Europe '72, Vol. 5: 4/16/72 (Stakladen, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark)

For The Grateful Dead’s second show in Denmark on the 1972 European tour, they performed without Donna Jean Godchaux on backing vocals and opted to bypass the encore, ending the show 10 minutes shy of three hours. This concert is one of the few early shows to not have any performances pulled for either the 1972 triple-LP set Europe ’72 or any of the subsequent compilations of European 1972 shows that began appearing in the CD age. For these reasons, this volume holds an obscure appeal. The only surprises in the set are mild ones. Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter’s “Dire Wolf” and Bob Weir and John Perry Barlow’s “Mexicali Blues” make their first appearances for this leg of the tour. The remaining highlights are the usual ones, with the “China Cat Sunflower"/"I Know You Rider” medley and “Playing in the Band” stretching out the first set and a 20-minute take on “Good Lovin’” and the “Truckin’"/"Jam"/"The Other One"/"Me and My Uncle"/"Not Fade Away"/"Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad” medley creating a flowing web of sound that made for a finale of 50-plus minutes.