So, I saw Roger Waters
The Wall last night. Can’t get the experience out of my mind and thought I’d write some random thoughts I’ve been having. But before I do that, a couple things first.
1. If you are a Pink Floyd Wall fan – you really need to see this. And if you don’t get a chance to see the live show – see the DVD when it comes out. I know I’ll be getting the DVD, just so I can better absorb/understand what I saw last night.
2. I never felt very adept at writing full-blown concert reviews, so I’ll leave that to Chicago rock critic Greg Kot who wrote one a few days ago. In my opinion, it is completely spot-on.
http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/ ... enter.htmlNow…here begins my random blather….
What does Pink Floyd mean to me?
My Floyd experience and interest was for the most part confined to my high school years – 1975-1979. Picture countless evenings (and afternoons after school) spent in a friend's basement with anywhere from 2-5 of my closest friends and me, no alcohol but lots of weed, profound (maybe not, but we thought they were
) and hilarious conversations, and MUSIC! Our collective favorite band was Yes, but Pink Floyd’s
Dark Side of the Moon,
Wish You Were Here, and
Animals were definitely up there as our favorite albums. By the time
The Wall came out, I was a freshman in college and getting more interested in bands like Talking Heads, B-52s, Ramones, and the Sex Pistols. So, I never even bought
The Wall (until yesterday on iTunes!) Of course, I heard the music a lot over the years, and my personal favorites have always been
Comfortably Numb and
Run Like Hell.
Why did I go to the show?
Lol – my sister and brother-in-law (who were at the show Monday and tonight) insisted! Also for nostalgia’s sake, once in a lifetime experience, yadda yadda.
Roger Waters The Wall: Rock Concert or Spectacle?
Spectacle! This is where I start to have mixed feelings. I have enjoyed so many metal gigs in small to medium sized venues in recent years, that
The Wall experience was a bit of a shock to my system. That’s not to say that I don’t love spectacle – Corvus Corax at Wacken this summer and the over-the-top theatricality of Dimmu Borgir come to mind. However....in my opinion,
The Wall spectacle is not only bizarre, but often heavy handed and perhaps a bit too politically charged at times – therefore it strikes me as a different animal altogether. Well, DUH, Laura
....wasn't / isn't that the whole point?... and my bad – I really should have read up in advance more on the history of it, why Waters wrote it, etc. Usually I’m good about doing my homework so to speak (and I still haven't!), but since I went to this very last minute, just didn’t get to it. Then, there are the ticket prices – up to $250 for this show – Holy Moly! I paid $125 and I think that’s the most I ever paid for a show. But again, we’re talkin’ spectacle here – think Vegas.
Ok, I think I’ve rambled enough for one night.
)
