Lyceum Theatre, London England 05/26/72

The Grateful Dead’s first tour outside of North America was immortalized on Europe ’72, a triple live album that distilled peak moments from the 22 shows the band played in six countries for thousands of Europeans. A triumph critically and commercially when it was released in November 1972, today the double-platinum album is an integral part of the Dead’s live legacy and beloved by generations of fans. Appreciation for the extraordinary tour grew in 2011 when every show was released in the unprecedented, 73-CD boxed set, Europe ’72: The Complete Recordings.

Today is the 50^th anniversary of the first show from the Dead’s European adventure. It took place on April 7, 1972, at Wembley Empire Pool in London. To mark the milestone, Rhino and Dead.net are announcing a series of upcoming releases and events connected to the celebrated tour.

This 4-CD set of LYCEUM THEATRE: MAY 26, 1972 from Rhino spotlights the epic last show of the Dead’s European tour. Notably, it was also the group’s penultimate performance with founding member, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, who died in March the following year. Despite his failing health, Pigpen electrified European audiences with his charismatic performances of “Chinatown Shuffle,” “Good Lovin’” and (his latest song) “The Stranger (Two Souls In Communion).” The tour, and the show, represents a bittersweet capstone to his too-short career.

“Throughout the Grateful Dead’s 30 years of touring, every year, and every tour, had exceptional moments and monumental shows. Only a few tours, though, can be said to have an exceptional night of music at every single show. Europe ’72 is one of the tours that can objectively and definitively said to include A+ performances on every stop,” says Grateful Dead legacy manager and archivist David Lemieux.  “The Dead’s momentum had been gaining steam during the past couple of years of non-stop touring, leading up to a peak in the Dead’s performing career: the Europe ’72 tour. From opening night on April 7 to the final show on May 26, the Grateful Dead made sure they were making fans for life, and the recordings don’t lie. Every show was truly an event, and we’re all so fortunate to be able to hear the tour’s music 50 years later, sounding better than ever.”