Concert Reviews, Photos, Videos and Rock and Roll Stories from fans who love live music

So Ya, Thought Ya, Might Like To, Go To The Show….

This would be considered a “SPOILER” if you plan on seeing the presentation of THE WALL  featuring Roger Waters. This Tour will be remembered for sure. The few photos and videos I took from the 2nd row and what I am about to summarize  will for sure remove the surprise element from the experience for anyone who hasn’t see Pink Floyd or any of previous Roger Waters’ Tours.

……I saw the Radio Kaos Tour when Roger Waters stopped into Hamilton, Ontario around 1987 and both Pink Floyd tours after around the same time Delicate Sound, Momentary Lapse, Division Bell era.  Music aside the creativity that went into those tours set a new bar for me as a teenager early in my concert career. Now almost 23 years later the anticipation of seeing THE WALL in it’s original format was building by the minute.

When we first walked onto the floor and saw the Wall going up each side of the hockey rink the size of this show started to sink in…. heck if I hadn’t seen KISS just 6 nights ago it might have seemed even Bigger!.. But this still had a stadium feel at first glance.

“In The Flesh” – This was probably one of the best opening songs I have seen at a live concert. It was full steam ahead from the men on the bridge with flags, the fireworks, seeing Roger in his hoodie, lights swirling and that buzz under the hood of we’re seeing THE WALL !!!

… and of course the famous… “so ya thought ya might like to so to the show…” was truly electric and almost overwhelming. The lighting stretched back to the far end of the arena with additional speaker arrangements…above,  not sure if it was quadraphonic or just for effects… as we were too close to the stage to hear….but as the helicopter sound kicked in this lighting unit above the main stage appeared to have a small speaker stack on it as well and it moved forward with the spot light shooting into the crowd as if to be the light on the front of the helicopter, the sound moved with it…really wicked…

Some 25 lucky kids from The Regent Park School of Music ended up on stage to help sing over the track for Another Brick plus got to point at the floating 40 foot teacher. The overall sound was really good for a 1st show and most of the other musicians including Roger’s son on Keyboards were hard to see or get into with this large production unfolding…. except a little at the end of Run Like Hell as the band were in front of the wall closer to us.

I actually heard “Mother”start with Roger on acoustic and have the video it but I will spare you listening to the faint 1st verse that seemed to fall down with technical difficulties… the song never really got back on track for me.  The Wall of course was being built brick by brick as Side 1 Played out and the barrier starts to fill in… to the point yes where you could barely see the band.

After the intermission HEY YOU starts and the entire song almost is play behind the Wall…it’s cool and as the light shines thru the cracks and you hear the band playing it really shows what Roger was thinking about years ago of feeling that distance from some of the audience…those who were not engaged with him as he performed . Speaking of di-engaged…The guy beside me after introducing himself 4 times and asking about doing ACID kept praying for David Gilmour to walk out and join in. I didn’t feel that was going to happen. I didn’t feel it needed too….The Gilmour stand in did fine at most points and this was not Pink Floyd we were seeing… it is and was billed as “The Wall Live…featuring Roger Waters”

The imagery on the circle screen in the back dipped into parts from the Wall movie and the overall scenes on the 200+ foot WALL itself were quite thought provoking weaving in some of todays political issues and visuals from past Tours I had scene…all very cool to watch in a synchronized kinda way

“One Of My Turns” turned out beautiful as you can see below in the video and “Run Like Hell” with the flying pig got the crowd up, dancing and celebrating it seemed… ..as security  told the front row to move back… and we all started to chant along with “THE TRIAL”... “bring down the wall, bring down the wall..” the WALL did come down..crashing faux bricks.

No encore, just The Wall and alot of entertainment to go along with an amazing album… I will leave the comments open here for others who visit the shows as the tour unfolds.  ROGER WATERS SETLIST AND MORE PHOTOS BELOW…

One_of_My_Turns

RUN LIKE HELL

MORE PHOTOS OF THE SHOW !!

ROGER WATERS – THE WALL LIVE – TORONTO SETLIST

Roger Waters |Set List for THE WALL in Toronto | ACC

Are you going to see Roger Waters this Tour to witness The Wall? If so do not miss this video ! It explains the album in today’s context!

