"Blimus" as the Too Fat Lardies are want to say.... that was a bit of a cracker! 😏
I refer of course to the near legendary Pink Floyd guitarists recent run of dates at the Albert Hall, and which I was fortunate enough to get tickets at for the very first night of the run... both me and the current Mrs Steve the Wargamer.
Last time I saw David would have been with the Floyd on the Division Bell tour, when they played the, now sadly departed, Earls Court.. the current Mrs Steve the Wargamer was 6 months pregnant at that one (with my eldest) which ages us no end! October 1994 and it seems like yesterday - the bass used to reverberate through Earls Court, and at this concert it was so pronounced it started the spud jumping round...
Anyway - jump forward 21 years and David has a new solo album out [clicky], and announced a tour to promote it, and I almost bit his arm off when the tickets came out - in fact I bought them last year...
I love the Albert Hall - there's hardly anywhere you don't get an excellent view - view from our seats is as follows... it looks like the picture is foggy - it isn't, just dim lighting and a lot of dry ice...
Sold out crowd, which according to Wikipedia is just under 5,500
...and the concert?? Superb! His guitar playing is as good as it has ever been - he has a particular style which is just so clean and tight you could almost use it as a tooth pick.. wonderful. Icing on the cake was the inestimable Crosby and Nash on backing vocals for at least three songs - is it me or does David Crosby look more like Einstein with every passing year?
Highlights of the show though were "Sorrow" and especially "Run Like Hell" (love that jerky/metronomic guitar part) - the energy level just ratcheted up out of sight at that moment and the entire Albert Hall were on their feet dancing - superb... and then they turned the lasers on... wow... looked like a net between the circle balcony and the stage and like you could walk across them... absolutely brilliant night.
Set list as follows (from here - clicky):
I refer of course to the near legendary Pink Floyd guitarists recent run of dates at the Albert Hall, and which I was fortunate enough to get tickets at for the very first night of the run... both me and the current Mrs Steve the Wargamer.
Last time I saw David would have been with the Floyd on the Division Bell tour, when they played the, now sadly departed, Earls Court.. the current Mrs Steve the Wargamer was 6 months pregnant at that one (with my eldest) which ages us no end! October 1994 and it seems like yesterday - the bass used to reverberate through Earls Court, and at this concert it was so pronounced it started the spud jumping round...
Anyway - jump forward 21 years and David has a new solo album out [clicky], and announced a tour to promote it, and I almost bit his arm off when the tickets came out - in fact I bought them last year...
I love the Albert Hall - there's hardly anywhere you don't get an excellent view - view from our seats is as follows... it looks like the picture is foggy - it isn't, just dim lighting and a lot of dry ice...
Sold out crowd, which according to Wikipedia is just under 5,500
...and the concert?? Superb! His guitar playing is as good as it has ever been - he has a particular style which is just so clean and tight you could almost use it as a tooth pick.. wonderful. Icing on the cake was the inestimable Crosby and Nash on backing vocals for at least three songs - is it me or does David Crosby look more like Einstein with every passing year?
Highlights of the show though were "Sorrow" and especially "Run Like Hell" (love that jerky/metronomic guitar part) - the energy level just ratcheted up out of sight at that moment and the entire Albert Hall were on their feet dancing - superb... and then they turned the lasers on... wow... looked like a net between the circle balcony and the stage and like you could walk across them... absolutely brilliant night.
Set list as follows (from here - clicky):
Rather envious! You really nailed it with your description of his guitar playing: "you could almost use it as a tooth pick."
ReplyDeleteHow did the new songs go live, by the way? I listened to one of his studio cuts on youtube but it didn't grab me (admittedly, it was only one listen and I was doing about five other things at the same time.)
Cheers,
Aaron
Aaron - his solo stuff is quite mellow, and on the night went down quite well... I particularly like "A Boat Lies Waiting" (which is dedicated to Rick), I've heard it a few times and it's very haunting...
DeleteThanks, I'll check it out
DeleteOhhh, definitely green with envy here!
ReplyDeleteEl Grego - he was quite simply superb...
DeleteOnly slightly jealous! Saw Floyd do The Wall at Earl's Court in July 1980, and 1981.
ReplyDeleteI have a recurring nightmare that I'm on Desert Island Discs and I have to choose just 8 tracks. Don't think I could even narrow it down to 8 Floyd tracks!
Good set-list from Mr G.
Phil
Hi Phil, my eyes lit up when I started seeing the set lists from the earlier concerts and this one didn't disappoint.. eight tracks... only 8 songs?? difficult when I'd have to include the whole of Dark Side/Wish You Were Here/Division Bell and at least half of Momentary Lapse of Reason/Final Cut! :o)
Deletesounds like a great evening and one I wish I could have been at.
ReplyDeletePaul, think you would definitely have enjoyed it!
DeleteHell, I wish I was there!
ReplyDeleteRodger... Your time will come I'm sure.. :-)
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Deleteoooh...jealous!!!!
ReplyDeleteAlastair, and so you should be! :-)
DeleteGreat stuff Steve, bet the sound was fantastic in there! 'Sorrow' remains a firm favourite of mine, the way he tears into that intro never fails to send the shivers racing down my spine :)
ReplyDeleteLee, I reckon that entire album is much overlooked.. One of the best moments of the night I think..
Delete