I was going to post yesterday a whining and self pitying woe is me moan about changing things around here. Well it’s amazing what a night out can do for a fella.
Last night, Linda Mum and myself went out to town to see a Pink Floyd Tribute band called “Off The Wall“.
This band isn’t your run of the mill tribute band. This band embraced the spirit of Pink Floyd. They took the music, learned it so well and became so comfortable with the music that they have imprinted their own stamp on the whole event.
It wasn’t just a tribute show it was an EVENT. It’s about as close as I can imagine as to seeing the real Floyd in the 70’s when they freewheeled their way through their own catalogue. I have listened to some of the great bootlegs of Pink Floyd tours and I have to say last nights show equalled that kind of experience.
There were a few low lights of the show, no Astronmy Domine and not much early early stuff.. I would have died if they had played Bike but they didn’t. The one thing that really gauled me last night and I guess this is where my puritan Floydness comes in is that the audience were very loud. They were loud all the time. We raised the roof inbetween songs and gave respect to the dame fine art that was being shared, but some of the audience thought it was just a chance for a girly night out and scream and whistle, howled and hooted all the way through the songs. The main attraction seemed to be Ben on Sax.. (tip for the band.. find a fugly Sax Player please.. it makes the rest of us feel better). What baffles me is how can one table of 8 women be heard over a pa system cranking out a pretty freaking loud 6 piece rock band kicking it big time? I don’t know how, but they did.
On to the good bits. Stella… I fell in love with this womans voice. It’s not often that I hear anything that makes my stomach jump, gurgle and cry for more (unless it has cheese and tuna on top and comes with Garlic Bread).
I had pretty much given up hope of ever hearing a decent version of Great Gig In The Sky sung live, but last night I crossed that little hope and dream off my list. Claire Torry didn’t exsist and never did. Stella made this song her own and I can quite honestly say it was better than the original. She did the whole damn thing, if your a Pink Floyd fan then you know what that means, if your not then take a listen to that song some time (it’s from Dark Side of the Moon.. ask your Dad or your Big Brother to let them lend you their copy.)
In somewhat of a suprising turn of events the visual show was quite special. If you have seen any pink floyd live material you will know they have a Video screen (it’s called Mr Screen) and during certain songs movies that have been made to go along with the songs are played. Well Off The Wall went one better than ripping off PF… They made thier own movies. Some are done with, what looks liketo me, giant SIMS characters.. from the stressed out Mr Pink in Comfortably Numb to the two strippers dancing during Young Lust. It wasn’t just computer animation either, they made films for some of the more political of songs US and Them and Brain Damage. I was a little cofused as to where Hitler and the Third Reich fell into the meaning behind Us and Them and I will try and work it out because it really did fascinate me and I would love to find the corralation between them. Brain Damage was just pure comedy…. I can’t describe how they put it over but Rumsfeld Bush and Blair figured heavily and I had urgers to yell ASSHOLE OR ASSCLOWNS everytime they appeared, but was restrained so as not to offend the ladies at the table next to us.
Mum was most upset when the band had played the whole of Wish You Were Here in the first half and had skipped out the title track … (granted i did find it odd that they advertised playing the whole album only to skip the corner stone song.. but WYWH is an encore song and always will be for any band wanting to ramp up and audience in line for Comfortably Numb. Which is what closed the show. By the end of a blistering 2 plus hours I headed for the merchendise stand and got to congratulate the band and have a little chat with Stella, what a down to earth and talented woman. The whole band were great and even posed for a group photo, the first one ever
It was a great night that has lifted all our spirits… and next week we are doing Queen.
Until Next Time…
