CityLife

Australian Pink Floyd Show

STREWTH, it’s enough to get your didgeridoo in a twist.

There you are, watching probably the best tribute band in the world playing the music of one of the most revered bands in the world.

Fine so far, but the songs The Australian Pink Floyd Show are performing  are mostly from the original Pink Floyd’s worst, most overblown and indulgent album, The Wall.

Just how do you reconcile those factors? Probably come in halfway through, as the second half has the more acceptable bits from The Wall and lots of other lovely Pink Floyd stuff.

But love or hate The Wall – and most of the fans at the M.E.N. Arena on Wednesday night seemed to love it – you can’t take anything away from the way these musicians from Down Under presented it.

The stage show was magnificent, with a continuous backdrop that mixed images and animation on a par with the original film by Gerald Scarfe and Alan Parker.

They were on for almost three hours, with spectacular sets, lasers, props (yes, there were inflatable kangaroos to rival Pink Floyd’s inflatable pigs) and, in parts, acting.

Liquid licks

And it was note perfect, with singer Ian Cattell sounding a damn sight better than Roger Waters and guitarists Steve Mac and Damian Darlington replicating the liquid licks of Dave Gilmour.

The fact that not all of the notes in The Wall are very appealing, I suppose, shouldn’t detract too much from the positive aspects of a seriously accomplished musical effort accompanied by a humorous, knowing wink (kangaroo heads for the hammers).

Another Brick In The Wall, naturally, dominated the start of the concert and Ian Cattell offered a ‘good evening and g'day’ welcome before introducing Young Lust as a huge pair of inflatable, suspender-  clad legs straddled the stage.

Then from racy to introspection as the armchair and lamp standard  came out, and at that point I wanted to take a rest too, but things warmed up nicely after the interval with Hey You, Vera and the  incomparable Comfortably Numb.

But the best was left till last with songs from other Pink Floyd albums, starting with Shine On You Crazy Diamond, an immense, spine-tingling Great Gig In The Sky, Wish You Were Here, One Of These Days and Brain Damage.

At that point I thought I’d seen one of the most amazing concerts of my life after originally wanting to go home after 20 minutes.

Strewth indeed.

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