I remember my dad coming home with a Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of The Moon CD that he must have picked up from a Sam’s Club. This is when I was about 12 years old or so. Compact discs were somewhat new and we didn’t have many between us in the house. It took me sometime before I ever even tried to listen to it. And when I first did, I thought that all of the sounds were really cool, people running, clocks, cash registers…
It wasn’t until a few years later that I started to appreciate that CD, which turned out to be one of my favorite albums ever. I’m not alone, it has sold considerably well, being on the Top 40 for decades. But it wasn’t until a friend’s sister who always turned on us to amazing music hooked us up with The Wall! Right out of the gates it was amazing to me. I watched the movie, completely identified with it. Since then I have immersed myself in the entire Pink Floyd catalog. Although the early music is great, and Wish You Were Here is classic, it is Animals and The Final Cut that also made the biggest impression on me. All of which were mostly the brainchild of former Pink Floyd bass player Roger Waters.
After many Laser Light Shows and even seeing the most amazing cover band, The Australian Pink Floyd Show, do both DSOTM as well as The Wall, I was game on for anything live by the current Pink Floyd lineup, soloist, and most notably Roger Waters.
My wife and I saw Waters perform DSOTM in the entirety in Houston at the Woodlands Ampitheate 2008. It was an incredible show to see! Even a flying pig, which was released after making the rounds under the canopy, then to the lawn seats. It was great to see the pig and to fly up into airspace was just awesome! I’ve been to a lot of great shows before and expensive, but this one was tops on both fronts.
This is more than likely the last time to ever see this historic album “The Wall” performed in entirety, stage show and all with Roger Waters and what would be The Pink Floyd!
Roger says that he doesn’t have much more in him. The concept album has been performed only 31 times (consecutive days) in only 4 cities by Pink Floyd – in the early eighties. And only once by Roger Waters with an all-star cast in July 1990 to mark the fall of the Berlin Wall. Now he is taking it to the road again for a final 35+ date swansong.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wall_Tour http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment_and_arts/10289924.stm
Also, him and David Gilmour played together on July 11, 2010, only 2nd time in 25 years.
Gilmour is to play one Wall show on the tour, of course will be at the O2 in London and will be videotaped for future DVD release.
So you could imagine how excited I was when I heard that Roger Waters was bringing The Wall back live in concert! PF had only done it a dozen times in 4 cities and I was 5 at the time. Waters preformed it once again in Berlin when the wall was being brought down there. I immediately secured tickets on the initial presale, totaling a whole chunk of change. My friends and I eagerly awaited the day for 6 months.
But nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to see on the night of November 20, 2010. Roger Waters The Wall Live for a sold out show at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Excitement filled the air. Our seats were great! Center stage, 11th row. The show started before it even started, with a bum walking through the crowd, agitating people. He ended up at the front on the stage where he threw a rag doll, Pink, from his shopping cart onto the stage. Then the lights dimmed and the pyrotechnics exploded! With, see the entire setlist here, but better yet, watch the first clip from the embedded YouTube video and let it play through the show.
Also, I have complied a few videos of some of the most exciting moments of the show for me:
Opening, first song, plane crash!
Run Like Hell
Look at some of the visuals about 7:23
Mother
2:25 Climax of sound and visuals!!! (not Houston, TX)
End of first act (not Houston, TX) 4:41 wall starts fading away, then they put last brick in wall
We were sitting closer where the pig is flying
Tear down the wall!
I’m sure that a DVD will be released following the successful tour and we should all rush out and buy it, but until that time, Google search the term: “ishoot iedit roger waters”, there is an incredible DVD available for download to give you an idea about what you must not miss out on.
This may be the last time to see any of the original band members performing this piece. You may have to wait for a rock opera version to land in Las Vegas sometime in the future.
So if you have a chance to see this in your city, get out and see it, you will not be disappointed.
