Phish Plays ‘Dickie Scotland Song’ At Soundcheck In 1999

Phish made a stop at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico on this date in 1999. Their Fall Tour concert on September 22, 1999 had several highlights, but it was the soundcheck performed before the show that’s perhaps the most memorable aspect of the appearance.

Fans were able to hear a portion of the soundcheck just months later thanks to Phish archivist Kevin Shapiro including a recording as part of his From The Archives show at Big Cypress during the band’s New Year’s festival in December 1999. Shapiro aired what’s been dubbed the “Dickie Scotland Song” – a tune made up by the band during practice in honor of their accountant Richard “Dickie Scotland” Glasgow.

Not to be confused with the funky impromptu “song” played during the last set at Coventry in August 2004, the “Dickie Scotland Song” played at soundcheck was an entirely different sort of silly. Prompted by the fact that the venue they were playing was on the campus of New Mexico State University where Glasgow went to college, guitarist Trey Anastasio improvised lyrics about their beloved crew member whom he noted was an “Aggie” – the mascot of NMSU.

Fellow NMSU attendee (therefore an Aggie too) and longtime Phish fan David “ZZYZX” Steinberg is also nick-namechecked as Anastasio calls out “The Timer.” Other on-the-spot verses include references to the various band members’ religious affiliations, resulting in a burst of “Jewgrass” featuring a bit of “Hava Nagila.” The end of the wild tune ends with drummer Jon Fishman shouting “Show me the money!” quotes from Jerry McGuire and Trey slipping in a subtle reference to Pink Floyd’s “Money.” Listen to the From The Archives clip of soundcheck from this date in 1999 here:

[Originally published September 22, 2016.]