I was going to leave it for a few more hours before I posted my thoughts on the gig at Spodek last night (Sat 29th), just in case I missed something, but what’s the point - this was one of the best gigs I’ve seen the Aussies perform - and I’ve been to see them on so many occasions right from the early 90’s when they first arrived in the UK!
A guitarist (David Domminney Fowler DDF) who can belt out the notes with power, confidence and enthusiasm that seems to rub off on everyone else - I’ve not seen all the band members smiling so much during a show as I did last night.
A singer (Alex McNamara) who has power, range, a confident presence on stage and perfectly complements the other singing members - his harmonies with DDF were a joy to listen to. The backing singers all seemed more animated than we have been used to - they are clearly enjoying it. Last, but by no means least, welcome back Mike ‘snakehips’ Kidson!
If the original Floyd had been around today, what would they be doing? Would they be happy to formulaically play the same songs with the same show over & over again? I think not. They were always ahead of the game, embracing the latest technology and innovations. The Aussies have gone down that same route. 3 D visuals (stunning, I won’t say any more than that) and at times spine chilling quad sound which had me looking behind and to each side of me on a number of occasions, just wondering where the noise was coming from. There are others out there who put on a good show. The Aussies put on a spectacle that I believe to be one of the best available.
The set list is as already posted with no changes, so I won’t repeat it here. For me, the stand out moments were Welcome to the Machine, when the quad system began to give a glimpse of what to expect; Arnold Layne - the Aussie haven’t played this for years and it was great to hear. A huge moment for me was hearing Bianca sing TGGITS - beautiful, soulful and emotional. The finale is always something special, though it also means it’s getting close to the end of something you don’t want to finish. DDF was absolutely spot on with his solo’s, and deservedly got some big cheers for them.
As far as the gig goes, the only minor negative is the length of time it seems to take between tracks to reset stuff for the next track.
Overall, that was one of the best gigs I’ve been to. The crowd were a lot noisier than last year and the place was packed. Many thanks to everyone involved for keeping the faith and really building on what you’ve all achieved to date.
On a personal note, can I also take this opportunity to thank the band, crew and management for the fantastic generosity and hospitality afforded to us after the show. It was great to chat with you all and be able to tell you personally what a great show it was.
Many thanks must also go to the others who came to Katowice - you all know who you are! It really did make for a fantastic weekend.
Quote of the trip: “We’re Northern - we don’t do stress”
