Words and pictures by Jus Forrest

The creative genius behind the legendary Pink Floyd, highly acclaimed songwriter and owner of a bass sound so solid it gave ‘The Wall’ its life long foundations.  You don’t need an education in rock to fathom that any Roger Waters show will equate to a sizeable production, loaded with every conceivable extra you could possibly imagine. Tonight’s rock opera is no exception.   If you were too young to see the original Wall Tour in 1980, then tonight is mandatory – suitably glazed with all the pyrotechnics, inflatables and extravagant animation you could want.

“In the Flesh?” is a grand entrance – already the effect is simply stunning, and that’s just Waters’ full-length leather coat and aviator glasses.   “Another Brick in the Wall Pt 2,” twenty youngsters, now adding to that classic chorus, while a giant teacher puppet pulsates into a vivid life form, join Waters onstage.  The first bricks of the wall are laid, eventually becoming a 240-foot wide, 35 foot-tall construction that doubles as a backdrop for the exclusive graphics and animation.

The show progresses with gripping storyline, twists of psychedelic mania, touched with sensitivity – think “Hey You,” and defined with notable guitar freak outs; Dave Kilminster adding his own flair with some astonishing fret work on “Comfortably Numb,” amazingly capturing every timbre and nuance of David Gilmour’s original playing.

To close, there’s a dramatic implosion of the wall, now revealing the band once again, as they conclude with “Outside The Wall.”

The Wall itself is possibly one of rock’s greatest productions, illustrating that the music of Pink Floyd did not become obscured by the clouds surrounding Waters’ departure from his former band mates.  It’s a fitting snap shot into what the mighty Floyd were about, yet the effects will last a lifetime.

The set list Part 1: In the Flesh?/The Thin Ice/Another Brick in the Wall, Part 1/The Happiest Days of Our Lives/Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2/Mother/Goodbye Blue Sky/Empty Spaces/What Shall We Do Now?/Young Lust/One of My Turns/Don’t Leave Me Now/Another Brick in the Wall, Part 3/Goodbye Cruel World

Part 2: Hey You/Is There Anybody Out There?/Nobody Home/Vera/Bring the Boys Back Home/Comfortably Numb/The Show Must Go On/In the Flesh/Run Like Hell/Waiting for the Worms/Stop/The Trial/Outside the Wall