Gamehendge
Encyclopedia
Gamehendge is the fictional setting for a number of songs by the rock band Phish
. Most of the songs can be traced back to The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday
(or TMWSIY), the senior thesis of guitarist and primary vocalist Trey Anastasio
, written while he attended Goddard College
in 1987. The recording of TMWSIY has been heavily circulated among fans and is considered by some to be an unreleased Phish album.
album, tells the story of Colonel Forbin, a retired colonel from Long Island
, New York
, who enters the land of Gamehendge and rescues a document called the Helping Friendly Book from an evil dictator named Wilson.
Other Gamehendge Songs
, sometimes with Anastasio narrating parts of the story to the audience. The earliest known performance of a Gamehendge song was "McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters" on March 4, 1985, in Burlington, Vermont
. On five occasions in the band's history (03.12.1988, 10.13.1991, 03.22.1993, 06.26.1994 and 07.08.1994), Phish
performed a complete set of Gamehendge songs, complete with narration. Each song list has been slightly different from one another. The 1994 shows were recorded in 24-track digital for, it is assumed, a CD-ROM
project that was mentioned in a 1994 Doniac Schvice. The project has long since been shelved.
Another common sequence at shows from 1988 to 1994, and less frequently after, was to play Colonel Forbin's Ascent segueing into Fly Famous Mockingbird, often with an Anastasio monologue sandwiched in between.
When songs from the project are performed live, accompanying narration often details the transportation of the audience to Gamehendge. Some fans speak of "going to Gamehendge" with reference to attending a Phish concert. Some songs and narratives explain how to get to Gamehendge, as evident in live versions of "Kung," "N02," and "It's Ice."http://www.phish.net/faq/gamehendge.html
Phish
Phish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, and exploration of music across genres. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 , the band's four members – Trey Anastasio , Mike Gordon , Jon Fishman , and Page McConnell Phish is an American rock band...
. Most of the songs can be traced back to The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday
The Man Who Stepped into Yesterday
The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday was written as the senior thesis study by Trey Anastasio, the guitarist and lead vocalist of the American rock band Phish...
(or TMWSIY), the senior thesis of guitarist and primary vocalist Trey Anastasio
Trey Anastasio
Trey Anastasio is an American guitarist, composer, and vocalist most noted for his work with the rock band Phish...
, written while he attended Goddard College
Goddard College
Goddard College is a private, liberal arts college located in Plainfield, Vermont, offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Goddard College currently operates on an intensive low-residency model...
in 1987. The recording of TMWSIY has been heavily circulated among fans and is considered by some to be an unreleased Phish album.
Story
The Gamehendge saga, as told on The Man Who Stepped Into YesterdayThe Man Who Stepped into Yesterday
The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday was written as the senior thesis study by Trey Anastasio, the guitarist and lead vocalist of the American rock band Phish...
album, tells the story of Colonel Forbin, a retired colonel from Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, who enters the land of Gamehendge and rescues a document called the Helping Friendly Book from an evil dictator named Wilson.
Characters from Gamehendge
- The Lizards (the race of people who inhabit Gamehendge and are dependent on the writings of the Helping Friendly Book for their survival)
- Wilson (a traveller who arrives in Gamehendge and eventually captures the Helping Friendly Book from the Lizards and locks it in the top of his castle, thus becoming the sole ruler of Gamehendge)
- Colonel Forbin (a retired colonel who embarks on a mission to rescue the Helping Friendly Book from the tower of Wilson's castle)
- McGrupp (Colonel Forbin's dog)
- Rutherford the Brave (head knight of the Lizards who leads a team of allies to help overthrow Wilson)
- Tela (member of the allies and Colonel Forbin's object of desire who is eventually revealed as a spy for Wilson)
- Errand Wolfe (member of the allies who keeps the book for himself after overthrowing Wilson instead of returning it to the Lizards, thus declaring himself ruler)
- Roger Wolfe (member of the allies, Errand's son. Hung by Wilson in the public square on suspicion of treason.)
