The appeal of most cover bands is their ability to mix imitation with
innovation; they model themselves after the originals but, because they aren't
the originals, they also add their own aesthetic. No one really expects their
versions to stay too true to their inspiration. However, The Australian Pink
Floyd Show is different; nostalgic parents and their children don't flock to see
the quintet (plus guests) merely play Pink Floyd songs - no, people pack the
venues to watch them play Pink Floyd songs perfectly. And on October
30th, at the Tower Theatre in Upper Darby, PA, that's just what they did.
Abbreviated TAPFS, the troupe formed in Adelaide, South Australia in
1988. And, like Genesis tribute band The Musical Box, they are world renowned as
the definitive emulators of their idols. Combining astounding lighting, audio
clarity and a big screen that simultaneously displays photos of Pink Floyd and
updated versions on familiar imagery (album covers, memorabilia, etc), it's
pretty close to seeing the real guys live thirty years ago.
The set list
spanned almost their entire discography (from Meddle to The Division
Bell), which not only served to appease fans who have a favorite album or
two but also to exemplify just how much Pink Floyd changed over their career.
Jumping from earlier psychedelic and looser compositions to the more progressive
and cerebral middle period and then the more commercial final albums in one
night ignited a new appreciation for their range.
TAPFS opened the show
with two expected classics from Wish You Were Here, "Shine On Your Crazy
Diamond (Part I) and "Welcome To the Machine." Surprisingly, in between those
two tracks came the latter era gems "Learning To Fly" and "High Hopes." While
many fans dismiss Pink Floyd after Waters left, TAPFS showcased that the band
was still very good when they became a trio.
Continuing to mix up the
chronology, the band ventured into "The Fletcher Memorial Home" from The
Final Cut (which is really a continuation of The Wall), "Pigs" from Animals,
and then "One of These Days" and "Echoes" from Meddle. While the audience
loved what they'd heard so far, Pink Floyd's arguably two most popular albums,
Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall, hadn't been acknowledged ... yet.
When the
chime of clocks introduced "Time," and then the minor piano chords segued into
"The Great Gig in the Sky," the crowd went into frenzy. Before launching into
the obligatory "Money" (which featured incredible dual guitar solos), TAPFS paid
tribute to Syd Barrett on the
screen as they replicated "Wish You Were Here."
Ozzie-Floyd In Concert
The audience was just as
excited when they heard the helicopter whirl and angry teacher introduction to
"The Happiest Days of Our Lives," which of course melted into "Another Brick in
the Wall (Part II)." And what would a Pink Floyd tribute be without perhaps
their biggest song, "Comfortably Numb" (which bassist Colin Wilson dressed as a
doctor for).
As an encore, the band played "Run Like Hell" and Wilson
added more theatrics by putting on the famous black fascist outfit from the film
version of The Wall. By the end of the night, lighters were moving in the
air and people were standing up, singing and chanting as if they really were at
a political rally. It was endearing to see people who've grown up with the music
be so moved by seeing it live again, somewhat reliving their youth.
Again, the show isn't so respected because of what they play; it's how well
they pull it off that truly impresses. Each note and nuance was dead on, from
the background girls singing to the crazy keyboard timbres to, for the most
part, the vocals. Colin Wilson in particular was eerily similar to Waters as he
sang his parts with full force. It's clear that the band spent a lot of
time getting everything as close to ideal as possible, which is simply
miraculous. For over two hours, fans of Pink Floyd joined together at the Tower
Theatre and embraced some of the most important, distinctive and best rock music
of the last few generations, and if you closed your eyes, you'd swear the real
band was playing.
Jordan Blum
Set List: 1. Shine On (Part 1) 2. Learning to Fly 3. High Hopes 4.
Welcome To The Machine 5. Fletcher Memorial Home 6. Pigs 7. One of
These Days 8. Echoes 9. Keep Talking 10.Time 11.Great Gig In the Sky
12.Wish you were here 13.Money (guitar solo harmony) 14.Happiest
Days/Brick II 15.Comfortably Numb 16.Run Like Hell
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