So this makes my third year in a row seeing
The Australian Pink Floyd Show. They were amazing in 2007, fell off a bit in 2008 (the setlist wasn't worth writing home about), but now they're back on top and in perfect form! The Aussies have topped themselves
yet again! It's a greatest hits setlist with a few surprises thrown in. The lasers and lights were flashing, the inflatables were jumpin' and the band did not disappoint!
Firm in my seat, the lights were low. A blank Mr. Screen. A drum set to the back-left, the keyboards in the front-right, and various guitar rigs set up inbetween. It felt like a Floyd concert before it even started. The lights dimmed all the way, Mr. Screen showed signs of life, and the iconic heartbeats slowly faded in. "...I've been mad for fucking years, absolutely years, over the edge for yonks...", "...I've always been mad, I know I've been mad, like most of us have...". The thumping and maniacal laughter reached a breaking point, to where it could get no louder, and
Speak to Me was segued via the beautiful opening chords of
Breathe. The lap steel sounded perfect, like David himself were there playing it for the very first time. After Breathe came
On the Run in which the usual visuals and accompanying sounds were there, and it was all spot on. The alarms began ringing violently after the crash, and
Time was in full swing. The roto-toms were right on the mark and took us into the vocals. "Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day-yy,". The guitar solo was fabulous and the keyboardist made sure Richard was given justice.
The Great Gig in the Sky followed the reprise of Breathe, while pictures of the late Mr. Wright appearing on Mr. Screen. The two ladies filling the role of Clare Torre did a fantastic job as always, standing ovations (well deserved) for both. Those girls really give it their all and have amazing voices.
We look up to Mr. Screen to see an animated kangaroo hopping out of bed and putting the
Wish You Were Here vinyl on. And so starts the haunting sounds of
Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V). A flawless, note-for-note rendition of the song is played, with Dick Parry being done more than enough justice by their saxophonist. After a picture of the late-
Syd Barrett becomes visible during the fade-out, we hear the familiar droning sounds of
Welcome to the Machine. This was one of the highlights of the show for me. They really got the song rockin', the crowd got into it and the ladies on back-up did a terrific job bringing the lyrics to life. Stellar job.
The kangaroo then got back up (looking a bit stoned at this point) and put on
Animals. "If you didn't care...", "...and watching for pigs on the wing". And then came that familiar fade-in of acoustic guitar that is
Dogs. A beautiful, spot-on rendition of the 17 minute classic. The guitar solos were there, the sound was tight and the tone was perfect. Another highlight for me. After we were done getting "dragged down by the stone!", it was time for intermission...
We find our seats to the sounds of Peter Jenner sounding off many different moons. The guitar comes in and following Nick's replicated drum fill, we're all lime and limpid-green with
Astronomy Domine. This was another highlight for me. The tone was nailed to a T, the vocals were great; it just very tight and had a great groove to it. Up next was
Learning to Fly, which of course had everyone air-drumming along. This is where I start to forget which order they played what songs. The iron bell was tolled, and Pink Floyd's swan song,
High hopes pleasured our ears. Featuring the Floyd's very own video used during their 1994 tour, which added to the experience and authenticity even more. The lap steel was killer and the acoustic outro was as beautiful as on
David Gilmour's 2006 tour.
Take It Back was well-received by the crowd and had a couple of people just laying back, closing their eyes and letting the music hit them.
To my surprise, they played
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun for the second time in three years, and it was even better than when I saw them do it in 2007. The added saxophone is a treat, but the guitar solo afterwards is what makes the song for me! The guitarist really gets into it and goes nuts, and sends the crowd into a frenzy, before it returns to its slow and steady pace. They really make a good song great. The wind begins swirling and howling, and we hear the bass flicker twice. Boom boom. Bwaang bwaang. Then again. Boom boom. Bwaang bwaang. The band jumps into a hoppin' rendition of
One of These Days, which features a bouncing inflated kangaroo on stage jumping in time to the song! The lap steel was killer and the drums were thumping like they were on a mission. No wonder the inflated-kangaroo was bouncing so high!
