tributehub

There has been a lot of talk about the driving force behind the Aussies and how BritFloyd is a tribute of a tribute. Let's not confuse The Australian Pink Floyd Show with the Aussies. Let's not forget that only one of them was born there. Let's not forget that they all have had British passports for well over a decade. Let's not forget that they weren't called TAPFS until they emigrated to England. Let's not forget that Colin was a member effectively for 5 minutes before they came over to the UK. Let's not forget that Damian joined just after the move.
AND let's not forget that none of that is really relevant, so forget the above.
This is what is relevant: When looking at the long term lineup of Steve, Jason, Colin, Damian, and Paul, even then the band was Aussie in name only. To attribute the driving force and success entirely to Steve, Jason, and Colin is not accurate and does a disservice to others.

With regard to BritFloyd, there's also another element. Ian's Floyd pedigree goes back to 1994 when he joined the band Crazy Diamond. They were doing coast to coast tours of the US playing in excess of 100 shows a year a decade before TAPFS put that kind of a schedule together. That band also started in 1988. Ever since he joined TAPFS, their repertoire practically doubled. The authenticity of the vocals took a quantum leap. The lineup of Damian and Ian has an awful lot of clout. I'll definitely be going to a BritFloyd show or two when the time comes. If the shiny new TAPFS comes my way, I'll go see them as well. I say shiny new because they have much bigger changes to go through than BritFloyd. One could make the argument that BritFloyd has been touring North America since 2006 after Steve stopped touring my neck of the woods, and certainly since Jason did the same in the middle of the 2008 tour.
I'm be a bit curious about the TAPFS vocal situation. I'm sure it won't take them long, but unless Steve is going to take the reigns again, they have to hire someone new. It will be awfully hard for them to continue to play the same wide repertoire with Damian and Ian gone.

The way I see it, other than the fantastic toys (lights, lasers, video screens, inflatables) it's the vocals that really set a good tribute band apart from a spectacular one. The guitars and other sounds take talented musicians with fine tuned ears and lots of time and dedication - both TAPFS and BritFloyd have those. The vocals on the other hand take talent, a good ear, time, dedication, AND the right vocal DNA to replicate the original. You can't adjust the parameters of the voice the same way you can guitar effects and keyboard sounds. I know that some here may prefer Colin's voice to Ian's and Steve's to Damian's. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I think it's clear that what sets TAPFS of the 90's apart from TAPFS of the last 6 years are the vocals. Adding to that will be Damian's undeniably blistering guitar with the Gilmour touch and feel, and Ian's bass skills which not only reproduce Roger's signature sound, but the nuance and occasional pyrotechnics of Guy Pratt as well. Bobby Harrison, Rob Stringer, Carl Brunsdon, and Arran Ahmun are all top notch musicians that round out the group very well.

There is yet another unsung hero of TAPFS. There is another member of the band that gets very little of the spotlight and does not even take the stage. Gareth Darlington is not just a sound engineer. It should be obvious that music like Floyd needs to have an artist at the sound console and their contribution to the overall sound is absolutely essential. That's a given. Gareth is also a first class musician. I've heard him described as the most naturally talented musician on tour with TAPFS. Why does this matter when you don't hear him play a note? That's because he plays more instruments than even Carl does on stage. Gareth does all of the orchestrations, sequenced drum parts, added keyboard tracks, and sound effects. Without him, TAPFS would lose that wall of sound that PF is known for. Even Floyd on their last two tours relied heavily on adding extra parts that couldn't be covered by the four hands of Rick Wright (RIP) and Jon Carin, and the four hands and four feet of Nick Mason and Gary Wallis. Gareth and all of his expertise are going with BritFloyd. I don't know how TAPFS will replace him. It can be done with an enormous amount of time and money, and I'm sure TAPFS will put that kind of clout behind replacing those essential elements, but it won't be the same. They have an obviously capable sound engineer in Colin Norfield, but that still leaves out the 6th (7th or whatever. I can't keep count) member of the band.