- Mr. Palmer (Wilson's accountant who is hanged by the AC/DC Bag in the town square after he is caught embezzling money to fund the allies)
- The AC/DC Bag (a robotic hangman with a bag on its head used to hang traitors and enemies of Wilson)
- The Unit Monster (a giant monster who is a member of the allies and is killed along with Tela for spying)
- Spotted Stripers (Three legged messenger birds sent by Tela the spy to reveal information to Wilson about the activities of the allies)
- Multibeasts (giant four-legged creatures that are used as transportation by the people of Gamehendge, much like horses or camels. They have long curly hair and splotches of brown and white color.)
- The Famous Mockingbird (a bird who is sent by Icculus to fly to the very top of Wilson's castle and retrieve the Helping Friendly Book for Colonel Forbin)
- The Sloth (a hitman who is hired to murder Wilson after the Helping Friendly Book is rescued)
- Icculus (the Supreme God of the Sky and author of the Helping Friendly Book)
- Llamas (giant animals used by the Lizards in combat; complete with huge guns on each side)
- Jimmy (young resident of Gamehendge)
- Poster Nutbag (The cat owned by Jimmy; always dies some form of death towards the end of the song 'Harpua', an ever-changing narration sometimes taking place in Gamehenge)
- Harpua (A mean bulldog owned by an old man who was banished from Jimmy's village; invariably ends up in a terrible fight with Poster Nutbag, usually resulting in Poster's death, sometimes set in Gamehenge.)
Songs from Gamehendge
Songs from The Man Who Stepped into YesterdayThe Man Who Stepped into Yesterday
The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday was written as the senior thesis study by Trey Anastasio, the guitarist and lead vocalist of the American rock band Phish...
- The Man Who Stepped into YesterdayThe Man Who Stepped into YesterdayThe Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday was written as the senior thesis study by Trey Anastasio, the guitarist and lead vocalist of the American rock band Phish...
(The introduction features the story's main theme music as the narrator describes the lonely life of Colonel Forbin and what happens when he begins to see an image of a strange door on a daily basis) - The Lizards (Colonel Forbin, while on a walk with his "flea-hound McGrupp", decides to finally walk through the door, thus entering the land of Gamehendge. The song features Colonel Forbin hearing tales about the saga of the Lizards, Wilson, and the Helping Friendly Book as told by native Rutherford the Brave)
- TelaLive Phish Volume 1Live Phish Vol. 1 was recorded live at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton, New York on December 14, 1995. The show occurred towards the end of the band's 1995 fall tour, which featured a tour-long chess game between Phish and its audience...
(Colonel Forbin joins Rutherford and other allies, one of whom is the beautiful Tela. The song reveals Colonel Forbin's deep feelings for Tela) - WilsonA Live OneA Live One is a live album by the American rock band Phish, released on June 27, 1995, by Elektra Records. The album was the Phish's first official live release, and the band's only "traditional" live album, wherein songs from several different shows are compiled into one composite "set"...
(a song introducing the evil king Wilson, who captured the Helping Friendly Book from the Lizards and declared himself ruler of Gamehendge) - AC/DC Bag (tells the story of the execution of Mr. Palmer, Wilson's accountant. Palmer was using Wilson's money to secretly fund the revolution, and was therefore hanged in the town square by the AC/DC Bag, a mechanical hangman)
- Colonel Forbin's Ascent (details Colonel Forbin's journey to the top of a giant mountain to ask for the help of Icculus, the Supreme God of the Sky, in regaining the Helping Friendly Book, which Icculus wrote, from Wilson)
- Fly Famous Mockingbird (Icculus sends his friend, the Famous Mockingbird, to retrieve the Helping Friendly Book from Wilson's Castle)
- The Sloth (once the book is recovered, the Sloth is hired by the allies to murder Wilson)
- Possum (a non-Gamehendge song written by original PhishPhishPhish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, and exploration of music across genres. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 , the band's four members – Trey Anastasio , Mike Gordon , Jon Fishman , and Page McConnell Phish is an American rock band...
