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Phish Discuss Their Break-Up

Photo by John Patrick Gatta

In a story that appears in the latest issue of Rolling Stone, the members of Phish reflect on the band’s break-up back in 2004. Drummer Jon Fishman, recalls that Trey Anastasio “came to the band, in ’04, totally out of his mind, saying, ‘The only way I can describe this is, if I don’t get out of Phish now, I’ll die.’ When your good friend says this to you, you go, ‘It should have never come to this. Absolutely, go home. Nobody should die over this.’ ”

Anastasio remembers that around this same time, “Page [McConnell] pulled me aside and said, ‘For 20 years, I’ve had 100 percent faith that you would lead us onstage, and it’s always made me feel good. For the first time, I’m not sure I feel that anymore.’”

David Fricke’s piece, which focuses on the recording of Anastasio’s album Traveler, as well as his work on the musical Hands on a Hardbody, also looks back on the moment in December 2006 when Anastasio was stopped by police in upstate New York who found “prescription medications, including Percocet and Xanax, made out to another person, in his car.”

Anastasio is now sober following treatment and Fricke reports that every day while on tour, “He asks everyone in the band and members of the crew which songs they would like to see in the sets that night. Then, before gig time, Anastasio will go into a backstage bathroom and, he says, ‘get quiet. I’ll think about how many people are coming to the show, who’s had a hard day. I’ll meditate on that person and think of them way in the back of the room.”

Folks in the back of the room can look forward to four nights of music when Phish returns to the stage at Madison Square Garden at the end of next month.

For more on the recording of Traveler, check out our recent interview with Trey.

Comments

There are 13 comments associated with this post

Chris November 8, 2012, 17:42:40

Trey and phish is great! What they’re doing now is even greater! The less touring hurts a little bit, but we are all going thru things like soberity, family and revelations into newer better things around us! I know they won’t ever lead us astray! I’ve had the vision of us at eighty years old back at cypress or somewhere and it’s beautiful!!we’re all in this together and we love to take a bath!! Thank you boyz!

gemini November 8, 2012, 18:32:48

TMWSIY Love you Trey .

Doug November 8, 2012, 18:05:59

I’m glad they were smart enough to stop the machine and deal with what’s important! Landing is always better than crashing.
There’s a new positive spiritual component to the bands music that spans from the lyrics(songs like Light) to the phans(SOP).
The quote about using meditation to zero in and visualize a single person is pretty awesome…. :) And sometimes I can actually feel it from Trey – in the back row cause tickets are really hard to get now…

kellerb November 8, 2012, 18:07:17

just feel blessed that Trey thinks about us during his P.G.S.* *Pre-Gig-Shit

coredweller November 8, 2012, 18:50:16

Amazing that Trey had the foresight to say that to the band. Amazing that he didn’t kill himself like so many other celebrities and musicians. Then again he isn’t like most celebrities and musicians. We are all very lucky that he is still around today playing like he does. I will be at all 4 nights of MSG and am counting down the days. My life is much easier compared to most out there so I have little to complain about. But those hard days I do have make it easier by listening to or seeing Phish. I honestly do not know what I would be doing with all of my passion if it weren’t for Phish. They drive it into me and out of me. I LOVE PHISH!

Chris O November 8, 2012, 18:52:39

The funny thing is that Phish makes me so happy….no matter how bad of a day it gets to be I know I’ll be smiling ear to ear from start till the dreams that night end. I love Trey for that. I’ll never forget the happiness they bring to me every time I get to go to the show.

PaulO1Roggae November 8, 2012, 20:31:49

If Life were easy and Not So Fast I wouldn’t Think about the Past… Phish killed it in Colorado and deserve more credit each show- They are channeling 98 as of LATE.... Keep it Clean

discobret November 9, 2012, 01:45:28

If you can’t say no your yes is NO damn good! Life is about balance. Thrilled Trey re-calibrated his life and found the right mix of family and music! Summer 2012 was the best tour since Phall 2010 and Phall ’99 before that… Phish is the greatest live Rock & Roll band EVER!

Hal November 9, 2012, 09:31:30

They need to get back on the speed, practice for 10 hours a day and bring back 93 playing! Everything else pails in comparison. Chk out warfield Stash 3-27-93. That’s what I’m fucking talkin bout

Scott in Cleveland November 9, 2012, 10:44:06

Best. Band. Ever.

Michael November 10, 2012, 10:02:46

Sobriety rocks.

Zomby November 14, 2012, 17:09:56

Sunday at Dick’s was my 24th show since August ’09. We’ve traveled to both coasts and met the most wonderful people. I will always be grateful for those people and for Trey, Mike, Page, and Fish. You guys are the shit. We got shutout for NYE tix but we’ll see ya next year. Godspeed.

Henry Holland November 14, 2012, 23:56:14

I’ll never forget sitting in a movie theater in San Diego watching the disaster that was the “last” show at Coventry and before the second set, a shot of Trey standing on stage, scratching himself. The guy next to me said “Uh oh, he’s wasted on Oxy”. He looked horrible, played badly and when he got busted, it didn’t surprise me in the least. I’m just glad he’s made it through all that, I’ve seen a bunch of shows since 2009 and had an unbelieveable time at the Gorge and Dick’s in Denver. Now they really need to get some new original material going, I really liked the “Joy” album and would like to hear more new songs.