Just found this review on Last.fm (
www.last.fm/event/1172072+The+Australian...October+2009/reviews)
Fine Lines of a Cover Band
25 Oct 2009, 05:09 by Empty_Skies
Originality, in the music world, is a precious idol. Every artist or band is hoping to make a musical breakthrough that will be heralded as revolutionary in the coming years by fans and critics alike. Only a handful of bands can truly be attributed with ever having owned such an idol and I can say safely that Pink Floyd was one of those bands. It is safe to say, then, that bands are judged, on a large part, by how original they are. How then does one begin to arbitrate a cover band?
I, for one, do not envy such a position. Too much creativity and you've ruined a masterpiece. Too little and your audience might as well have stayed home and put the CD in the player. As a cover band there is undoubtedly a fine line to walk, not that much different from a trapeze but with no safety net.
These thoughts bring us to Hartford, Connecticut for the Australian Pink Floyd Show at the Comcast Theater (Sat 24 Oct – The Australian Pink Floyd Show). Underneath an avalanche of smoke, be it from the fog machines or the fans themselves, the droves of fans wait apprehensively for the "Greatest Hits" show. I knew, having been my third year, that the fans were in good hands.
Aussie Floyd opened with some tracks from Dark Side of the Moon. A great opening choice with an absolutely resounding rendition of The Great Gig in the Sky that had the potential to bring a less prepared man to tears. From here we were treated to Wish You Were Here, including a slightly different take on Welcome to the Machine that was indeed welcomed.
The show switched gears a bit after the intermission, choosing to go with lesser known songs that may have confused some, but excited many. Such entries as High hopes, Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun, and Take It Back were a welcome change to the show.
One cannot begin to talk about the Australian Pink Floyd Show without mentioning the lights. The light show, as it has been in previous years, was beyond stellar. Sometimes I would find myself lost in it for several minutes as it changed colors and spun around and moved. They, the lights, were their own portion of the show.
Another acknowledgment to the back-up singers and their terrific performance. To be a back-up vocalist for a cover band can't be the most rewarding job in the world, but these girls proved that it should be. I felt that The Great Gig in the Sky was safe in their hands.
All in all the only disappointment that I can convey is that the rules of time still applied to this concert. To get more time to hear more of Pink Floyd's stellar offerings would be paramount. But seeing as the band can only, physically, play for a few hours they did an astounding job. If you ever get the opportunity to see this band and pass it up you've done yourself a great disservice.
Transcending the line between too original and not original enough The Australian Pink Floyd Show proves that masterpieces only go on living so long as their being played. In that respect Aussie Floyd is truly the keeper of an idol.
