them. The early recordings had enough in common with bands like 13th Floor Elevators and Quicksilver for me to respond to it but the natural cynicism I had as a teenage reacted badly to the Dead’s polarized hippiness. 

As a teenager, my family visited America a lot – every year. Most of my Dad’s family emigrated to the US at some point between the fifties and eighties. My holidays there were amazing but I left every summer with an all consuming sense of injustice at the seemingly idyllic lives my cousins lived. My days in Blackpool were school and then in the evenings I watched TV. That was pretty much it. My cousins made music in their garages with friends, fished and went to the beach. I was jealous. I’d cry. Around the age of 13 I began to immerse myself in American music from the sixties. My first CD was a Beach Boys compilation that my mum had bought me and I’d listen to it every single night on my headphones, under my sheets… I’d dream of being true to my school and the girls on the beach. Through The Stone Roses and reading their interviews I discovered things like Love and The Byrds’ Notorious Byrds Brothers. I was hooked and each night I’d transcend my bedroom and I’d be on the west coast of America… The incredibly visceral and visual feel to that music, the hum and haze of it made it easy.

Being into The Byrds can lead you down an incredible musical path… the vast majority of records that sprouted from that band are wonderful. From CSNY and my Mum’s copy of Deja Vu I found Neil Young and then eventually Grateful Dead… As I said earlier, I liked them. I’d liked them for a while. Their first record was very accessible for a Jefferson Airplane fan. As my early teenage cynicism disappeared and a new found optimism set in… an openness… something clicked with the Dead and in particular American Beauty and Workingman’s Dead. To me, the unguarded joyful life that bleeds from those records was completely captivating… I pored over them… they thrilled me. Lyrically, it was hard to relate to the majority of it… tales of hustles, mining and fast women. I wanted to, though. I still listen to one of these records every week. They’re perfect.

Consuming the Dead as I did made me love them all the more… patchy, chaotic, inconsistent, hypocritical, beautiful and ugly… all human life was here. And then as punk and DIY music set in during my late teens, the Dead seemed to sit perfectly… the first punk band, DIY to the end - a cottage industry. Their ethics don’t sit too far away from a band like Fugazi.

So I made this podcast for you to listen to… the Dead’s later stuff and the Dick’s Picks bootleg series are minefields… but the Dead can be hokey and transcendent during one song… traditional 12-bar structures will morph into beautiful freedom and you won’t have even noticed. Sickly sweet and then mean as fuck… They’re having your heart broken and falling in love. The ultimate American band in every way. I hope this is an interesting introduction. Peace on you! jack

1. The Golden Road To Unlimited Devotion (The Grateful Dead)

2. Cumberland Blues (Europe ‘72)

3. Excerpt from Phil Lesh’s ‘Searching For The Sound’

4. Don’t Ease Me In (Dick’s Picks Vol. 8)

5. St. Stephen (Aoxomoxoa)

6. Dire Wolf (Workingman’s Dead)

7. Born Cross Eyed (Anthem Of The Sun)

8. China Cat Sunflower/I Know You Rider (Europe ‘72)

9. Excerpt from Phil Lesh’s ‘Searching For The Sound’

10. Box Of Rain (American Beauty)

http://www.mediafire.com/?nn2b7i4fi74hnq4

PS: If you like this, please pass it on and more than anything - buy the records. 

We have a few more shows to announce over the next few months starting with one in Reading for Record Store Day on 20th April, a headline show in Utrecht Holland at the end of our tour with Veronica Falls and The Great Escape in Brighton. Fans in Amsterdam and London should also keep their eyes peeled over the next couple of days. Cool.

20th April // Reading UK // Oakford Social Club // FREE - Info

10th May // Utrecht NL // Ekko // Info

18th May // Brighton UK // The Great Escape // Info

You can buy tees, CDs, LPs and tote bags direct from the band at http://mazes.bigcartel.com/ it’s easy

Our friend Austin is making a video… “Casting call for couples of all ages to be in the new Mazes music video. You will need to be able to sit still for long periods of time. Shooting will take place evenings/weekends early April in London. Please send a photo to austincharleswilliams at gmail dot com”