Review of the Dodge Theatre Show....
Taken from
www.azcentral.com/thingstodo/music/artic...ralianpinkfloyd.html
Pink Floyd tribute: Better than the real thing?
by Michael Senft - Sept. 26, 2009 10:55 AM
Special for The Republic
This may sound sacrilegious, but after seeing the performance by the Australian Pink Floyd Show at the Dodge Theatre Friday, Sept. 25, who cares which one is Pink?
They didn't have the lasers or the giant mirror ball during the three-hour show, but in many other ways it was better than Pink Floyd's final show in the Valley 15 years ago. For example:
There was less traffic and better parking.
Shorter lines at the concession stands and restrooms.
More material originally sung by bassist Roger Waters, who left the band in the early '80s in one of rock and roll's most heated feuds, notably songs from the 1977 Pink Floyd album "Animals." And finally, songs like "Comfortably Numb" and "Run Like Hell" sounded better without Floyd guitarist David Gilmour weakly trying to sing Waters' vocal parts.
Formed in Adelaide, Australia in 1988 by guitarist Steve Mac, the Aussie Floyd show has become the most successful tribute band in the world, performing the music and closely recreating the Pink Floyd concert experience across the globe. The show had many of the classic Pink Floyd concert staples, including the circular video screen, dubbed "Mr. Screen," which Floyd used during its concerts. Indeed several of the videos used during the concert were actual ones used by Floyd during the bands 1994 "Division Bell" tour.
Aussie Floyd even has one of the actual giant inflatable pigs used by the real Floyd on that final tour.
Unlike previous Valley appearances from the Australian Pink Floyd Show, which concentrated on specific albums, this year's show was billed as Big Pink's Greatest Hits and featured an LP side (remember those?) of each of Floyd's most famous albums, 1973's "Dark Side of the Moon", 1975's "Wish You Were Here", 1977's "Animals" and 1979's "The Wall." In addition, the show featured a sprinkling of other classics ranging from Floyd's earliest days ("Astronomy Domine") to "The Division Bell" ("Take It Back").
Bassist/singer Ian Cattell deserves much credit for the performance - he capably handled Waters' high vocals on the "Animals" material and did a great job recreating the more cinematic performances from "The Wall." But he also uncannily sounded like the lower-pitched Gilmour on the latter-day Floyd tunes "High Hopes" and "Learning to Fly." "Wish You Were Here" took on a new meaning during the show as well.
Originally penned as a tribute to former Floyd singer Syd Barrett, who left the band after suffering a mental breakdown in the late '60s, Aussie Floyd transformed it into a tribute to the whole band, augmenting the song with classic video clips of the group, closing with the quartet's final bow at Live 8 in 2005. But Aussie Floyd didn't just slavishly recreate the Pink Floyd concert experience. They put their own stamp on the show as well. The various album sections were introduced with animated videos of a tie-dye-wearing kangaroo changing records on a turntable, and, in addition to the aforementioned giant pig, they had Skippy, a giant inflatable kangaroo that made an appearance during "One of These Days." In some of the places where they weren't able to use Floyd's original videos, they created their own kangaroo-themed adaptations as well.
One of the saddest realities in rock and roll is that Pink Floyd will likely never tour again. Even though the longtime feuds that kept Waters and the rest of the band separate throughout the '80s and '90s are mostly settled, time has taken its toll (and didn't they write a song about that a few years ago?), and death has claimed Barrett and keyboardist Rick Wright. So for many who were too young to catch them in their prime, or even their '80s and '90s incarnation, the Australian Pink Floyd Show is as close as they will get to seeing the real thing.
Thankfully, it's pretty darn close.
Set list:
"Speak to Me"
"Breathe"
"On the Run"
"Time"
"Breathe (Reprise)"
"Great Gig in the Sky"
"Shine on You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V)"
"Welcome to the Machine"
"Pigs (Three Different Ones)"
"Sheep"
"Astronomy Domine"
"High Hopes"
"Us and Them"
"Take It Back"
"Learning to Fly"
"The Happiest Days of Our Lives/Another Brick in the Wall, Part Two"
"Wish You Were Here"
"One of These Days"
"Hey You"
"Is There Anybody Out There"
"Nobody Home"
"Vera"
"Bring the Boys Back Home"
"Comfortably Numb"
"Run Like Hell"
