Wild Child

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History

Those who are looking for the roots of Phish’s decision to cover the Velvet Underground’s Loaded for Halloween 1998 can go all the way back to one of the band’s very first shows. On 11/3/84 at the University of Vermont’s Slade Hall, the band attempts “Wild Child,” from VU hauteur Lou Reed’s debut solo album (consisting mostly of songs intended for VU). This performance of the song, similar in structure to Loaded’s “Sweet Jane,” features Trey attempting to mimic Reed’s voice by singing in a lower register, and ends with a very un-Reed-like psychedelic jam that segues into the Grateful Dead’s “Bertha.” For years, the only other known Phish performances of “Wild Child” were 5/3/85 and 9/8/88, but additional versions have been found as more setlists were confirmed. One might also do themselves the questionable pleasure to seek out a recording of "Wild Child" from Space Antelope's 12/7/82 gig featuring Trey and The Dude of Life.

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