Pink Floyd @ Live 8
It may have been a sign of the Apocalypse, but the four members of Pink Floyd did indeed appear on stage together just after 11pm, opening with "Breathe".
Interesting to hear the songs performed by a stripped-down band shorn of most of the extra musicians and singers from later Floyd or Waters solo tours. They even played 'Money' without any backing singers. I noticed the huge smile on Roger Water's face during the first number. His voice was a bit ragged on 'Wish You Were Here', but was a lot better on 'Comfortably Numb'. The BBC focussing the camera on the hulk of Battersea Power Station during 'Money' was a nice touch.
I'm surprised they were allowed four songs seeing that The Who (who rocked!) were only allowed two. Let's hope this turns out to be more than just a one-off; I remember the Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath reunions at the 1985 Live Aid led to further things.
Posted by TimHall at July 03, 2005 12:14 AM | TrackBackLoved It. Amazing stuff. I certainly hope they do more together than just this!
It totally made up for having to sit through Mariah Carey to get there... ;-)
Posted by: Martyn Read on July 4, 2005 10:33 AMFloyd were terrific and showed what a worldwide class act they were and still are. The problem for me was it was the wrong platform for them to showcase. Following Robbie Williams and The Who I think the crowd wanted to party and Floyd are not a 'get up and dance' band. I also thought the finale led by Sir Paul which followed was poor and lacked direction. Nonetheless Floyd were terrific for an old geezer like me who first saw them with Syd Barrett all those years ago and it was a nice touch when Waters dedicated Wish You Were Here' to 'Everone who can't be here tonight and to Syd of course'. Alan Parsons must have been mixing the sound for them because it was the best sound mix all day.
Posted by: mick W on July 4, 2005 12:40 PMSurely Mariah Carey was on to let you take a pee-break, make a 'Nice Cup Of Tea', put the dogs out (should they be predisposed towards Saturday night combustion) and generally stretch you legs.
You weren't supposed to sit and watch! :-)
Posted by: Steve Jones on July 4, 2005 03:48 PMI would not be surprised if the fast majority of the audience, raised on top-40 radio, had never heard a note of Pink Floyd's music before.
It think it was very much a pop audience rather an a rock one; you could tell that by how bewildered they were by the superbly OTT Velvet Revolver.
Posted by: Tim Hall on July 4, 2005 09:05 PMIt's a shame so many people have no idea who Floyd is.
Posted by: Scott on July 6, 2005 07:01 PMWell maybe those folks who don't know the Floyd might have actually got a big taste of them, watching masters take control of a massive show. Maybe when they decide to go to the reunion tour dates, these kids will actually anticipate the music and not just the gettin'-wasted scene some would like the events to become (Dead, Phish, etc.). Live8 swhow being replayed on Sat. on VH1, BTW.
Posted by: Chris on July 9, 2005 07:20 PMI was thrilled to see Pink Floyd play live at live 8 by far the best band altogether - they played supurbly i only watched it on tv on - dissapointed i could not have been there. I was a big Floyd fan in the 80's loved them but didn't really listen properly, and have not listened to my tapes for ages.All my Floyd cassete tapes are knackered now so today i treated myself to Dark side of the moon and Echoes on CD and a pair of sennheiser head phones so i can really listen now.
So glad they are back in the charts - they deserve every penny they are fantastic artists.
I was sad i missed Richard Ascroft with Coldplay, I had to go out and missed it on the radio too - anyone know where i can get a recording of that performance video/dvd or cd whatever? I was sat on a beach in Croatia 2 weeks ago and heard a recording of it played on a serbian radio station that the Serb family next to us on the beach were listening to - but would love to hear it again - Ashcroft my hero and into coldplay.
Posted by: Lorna on July 30, 2005 10:58 PMTo me was 'well, i saw Pink Floyd playing live together, I'm done'. Now i just need to plant a tree, write a book and have a couple of kids.
What most shocked me was the fact they played as if they were back in 1972 playing Breathe for the first time, enjoying themselves and with what they were listening, like and old good shoe, it fits.
They played heavenly well, as the good old days, and i read some people saying that David was not comfortable at all, the hell, listen again the solo from Comfortably Numb! That's passion. That's being in it. On it. I'm only 26 years old and listened to Pink Floyd for the last 5 years.. have thousands of bootlegs, and i still need to crash my head against the wall to understand that, what i'm listening, is THAT good.
Reunion tour now, please.
Posted by: the_painfull on September 18, 2005 04:06 AMI have to say I wasn't all that impressed with the video pf Floyd. To the above poster who talked about 'class' I really don't think you've read too many interviews of Floyd members. No doubt they are talented musicians, but class? I don't think so.
Roger seemed to be having the best time, David never cracked a smile until he was walking off stage. At the end of the set Roger had to corral them all together to put arms around one another for the audience's benefit. From what I little I know of Roger I'd have thought he had a mini stroke or smoked some of the gangja! More power to them though, far better than the days when Roger would spit on the audience.
Posted by: metooplez on September 23, 2005 05:20 AMI was playing Floyd when I was 15 I am 49 now. Do the amth. I ahve most of their albums. I was a weed smoking, acid dropping co;ege boy and I tought life was what they said it would be.
Now at 6 figures a year they were right dead on! I loved the live 8 bootleg I have and I will wear it out. I have played it more then dark side of the mooon and thats saying something!