After that, what easily became my highlight of the night, by far the most under-known song they performed, but my second favorite Floyd song of all time:
The Gunner's Dream. I recall screaming at the top of my lungs, once I realized, "YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!". Nobody else seemed to recognize what song it was from the opening piano, but I knew. I've never heard this song live before, and I was NOT disappointed. This made my night and then some. The unbelievable vocals were absolutely nailed by their Roger, and the "DREAAAAAAAAAAAM" blended perfectly into the saxophone, almost better than on the album itself. Absolutely beautiful and I loved every second of it.
Then we faintly hear a helicopter buzzing in. Spotlights begin searching through the crowd. Any true Floyd fan knows what's on the way, and the casuals soon find out. The spotlight stops suddenly on someone. "YOU! YES, YOU! STAND STILL LADDIE!", and in comes the thumping bass of
The Happiest Days of Our Lives, followed by
Another Brick In The Wall (Part II), in which it seemed like everyone got a solo or a moment to shine! The keyboard solo was really amazing and he made his presence felt up there. I was blown away. And then we hear a radio... random stations, switched every two or three seconds, until the radio we all know and love is heard. Then the two acoustics do their work: Ba dana ba bann (that's the intro if you don't know).
Wish You Were Here begins, and suddenly it goes from one man singing, to 2,501 singers all in tune, singing their hearts out. Pictures of the Floyd, past and present are shown. As early as the
Arnold Layne promo, to as recent as Live 8. The last image of the four embracing at Live 8 almost brought tears to my eyes. A beautiful performance with a beautiful video to go with it. Not one chair had a butt in it; everyone was on their feet applauding. Then came the band introductions...
The kangaroo then got out of bed one more time. He carefully-selected a sleeve from the shelf. All white with black lines plaguing it.
The Wall was going to get it's turn, and boy did it get it proper. Beginning with
Hey You, followed by
Is There Anybody Out There featuring stunning hand-picked acoustics, stellar vocals on Nobody Home, bringing it home with
Vera/
Bring the Boys Back Home and ending with
Comfortably Numb. The bassist dressed up as a doctor, held a clipboard and talked to his patient in his chair. One thing you just have to hear for yourself, is how much the bassist sounds like
Roger Waters. He is dead-on, no two ways about it. He gave the patient a "pin-prick" with a syringe, and it was all very cleverly done. Both solos were nailed and the band got into it like it was the last song they would ever play, and when the disco ball dropped during the second solo, the whole place lit up. Not one person wasn't in awe of the music and the accompanying visuals.
They then said their goodbyes, and walked off stage.
But we stayed. We stood on our tippy-toes screaming, yelling, cheering, whistling, clapping, et cetera. And out they came for one more song. Dressed in all black, including aviators and a trench coat, was the faux-Roger asking "Are there any paranoids in the audience?", a la the live renditions of
Run Like Hell from the early '80's. He invited everyone to "have a clap", and the whole place was on it's feet for the last song of the night, Run Like Hell. The power of the lasers are really showcased here, and the Aussie's show their dedication to authenticism by bringing out a warthog from Pink Floyd's 1994 tours. This thing is huge, and the eyes still light up beat-red! It was amazing, and left everyone with sore hands and a hoarse throat from all the clapping and screaming, respectively.
All in all, one of the best concerts I've ever been to. I'd put it ahead of my first two times seeing them (my
2007 review is
here, I also saw them in 2008), they just keep getting better and I'm very pleasantly surprised. I'm not gonna lie, I was very surprised
Money,
Us and Them and
Brain Damage/
Eclipse didn't get played. But it did not detract from the concert one bit. If these guys come to your area, reward yourself for being a
Pink Floyd fan: SEE THESE GUYS!.
©
Ryan Horseshoes October 10th, 2009.
David Gilmour
