Customer Reviews

Run Like an Antelope: On the Road with Phish

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(27)

 

 

Let me start by saying, I really, really wanted to like this book. There, unfortunately are just too many flaws. Shall I list them? Sure, I will:

a.The central character, Mr. Gibbons is a boring "wannabe".

b. He appears to have no fun at the Phish shows he attends. (I am still baffled as to how this can occur.)

c. He lacks the writing skills necessary to carry the book.

d. He is too concerned to not step on any toes, and therefore misses out on any opportunity to add any insight or intelligent knowledge of the shows he actually attends. (He only attends 2/3rds of the shows on his itinerary.)

e. He is afraid to communicate with any other "phans." Therefore eliminating any possibilty for an interesting third party to be written in. For those of you who know, Phish fans on the whole are extrememly giving and understanding people. Yet he shuns every one of them he comes in contact with.

f. Nothing really ever happens.

Please do not buy this book if you looking for anything that resembles Hunter Thompson, life on the road with Phish, or a light hearted music fan looking for a good time. Mr. Gibbons sabotages any such opportunity and has written a downright pathetic book that limps from page to page.

There is an occasional insight here, but ultimately this book is embarassing. You know that horrible scene in Bittersweet Motel with the two guys sitting talking about the difference between girls who ride in the jeeps and girls who ride in the microbuses? Imagine if those people went on tour and wrote a book about it.

When I recieved my copy of 'Run Like an Antelope' I eagerly read the back cover - and was immediately excited about the book. However as Sean Gibbon's story progressed I could not help but find myself dissapointed. Having attended over fifty Phish shows - and doing most of the tour Mr. Gibbon writes of - I was amazed at his lask of understanding of the true meaning of Phish. He constantly complains about how his tour was difficult, with backstage passes and hotel rooms, things that my friends and I would kill for. The author calls himself a Phish fan, and seems to enjoy the music (the best writing in the book occurs when he writes of his passion for the music), but he needs to realize all the positive things about Phish fans, not just the negative.

At first I was in high gear to read this, because it's a way to go on virtual tour in the Band's absence. I prepared myself to vicariously live out a fantasy that will never happen for me, now that I'm too old to go on tour, but two shows into it I realize I'm stuck on tour with a lame writer who doesn't know not to eat laced brownies in the parking lot. He also doesn't seem to have much personality or ability to capture the moment a la Kerouac.

It's a great concept. Too bad it was executed by this lame dude.

The "author" Sean Gibbon never asks good questions from his phellow tour rats, so we gain no insights. He pays little or no attention to the band's performances and misses some shows altogether. Some phan.

He blows all credibility as a music aficionado early on. Talking about the lack of substance in bands lyrics, he says: "There's no message in the Rolling Stones, and they truly are the best rock and roll band in the world. For the Stones, it's about ripping through a song with a strong guitar and some nasty lyrics."

Right, there's no message in Sympathy for the Devil, Gimme Shelter, Monkey Man, Street Fighting Man, Heartbreaker etc.

Idiot.

I would rather read all the ingredient labels in a super market than pick up this book again. I'm not claiming to be some know-all phishhead, but I know this book has no energy and has very little to do with Phish and their music. Hate to be so negative, but this book offers very little to the reader and seems to bank on the fame of a great band.

To be blunt, the book was disappointing on all levels. I read it while stuck overnight in a bookstore during a horrible rainstorm in Pennsylvania.

I have never "toured" with Phish, so to speak, merely attended many random shows when they were in my area. I am a trader, a taper and a phan. Beyond that, I myself am an avid reader and writer. On both of these planes, this book failed to interest me.

Phish fans: This book offers no insight to the music or energy of the tour that the reader was on. His willingness to miss shows merely to catch a few extra hours of sleep or to grab another bit to eat at the "Waffle House" is quite the letdown for an anxious fan who would give any one of his limbs to catch an extra show. He can't connect with those who feel truly privileged to be at any one of the shows on tour and he can't muster up the energy to satiate his lackluster curiosity. Don't expect to live vicariously through this book - it won't do that. Interested readers: The level of skill exhibited in the writing of this book is pathetic. Mr. Gibbon is more of an elementary school student trying for an "A" on his first real paper then a professional writer. The language is non-descriptive and trite. Clichés are used throughout and the entire novel seems to drag on as one lament after another molds together into a lump of words. There are better things to do with your time - don't waste it here.

There is an interesting concept here and the experience of touring with Phish really should be captured, but not by someone in a rented Jeep with hotel rooms at every tour stop.

Like Adam, I too bought this book based on something I read on the back cover. It's there that Sean Gibbon is compared to Bill Bryson, whose books never fail to make me laugh out loud. I laughed harder while reading Adam's brief review of the book than I did throughout the 217 pages of the book, with the exception of the few times I chuckled and shook my head at Sean Gibbon's lack of knowledge about his subject and his audience.

This book was EXTREMELY dissapointing. Much of the book is filled with Gibbon's lamentations about the inability to write, the inability to interview people, and the inability to really connect with his girlfriend via his cell phone. The few insights he makes about the tour and the people on it are watery and short-sighted, at best.

Oh my God. Many of my thoughts only reiterate the majority of reviews posted prior to mine.

To say this is a "book", is an insult to literature and literature fans throughout the world.

I cannot even believe I have to say this, buy this is a grave injustice to fans of music, Phish, (and the Grateful Dead).

It's more of a self-serving diary than anything else.

And OMD what a lame-a$$. He seemed to hate everything, and yet stated he was a longtime fan. WTF?

LMAO - he couldn't handle a brownie. Not keeping score, but give me one break please.

BTW Sean, did you like ANY of the music played? Gee, tough to get paid to follow Phish for a summer tour. Sorry bro

I was heartily dissapointed by this book. I have wanted to write a book concerning this topic and in this style, and was excited find out that one existed and was stoked to read it. However I thought the author did a horrible of capturing the scene, of trying to introduce new people to what they might expect on phish tour, or reminding old heads of what tour life is like. And franly, the writing sucks. All and all dont read this book if you are knowledgable about phish and have experienced their wonder, because reading this well be nothing but a kick in the head