Former Phish Tour Manager Brad Sands Appears On ‘Under The Scales’ Podcast

From 1991 – 2004 Brad Sands served in various roles in Phish‘s touring operation including a long stint as road manager. Sands since moved on to manage Primus. The latest episode of Phish lyricist Tom Marshall’s Under The Scales podcast features a chat with Brad in which Sands reels off one interesting story after another about his time with the band.

Sands starts off by telling Marshall and co-host Stephen “Tebo” Thomas about how he discovered the music of Phish and how he turned a one-day gig moving gear into a full-time role with the band. Brad talks about his early days with Phish including the quartet’s first tour of Europe in 1992. One of the shows on the tour was an appearance at Denmark’s Roskilde Festival. Sands explains how Roskilde was the impetus and inspiration for Phish festivals.

Tom and Tebo continue to lead Brad through different moments in Phish’s career. Marshall tells a tale of flying with the band into Limestone for the Great Went festival and the shenanigans involved with the trip. The discussion then moves onto Phish’s Halloween shows. Brad gives his perspective of the quartet’s performance of Talking Heads’ Remain In Light, which he calls “the best one by far” in regards to albums Phish has covered. Later in the podcast, Sands explains the origins of “The Clinic,” a backstage area for friends of the band.

Another topic hit upon is Phish’s 1998 Summer Tour in which the group would debut a new cover at nearly every show. Brad gives a play-by-play of how the foursome’s lone version of “Terrapin Station” by the Grateful Dead came together on August 8, 1998. He also discusses his experience as a longtime Deadhead working with Trey Anastasio and Page McConnell at the “Phil & Phriends” shows in April of 1999.

Listen to the latest episode of Under The Scales below: