Author: Richard Hill

Well, 2025 proved a fun filled and challenging year for us in equal measure. The first 6 months saw us solidify our regulatrgigs at the Fiddlers Elbow in Kentish Town with the biggest regular audiences we’ve ever had. A few shows there have been sell outs this year so huge thanks to our loyal followers and fellow Grateful Dead lovers for bringing your friends and spreading the music.
The Playing On The Farm festival saw us playing once again, with many thanks to Will and all the organisers for inviting us once again. This great weekend is coming back for its fifth year this summer, so mark that down on your calendars once again.
Almost immediately after, we heard the news that Bill had suffered a stroke. He’s still well on the way to recovery but still not able to give his best Pigpen raps just yet. Andrew came in to sit on the keyboard stool in replacement and showed that the pre-party for Bob Weir and Wolf Bros at the Albert Hall wasn’t a fluke. He has taken the keyboard parts and made them his own, so thanks to him for his ability to learn almost 4 shows’ worth of tunes so quickly.

We look ahead to 2026 with excitement, with the year bringing a number of new venues for us. Nambucca and O’Neills (Leytonstone) in London are both larger rooms to accommodate more London Heads . Outside of London, we have Hitchin’s Club 85 to visit and make new friends. Further afield we have Liverpool’s District and on the South coast we have Lewes Con Club, while travelling further North we visit The Fulford Arms in York, with an honourable mention to The Portland Arms in Cambridge for our second visit and a return to the ever popular SOL party for the long running Deadhead party of all parties.

Check our shows page for all these and more as they get announced and become available.

We could do it without y’all, but it sure wouldn’t be as much fun, so thank you all and here’s hoping for a healthy and peaceful 2026 from all of us

A few days after the heady highs of the marvellous Playing On The Farm gig in July, our keyboard player Bill Giles was taken ill and hospitalised.

It is still early days in terms of the long term recovery process, and so it is currently impossible to know at this time when Bill will re-join us on stage. We appreciate this will come as a shock to many of our loyal fans. We wish to stress that Bill is doing well and making progress.

Our brother Bill’s current situation is deeply concerning for all of us in the Dudes, but we are pleased to announce that our good friend Andrew Tsonchev has kindly agreed to step in and keep the piano seat warm until such times as Bill can make a return. He will be playing keys at all our upcoming gigs for the time being. Some of you will have seen Andrew play with us at the Streatham gig in June.

We are most grateful to Andrew Tsonchev for stepping in like this at short notice and allowing us to continue with the Dudes at this current time. Andrew is an excellent musician and we know you will all give him a warm welcome at our upcoming shows.

To be very clear – our gigs will go ahead as planned.

We are sure you will all join us in sending Good Lovin’ to Bill and wishing him a speedy recovery. 

Well well well, it goes to show you never do well. A hurriedly put together show and a new venue for us and you took us to the stratosphere with a fantastic turn out of over 300 deadheads celebrating the best music in the world. The split between Americans travelling over and loyal UK heads was about even with everyone treating everyone else with much respect and family values. The way the UK Dead scene is coming together here 60 years after the first gig in San Fransico for our favourite band is just incredible.
There is lots of media on the web, on facebook, in blogs and even a podcast recorded just for this event so poke around and I’n sure you’ll find the fun.
It was a hot sultry Friday night in South London and the atmosphere was as good as it gets with fine support from the Bog Sky Orchestra playing a great acoustic set before we took the stage area for one of the highlights of our career… so far!

Thank you to everyone making the effort to come and celebrate the Grateful Dead.

With Bobby Weir coming over to London bringing his Wolfpack along to play with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, (21st June) we have been fortunate enough to bag a venue to play a welcome and pre-party show for all the travelling deadheads looking for great music and a place to hang out the day before.
The Crown And Sceptre pub has made itself available and we’ll be playing from 7.00 – 11.00 with the live music starting at 5.00 pm with our good friends, Big Sky Orchestra as support.

Its going to be a fabulous event not to be missed by any UK or Worldwide Deadheads looking to say How Do You Do to as many friends and family as possible.
Tickets are limited to 200 inside the venue, but there is a chance to hear from outside with seating and ample parking for all.
get your tickets by visiting our shows page.

For any Americans coming over for the week, we will be playing our regular show at the Fiddlers Elbow the week before so make sure you get a double dose of the UK Dead scene while you’re here

Thank you to everyone who came out to see us recently in September, Fiddlers Elbow, Hare and Hounds, Hebden Bridge Trades and finally 229 London. It sure was a busy time for us with so many new friends jumping on the bus.
Here’s a couple of shots of guests Rob and Skip from the Dark Star Orchestra who called in at the 229 show

2025 dates

Fri 10 Jan Fiddlers

Fri 07 Mar Fiddlers

Fri 21 Mar Greystones, Sheffield

Sat 22 Mar Hare & Hounds

Fri 11 Apr Fiddlers

Fri 13 Jun Fiddlers

Sat 12 Jul Cirencester

Fri 12 Sep Fiddlers

Sat 13 Sep Con Club, Lewes

Fri 19 Sep Hare & Hounds

Sat 27 Sep Hebden Bridge

Fri 07 Nov Fiddlers

Fri 12 Dec Fiddlers

We sure hope that you can put at least some of these into your diary now. Links and details to follow in the new year

The welcome we got from the German heads was far better than we could have imagined it would’ve, with old friendships rekindled and new forged.
With fine support first from Mathais Peter (MP Musik), then a wonderful example of Deutsche Jam from Schluff Jull, and an incredibly high energy bluegrass set from Jawbone for the Saturday night, it was an epic trip that we’ll not forget in a hurry, and we sure would like to come back to the continent again.
The three shows were played deep into the early hours and no repeats were played. We think we could have played a fourth night and still not had to repeat a tune.
Matthias joined us onstage for all three shows for drums to the end of set two all three nights where he added some amazing electronic and Beam effects to enhance the two drum battalion on Paul and Bob, so check out the tapes.
Look out for dates in 2020 when we hope to return!

“ we love this music as much as you & very much appreciate the support . Keep coming to see us and we’ll keep working on these tunes “ – Paul

“You don’t just play the Grateful Dead, You guys celebrate The Grateful Dead” – Arne