Roger Waters - Roger Waters – The Wall Live

  by Andy Cassidy

published: 15 / 1 / 2012

intro

'Gig of a Lifetime' is a new column in which a different Pennyblackmusic writer each month will be reflecting upon a stand-out gig in their life. Andy Cassidy starts things off by writing about seeing Roger Waters perform 'The Wall' in Dublin

Within four minutes of tickets going on sale for Roger Waters’ gig in May of last yearin Dublin, I had secured a pair, organised flights and arranged to stay with an old friend just outside the city. With hindsight, it’s probably fair to say that I was very, very excited at the prospect of seeing Roger – especially Roger performing The Wall - live. I had seen David Gilmour’s Pink Floyd during the 'P.U.L.S.E.' tour, and I confess I was somewhat underwhelmed. Gilmour is a fine vocalist and an exceptional guitarist, but something was missing from the 1994 version of the Floyd – Roger Waters’ snarl. After a few beers in town, my friend and I headed out to the O2 for the gig. The venue was packed, a heaving, sweating mass of bodies. We found our seats, and with a couple of drinks each sat back to enjoy the show. As the show kicks off, the wall is as yet not built except for a segment at each side. Things start with an alternate take on the famous “I’m Spartacus!” scene from Kubrick’s 1960 classic, followed by the 'Outside the Wall' theme played on a lone trumpet. Then comes the moment I had been waiting for all of my adult life – those amazing opening chords of 'In the Flesh' accompanied by a display of pyrotechnics and capped off with a 1/3 scale Stuka crashing and exploding into the wall. During the course of the show, the wall is built on stage by a wonderfully discrete and efficient team of roadies, and the more wall there is, the better the show becomes as more and more images are projected onto it. The show is much more political than its 1980 counterpart. During 'Vera/ for instance, images of children being reunited with their soldier parents are beamed onto the wall, and the effect is extremely moving. One highlight of the show occurs when Waters duets with a recording of himself singing 'Mother' at Earl’s Court in 1980, but for me the real stellar moment was when, at the end of the show, the wall which has for so long dominated the stage is reduced to a smoking pile of debris. Waters’ band for this tour is every bit as good musically as the Floyd ever was, and vocally Waters has never sounded better. Often in stage shows of this kind the mixing of media serves to detract from the music, but with 'The Wall' this was not the case. Tickets were a little on the expensive side, but I would gladly have paid double what I did to see a living legend performing what has now become a bold political statement and a challenging piece of art. Without doubt 'The Wall' was the best concert I went to last year. In fact, I’m struggling to think of a concert that I’ve attended in my lifetime which can compete with it. If Roger comes your way with 'The Wall' go and see it – you will not be disappointed.

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