Another long time unseen member has had a bigger visual impact on TAPFS's performances than the rest of the band put together: Bryan Kolupski - who is also putting his 'driving force' behind BritFloyd (that sounds creepy . He's the mastermind behind most the wonderful animation you see on Mr. Screen and the big backdrop. Just when you think he's reached a plateau, his animations reach a new level every year. This culminated with The Wall tour of 2008-2009. The undertaking of The Wall could not have happened and would not have even been attempted without his amazing animations to tie everything together.

I'm sure TAPFS wouldn't be tempted to take the easy road and take advantage of Gareth's and Bryan's brilliant work because that WOULD smack of a tribute of a tribute.

I don't want to take anything away from Steve, Jason, and Colin. I'm eager to see what shape the new TAPFS is going to be, but to say that they were TAPFS and have taken all that is great about the band into the new TAPFS is simply wrong.

It's all about the music. Since it's not actually Dave, Rog, Nick, and Rick up there on stage, what matters is the sound, not who's up there or on which continent they spent more time during their youth.

CC, thanks for the brilliantly enlightening post! It surely fills in many cracks in the TAPFS story I'd wondered about since my first (albeit rough) experience with the band. It's odd in a way because the band I met, admired and became friends with included Jason, Paul and Mike K. and I've missed the subsequent tours that didn't include them. That's the TAPFS I know and I'm sure many other Yanks are in the same shoes. Where do we go from here? With one more TAPFS tour of N.A. on deck, the name only change for us here won't even be realized for another full year. While folks on the Isles and on the continent will feel the changes much more quickly. I'll re-state my position in that I truly hope for the best for each group, but my heart and my friends are mostly in TBPFS.

I still think Ian and Damian should've joined Childhood's End when the time was ripe and formed The North American Pink Floyd Show/ TNAPFS.. 

What? Too soon?  ;D

(EDIT) I cannot believe I've been doing this, but CC's post brought it back to the forefront where it belongs. I've not once mentioned Gareth who has consistently been a great friend, provider of set lists and sharer of nicotine, not to mention his immeasurable skills at the console and fretboard. I apologize profusely if you see this Mr. D and look forward to seeing you this fall. The first cold beverage is on me.

Gareth is truly a musician in his own right, for those who are lucky enough to live near by & have had the pleasure of Acoustic Unlimited at The Jolly Tar will know what I am talking about. Gareth on the fiddle is truly amazing & also a really nice guy. Look foward to another evening at the Jolly Tar,

Kay

In my opinion CMP has deconstructed The Australian Pink Floyd Show over the last few years, and essentially stolen the show from the Aussies. If I were the Aussies, I'd be heart broken and PO'd. What they have worked at for most of their working lives has essentially been stolen from them!

I hope they come back stronger than ever.

I don't think fans are so stupid to think that this is an amicable divorce!

It took me ages for me to even listen to any other band attempt Floyd music....that is until The Australian Pink Floyd Show came along. They won my heart along with millions of others. This is a very big risk that CMP are taking with TBPFS.

IMO opinion...this is the ugly side of the music business.

The spin doctors will spin it all sorts of ways to us fans.

Of course I've been utterly wrong in the past at times....maybe I'm wrong here.
But somehow....I don't think so.

I am glad that TAPFS is free of CMP ...and may they (the Aussies) live long and prosper. I look forward to seeing them in the future. I admire them, and my heart belongs to them.

Sadly through all of this, a great bunch of people are divided. Most I consider friends and people I genuinly like...on both sides. This should not have happened. There was a better way.

Greed made this happen.
Bob

Lord knows I've put in my feelings out there and my foot right in my mouth... I'm sure there are 2 sides to the story and one day it may come out. Divorce is never easy or amicable and we are all witnessing it on these forums.

I have my favorite band members and they're on both sides competing for the same thing.... our loyalty and our money. I just wish this didn't have to happen. The divide its created... Brit vs. Aussie. I'm disappointed about it and embarrassed about the some of the comments I've made.

Scott