guitarist Jeff HoldsworthJeff HoldsworthJeff Holdsworth was a founding member of the rock band Phish. He was their first leader, singing lead vocals and playing guitar. He co-founded the band in the fall of 1983 with Trey Anastasio while living in the Redstone campus dormitories of the University of Vermont...
and later entered into the story by Anastasio with altered lyrics to fit the Gamehendge theme. It offers a strange moral: Icculus considers all that's happened in Gamehendge, offers a slogan to consider ("ain't no truth in action unless you believe it anyway") and describes the roadside demise of a possum. Aside from "Col. Forbin's Ascent," this is Icculus's only direct speech in the Gamehendge saga.)
Other Gamehendge Songs
- The Divided SkyJunta (album)Junta is the first official studio release from the American rock band Phish. The album was independently recorded and released on tape in 1988, and did not appear in stores officially until May 8, 1989. The album was re-released by Elektra Records on October 26, 1992...
(a chant performed by the Lizards as they stand on the edge of a rhombus and shout to the sky, praising Icculus) - LlamaA Picture of NectarA Picture of Nectar is the third official studio album and first on a major-label by the American rock band Phish, released on February 12, 1992, through Elektra Records...
(a tale from the later years of Wilson's reign in Gamehendge during a violent war) - McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters (the story of a shepherd who lives in Gamehendge, whose flock is watched over by Colonel Forbin's dog, McGrupp. This was originally a poem that inspired the Gamehendge saga, then grafted onto the music from a song that Trey wrote with his mother entitled Skippy The Wondermouse which was performed live until 1985.)
- Punch You in the EyePhish: New Year's Eve 1995 - Live at Madison Square GardenNew Year's Eve 1995 - Live at Madison Square Garden is a live concert release by the American rock band Phish, released in 2005. The album comprises the band's entire December 31, 1995 show at Madison Square Garden, named by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the "Greatest Concerts of the '90s".The...
(tells the story of a traveller who passes through Gamehendge during Wilson's reign and his subsequent escape from Wilson's jail) - IcculusJunta (album)Junta is the first official studio release from the American rock band Phish. The album was independently recorded and released on tape in 1988, and did not appear in stores officially until May 8, 1989. The album was re-released by Elektra Records on October 26, 1992...
(introduces Icculus, the Supreme God of the Sky and author of the Helping Friendly Book) - Harpua (tells the story of a mean bulldog who sometimes lives in Gamehendge, however not all Harpua narration sequences include Gamehenge)
- Axilla (a tale of monsters, witches, and battles in old time Gamehendge)
- Axilla, Part 2Hoist (album)Hoist is the fifth official studio album by the American rock band Phish, released on March 29, 1994, by Elektra Records. At the time of its release, Hoist was Phish's best selling album to date....
(told years later during peacetime in Gamehendge as the narrator reflects on the land's past turmoil) - Kung (a chant that one must perform in order to enter the land of Gamehendge)
- EstherJunta (album)Junta is the first official studio release from the American rock band Phish. The album was independently recorded and released on tape in 1988, and did not appear in stores officially until May 8, 1989. The album was re-released by Elektra Records on October 26, 1992...
and RebaLawn BoyLawn Boy is Phish's second official studio album, released on September 21, 1990, on the Absolute A Go Go Records and Rough Trade labels. Vinyl LPs of the original Absolute A Go Go release are still known to circulate...
have also been mentioned as possible Gamehendge characters, especially EstherEstherEsther , born Hadassah, is the eponymous heroine of the Biblical Book of Esther.According to the Bible, she was a Jewish queen of the Persian king Ahasuerus...
who Trey Anastasio has said hails from a part of Gamehendge. The "flying jam" in Esther also appears as the interlude between several of the TMWSIY songs lending said songs a thematic, musical link. - Gamehendge Time PhactoryPhish: New Year's Eve 1995 - Live at Madison Square GardenNew Year's Eve 1995 - Live at Madison Square Garden is a live concert release by the American rock band Phish, released in 2005. The album comprises the band's entire December 31, 1995 show at Madison Square Garden, named by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the "Greatest Concerts of the '90s".The...
