The Wall - Live at the O2, London (12 May 2011)
The current Roger Waters tour is the first time that The Wall was being played live in the UK since 1980. Since Waters left Pink Floyd after "The Final Cut", there has been an on-going feud between him and the rest of the band, especially David Gilmour. Waters went on to release three solo albums with mixed success. But tonight is not just about Roger Waters. Tonight he was playing The Wall and effectively representing Pink Floyd under his own name.
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With the standard wall under construction, the show began with Waters on the bass and accompanied with talented musicians. The kids' choir on 'Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)' provided the same goosebumps you got from listening to the original track the first time, whilst the Teacher and Mother puppets are still as oppressive as always. Waters is accompanied with a video of, what he referred to as, the "fucked up little Roger" singing at the Earls Court show in 1980 displayed in the background on 'Mother'. The graphics displayed on the wall throughout the show is fantastic and although some of the political messages have been updated, it has the same impact as the movie and what I can imagine the original show had in the seventies and eighties.
The first half of the show is over in a flash and by the time 'Goodbye Cruel World' comes on; the wall is fully constructed bar the one brick through which Waters delivers the last few lines of the song. The brick slots into place and it's time to break and recover from the epic experience of watching a sixty year old deliver one of the best albums ever; and with absolute perfection.
The spine chilling 'Bring the Boys Back Home' has even more meaning today with the current state of events in the Middle East, and was very well received by all. But nothing could have prepared us for what happened next. When 'Comfortably Numb' kicks off, a familiar face appeared behind his favourite Fender on top of the wall. David Gilmour surprised the entire audience as a guest artist and the O2 erupted. Every single person jumped to their feet and screamed the place down. I have not heard such a crowd reaction before.
Waters delivers the rest of the show to utmost perfection, but there is a totally different dynamic to the audience as realisation sets in that we have just witnessed history. Everybody is wondering when Gilmore will appear again and you can almost hear the rumour mill about a reunion starting to turn.
There is one more surprise for the audience. Nick Mason joined the remainder of the living Floyd members on stage just before 'Outside the Wall'; and Waters and Gilmour gives each other, what appears to be a genuine hug. The crowds reaction makes it obvious what the rest of the world wants, but will the two angry little boys finally kiss and make up? Will there be a Pink Floyd reunion tour in the near future? Only time will tell.
R.I.P. Richard Wright; and madcap, Syd Barrett.
To view all photos taken during this set click here. There are 1 available.