If imitation is the highest form of flattery, then the australian pink Floyd have surely taken it to a new dimension. Watching the band on stage, you are instantly facing a dilemma. These guys are good. No I mean really good. And there lies the dilemma. Where is the dividing line between the tribute and the real thing? How far can the tribute take their act before they become, horror of horrors, better than the original? Fortunately, the Australian Pink Floyd stay within that boundary.
'The Wall'
I saw this tribute band a few years ago at the SECC in Glasgow for a performance of "The Wall", and I have to admit, I failed to see the join.
I had gone to the show with a completely open mind. I had been well informed about how good they were, but I really wanted to draw my own conclusions. Right from the start, it became virtually impossible to tell where the real thing ended and this emphatic compliment began. And I have to admit, I was well impressed, becoming an instant convert in the process.
Admittedly they are nowhere near the original visually, but that is where the real tribute begins. Far better to replicate the sound, than impersonate and fail miserably. Musically, David Gilmour has given them his own seal of approval. And surely that shouts volumes, far louder than anything else. For this performance, they simply allowed the music and theatrics to speak for themselves....and then some.
Swept along on this ultimate musical journey
They grabbed hold of a packed auditorium and for just short of three hours, swept us along on this ultimate musical journey. Few spaces, few words, simply a stunning lightshow and a constant re-creation of timeless classics like "The Happiest Days of our Lives", "Goodbye Cruel World", "Hey You", "Run Like Hell" and "Another Brick in the Wall Part 2" - adding some quirky Australian humour with animated kangaroos in place of hammer heads on the back projection.
A back projection which never dominated, but nonetheless added subtle visuals to the whole performance. A performance which, in the time-honored traditions of show business, left the best till near the end - a spotless rendition of "Comfortably Numb" with a note perfect and searing guitar solo accompanied by an ocean of swaying arms...and a huge inflatable kangaroo with menacing eyes.
'Great Gig in the Sky'
Leaving the stage for a brief respite, they returned to serve up an eagerly awaited encore with "Great Gig in the Sky". The soulful vocals taking us to lofty peaks and deep valleys and which left us wondering was that really Claire Torry we were hearing or an impeccable impersonation? Like I implied earlier, you couldn't see the join.
'The Best Side of The Moon'
And the good news is they are on tour again in the UK later this year with "The Best Side of The Moon". Kicking off in Belfast at the SSE Arena on September 26th. Go with an open mind, but I can assure you it will be a hard job to spot the difference.