Character and Location References
- In the story, "Prussia" is a city that was constructed in the land of Gamehendge. In the song "Wilson," Anastasio refers to Wilson as the "King of Prussia." This lyric references an actual city named King of Prussia, PennsylvaniaKing of Prussia, PennsylvaniaKing of Prussia is a census-designated place in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 19,936. The community took its name in the 18th century from a local tavern named the King of Prussia Inn, which was named after...
, which is where "the rhombus" was rumored to be located. Actually located near Anastasio's childhood home in Princeton, New JerseyPrinceton, New JerseyPrinceton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
, the rhombus is a giant piece of art located in a field where Anastasio, PhishPhishPhish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, and exploration of music across genres. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 , the band's four members – Trey Anastasio , Mike Gordon , Jon Fishman , and Page McConnell Phish is an American rock band...
lyricist Tom MarshallTom Marshall (singer)Tom Marshall is a lyricist, keyboardist and singer/songwriter best known for his association with Trey Anastasio and the rock band Phish...
, and other friends would engage in lengthy songwriting sessions (including some Gamehendge songs). "The Divided Sky" also references the rhombus, where the Lizards supposedly chant to the sky in praise of Icculus. - The Roger Holloway song "Mr. Richburg's Lullaby" also references more of Anastasio's friends, including Mike Christian, Holloway ("Roger Wolfe" in the story, also immortalized in "AC/DC Bag"), and drummer Pete Cottone. Anastasio and Holloway perform the instrumental duet "Aftermath" on the very first Phish album, which also features Pete Cottone on drums for "Slave to the Traffic Light."
- Dave Abrahms, an old friend and songwriting collaborator of Anastasio's, is referenced in "McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters."
Live Performances
The songs from Gamehendge have been played many times throughout the career of PhishPhish
Phish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, and exploration of music across genres. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 , the band's four members – Trey Anastasio , Mike Gordon , Jon Fishman , and Page McConnell Phish is an American rock band...
, sometimes with Anastasio narrating parts of the story to the audience. The earliest known performance of a Gamehendge song was "McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters" on March 4, 1985, in Burlington, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
. On five occasions in the band's history (03.12.1988, 10.13.1991, 03.22.1993, 06.26.1994 and 07.08.1994), Phish
Phish
Phish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, and exploration of music across genres. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 , the band's four members – Trey Anastasio , Mike Gordon , Jon Fishman , and Page McConnell Phish is an American rock band...
performed a complete set of Gamehendge songs, complete with narration. Each song list has been slightly different from one another. The 1994 shows were recorded in 24-track digital for, it is assumed, a CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
project that was mentioned in a 1994 Doniac Schvice. The project has long since been shelved.
Another common sequence at shows from 1988 to 1994, and less frequently after, was to play Colonel Forbin's Ascent segueing into Fly Famous Mockingbird, often with an Anastasio monologue sandwiched in between.
When songs from the project are performed live, accompanying narration often details the transportation of the audience to Gamehendge. Some fans speak of "going to Gamehendge" with reference to attending a Phish concert. Some songs and narratives explain how to get to Gamehendge, as evident in live versions of "Kung," "N02," and "It's Ice."http://www.phish.net/faq/gamehendge.html
External Links
- http://music.ibiblio.org/pub/multimedia/jamz/SBDs/trey-gamehendge.shnf/ Lossless SHN download of TMWSIY(Gamehendge)
- http://www.phish.net/faq/gamehendge.html Phish.net's explanation of Gamehendge
- http://www.musicgods.com/phish/lyrics/Ygamehendge.htm The entire transcription of Trey's Gamehendge senior thesis.
- http://www.sendspace.com/file/nz991q A free download of a compilation of 100 artists that reworked Gamehendge for Little Fury Things Records.