The concert goal tonight was to get a cheap single on the street and get inside to where my contact was so he could assist me with getting down front on the floor.  There weren’t alot of singles floating around but after waiting about 6 songs in I grabbed a ticket for $20 and was into The Air Canada Centre now. This is the ticket here… wondering why it says “Rumour” on it? Anyone?

After seeing the band last week I did not have plans to go this week  until I found out a friend of mine from high school was going to the show and would be in the front row. This friend… Tina and I went to go see Fleetwood Mac together in October of 1987 at Maple Leaf Gardens here in Toronto. We had reminisced about this show once or twice over the years and how Christine McVie performed Songbird as the closer. ( Did you know Lindsey Buckingham didn’t perform on that tour?) Now for tonight I knew I could get down front where Tina & her sister Robin would be and I thought the 21 year concert reunion would be a blast.

Down to the floors & contact made with my friend and I am on the floor at the back, big lights full house and he tells me that no security is allowed up front and that I was on my own from about the red-line. No problem. I’m in my element. Total Pro. I stroll up and crank a hard left at the stage…it gets louder, I make no eye contact and…

I’m in.

There is 7-8 feet in front of the Row 1 seats that seem like a VIP Section gone wild. Cameras, dancing and the Mac groove is on. I figure these girls are dead centre. Yes. Tina turns her head and its them. I edge my way in and the reunion is on. Wow we are close. I mean no barrier, do what you want close. This is unique in that there is no security to be seen… heck we can’t see anything except Lindsey Buckingham’s boots.

This type of access changes things so much even compared to the 3rd row seats I sat in last week. One of the key factors( for those who haven’t put their elbows up on a stage before) is that you hear the show mainly from stage monitors… not the actual stacks of speakers that the rest of the Arena is listeing too. Right beside us was what looked like a centre channel from a home theater system and it was Lindsey’s vocals mainly…so at times Stevie’s vocals were abit distant.

This crowd did seem to respond at a more heightened level then the previous show. I won’t compare the two shows song for song as I noticed a few slip ups each night and at the same time some stronger moments for Stevie and John McVie during this Show 2! When you are only 4-8 feet from the performers you see everything. From the detail in Stevie’s costumes to Mick’s Red Shoes… everything is right there including the glances back and forth between Nicks & Buckingham… or better yet… eye contact & a nod from Lindsey that makes you feel like you are part of the show.

And we are.

In this video you will hear more from fans than you think you would down front… Never Going Back Again none the less is timeless.

Robin loved “Storms” and for me… the Drum beginning of Gold Dust Woman… just grabbed me… when I wasn’t expecting it. These are the moments the music lover goes for…. You sing along, your brain reminisces and your eyes get glued to the Gypsy that remains… doing her turns, her dance and finally a pose.

The setlist was identical almost to last weeks.. so we hear Lindsey wind it up on “So Afraid” including the guitar solo where he lets a few fans touch his strings…then came Stevie after another small break for her Stand Back and Go Your Own Way to close out the set.

Back onstage for the encore and here we get World Turning including Mick Fleetwoods Drum Solo. I actually sat my camera on the stage while video taping part of this. You can hear the groove being delivered here and we all joined in here heavy. Great Tune!

The crowd is in the ether. Don’t Stop…is in full motion …  my guess now is  all Robin and Tina can think about are the Roses they bought for Stevie… we knew Silver Springs was next. We were dead centre. Would Stevie take them or would Lindsey just pick them up for her like at some previous shows.  Silver Springs begins and Tina goes to get the flowers. We could be in no better positon.. It was a privilege now to see this unfolding… Robin had probably rolled this movie thru in her head numerous times … I leaned over and asked do you want this moment on video or a photo? She said “Video”…. I clicked on the camera and joined Lindsey right here…

How did it all finish…? ……..Just like this photo says above…

Mick Fleetwood’s Red Shoes,

Lindsey’s guitar on the floor 3 feet in front of us

and ….

Stevie Nicks holding our Dozen Roses.

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