OFF: Gov't Mule (was Re: Festival)

[Paul Mather]

On Sat, 13 Jan 2001, Brian Halligan wrote:

=> Theo or Paul (or anyone else for that matter), any news on what's next for
=> Warren and Matt?

They had the acoustic "Smile at Half Mast" tour this Autumn, just Warren
and Matt.  Most of the dates were opening for Ben Harper, and had been
set up before Woody's death, but the whole tour was well-received.
Warren will be sitting in with the Allman Brothers Band for the entire
Beacon run this year, and Matt will be touring with Blue Floyd shortly.

Going by all the interviews with Warren I've read lately, he is very
pessimistic about continuing as a trio.  He just doesn't see it as a
possibility, given a trio relies so much more on chemistry between the
musicians to make everything tick.  Woody was really an integral part of
the whole equation.  The hints are towards expanding, bringing in at
least a keyboard player, maybe more.

In that vein, the very latest rumour is that Warren and Matt will tour
this year with Dave Schools of Widespread Panic on bass (he filled in
during the "One For Woody" benefit), and Page McConnell of Phish on
keyboards.  Apparently, Page filled in for Gregg Allman during a Beacon
show one time, and actually handles the material really well.

The only hassle I can see with the above tour is that all the damn Phish
heads will buy up all the tickets so they can see Page, and we long-time
Mule fans will be left SOL... :-(

(Or is it only Trey about whom they are fanatical?)

Cheers,

Paul.

NP: Godspeed You Black Emperor!, _Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas
        to Heaven_

e-mail: paul at gromit.dlib.vt.edu

"Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production
 deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid."
        --- Frank Vincent Zappa