The Dave Garland Interview

He Didn’t Have Control

​by David Garland

​When Bigfoot opened up for the Dead in 1968, it was bizarre. They were telling us, “When you walk down the staircase, don’t put your hand on the rail.” We liked LSD, but we figured it was best if we didn’t go out and play on that stuff. That was the big time for us. I had never met Bobby Weir until then.

​Eventually I had an opportunity to get involved with Weir, who I just love. Being in that band was the most fun time of my life ever. Weir let us all profit-share.

​Bobby Cochran was my friend. When Brent Mydland decided he didn’t want to play with the Midnites, I got the opportunity.

​I showed up at rehearsal and they said, “OK, you’re in.” Eventually meeting Alphonso Johnson, Billy Cobham, and Kenny Gradney was amazing. They’re all great players.

​I have really good musical instincts. What I lacked in technique I just shut my eyes and went for it. With Bobby I would jump into the jams without any preconceived idea of what I was going to do. He’d have fragments of tunes, and we’d put them together. That’s the beauty of jazz and that’s the way jazz should be played.

​That band wasn’t like the Dead, because of all the strong personalities. Bobby Weir didn’t have control over that band.