This Is Not A Drill

After shifting to varsity and connecting with the dwell music scene right here, I went to a bunch of Pinky and the Floyd concert events.  They seem to be a tribute band out of Bozeman.  That was as shut as I ever anticipated to get to a Pink Floyd live performance expertise in my life.

And it was soooooooooooooooooo cooooooooooooooooooool.  

My 16-year-old self may by no means have imagined the day I see Roger carry out One other Brick within the Wall or Two Suns within the Sundown, and so on.  My grownup self may by no means have imagined how highly effective the expertise can be.  

It was actually in contrast to every other live performance I’ve seen, largely for 2 causes. 

First off, the live performance was carried out “within the spherical,” which means there wasn’t a entrance or again to the stage.  There was a 360-degree stage arrange in the course of the sector and the band shifted round it because the present progressed.  That’s, apart from the drums and keyboard which had been in mounted areas.  Roger can be on our facet of the stage and Seamus Blake can be wailing on his saxophone on the opposite facet.  Then, for the subsequent track, they might all swap so Roger can be on the far facet of the stage and we would get a close-up view of the feminine vocalists.  And so it went all present lengthy.  It was intelligent.  Every a part of the stadium had a detailed expertise with the entire band*.   I used to be fairly happy with the in-the-round live performance expertise.

We had been solely 19 rows up from the ground and lifeless on with one of many “runways” projecting from all sides of the stage.  We had a spectacular view.  I should have informed Matt, “I am unable to consider how good these seats are!” not less than a dozen instances.  It was simple to see the band with my bare eye.  Roger appeared so ridiculously shut!  I used to be actually glad we opted to go along with the extent 200 seats as an alternative of the (cheaper) 300-level seats that we had additionally thought of.  

It wasn’t solely conflict although.  He spelled out, usually fairly actually with daring impossible-to-miss textual content on the enormous video display over the stage, his views on racial injustice, police brutality, gender inequality, and different human rights points.  It was intense.  I anticipated some political content material to some extent, however nonetheless, I wasn’t fairly ready***. 

I will begin with the factor that stunned me probably the most.  Roger got here out dressed, nicely, like a Nazi…roughly, and sang “In The Flesh,” from The Wall.  His armband had the crossed hammers symbols as an alternative of a swastika, however the homage was apparent.  After which, on the finish of the track, he shot off an uzi.  A faux one, certain, however nonetheless!  I didn’t anticipate that a lot satire in some way. 

Whereas the band was performing “Sheep” an immense inflatable sheep flew into the sector and circled overhead.  That little bit of theatrics certain made me grin.  It was so splendidly excessive.  Somewhat later, whereas Roger was nonetheless dressed within the Nazi getup, an outsized pig flew across the stage, too.  Greed and pigs featured closely within the video accompaniment for “Cash,” as nicely, as is likely to be anticipated.    

There have been a couple of moments by which I commanded myself to cease watching the video screens.  I wished to concentrate on Roger and the music…not all that anguish and loss.  After all, wanting away does not imply the bombs aren’t falling.  Wanting away would not make the destruction cease.  

Maybe that was the purpose.  

I like how Roger Waters is utilizing his platform and fame to advance the causes of world peace and human rights.  He may simply play a number of hits, take his cash, and name it a day.  However he would not.  There have been lots of people listening in that area and I wager Matt and I weren’t the one ones who had some considerate conversations afterward.   We additionally had fun.  Seems:  It may be each.

This photograph is the one one within the collection that is not mine.  It reveals the fabulous prism lights over the stage although and I did not have any footage of that.  I pulled it from Roger Waters’ Facebook page.

Roger did soften the blows, so to talk, by taking part in a considerable chunk of Darkish Aspect of the Moon through the second set.  They’d some especially gorgeous visuals for that section of the present, together with a triangle of lights across the video display because it performed rainbow imagery that was spectacular.  A superb prism!  I am fairly certain it could have solely “labored” at a present performed within the spherical, with that 360-degree stage.

Roger seemed splendidly match and hale which is all of the extra noteworthy on condition that the live performance fell on his 79th birthday.  He sounded nice, too.  Additionally, it slays me that he is calling this his “First Ever Farewell Tour.”  That is a superb one, given how the large stars often retire.  All in all, I really feel honored to have seen it.  

And blown away.  Have I correctly conveyed how completely blown away I used to be?!  It was an unforgettable expertise.  That is for certain.

All photographs are mine–from the show–with the exception of the promo pic famous above.

*Whereas Roger Waters stands out as the “star” of the present I’d be remiss if I did not point out his wonderful band by title, too.  The This Is Not A Drill tour included guitarists Jonathan Wilson and Dave Kilminster, drummer Joey Waronker, guitarist/bassist Gus Seyffert, keyboardist/guitarist Jon Carin, organist Robert Walter, saxophonist Ian Ritchie and backing singers Amanda Belair and Shanay Johnson.

** On the conclusion of the live performance, Roger thanked his band and crew.  He talked about that there have been 140 members of the touring occasion all informed.  So, though I say that that is the most costly live performance I’ve ever seen it was nonetheless value each single penny and a complete cut price.