ABSTRACT
As the fiftieth anniversary of the formation of the Grateful Dead approaches, the
reputation of their fans as an unusually loyal and dedicated cohort of followers is as secure
as ever. This has been maintained despite the formal demise of the band following the
death of Jerry Garcia in 1995, and has been charted in a significant number of academic
commentaries. However, these have been conducted in an American context. There have
been few, if any, investigations of the activities of fans in other territories. European fans
have been distanced from the routine cultural references to the band and starved of
opportunities to attend their concerts. This paper sets out to explore the continuing world
of European Deadheads by showing how they have produced alternative, often
interrelated, strategies, responses, and understandings to define their status.
