Review: Australian Pink Floyd

Vocalist/guitarist Steve Mac of the Australian Pink Floyd Show. Photos by Susan Pfannmuller/Special to The Star

Goals don’t get much loftier or more ambitious than the goals of a band that calls itself the Australian Pink Floyd Show, especially if it promises an evening filled with visual thrills and stimuli.

Wednesday night, the longest lasting (24 years) international Pink Floyd tribute band drew a sell-out crowd to the Uptown Theater, and it gave the 1,200 or so in attendance everything it promised: an array of lasers; a 3-D show (get your glasses at the door); a flashy light show; a pristine sound system; and a set list stocked with hits and favorites from one of the music world’s most revered psychedelic/art-rock bands. The only thing missing? Any sense of spontaneity or spark of personality.

For nearly three hours (including a 20-minute intermission), the band that acronyms itself TAPFS filled the theater with all flavors of Pink Floyd. It opened with the two opening tracks from the “Wish You Were Here” album: the epic “Shine On, You Crazy Diamond,” then “Welcome to the Machine.” Like what would follow, both were cast in renditions faithful to the album’s versions. If this band is earnest about anything, it is to re-creating the Floyd sound as faithfully as it can live, as a 10-piece ensemble (including three background singers).

MIke Kidson of TAPFS

The first half of the setlist bounced around from one album to the next: from “Coming Back to Life” off “The Division Bell” to the single “Arnold Layne” to “Sorrow” and “Learning to Fly” from “A Momentary Lapse of Reason.” During that first half, the performances felt as perfunctory as they sounded polished. The vocalists sounded a bit weary and by-the-book. None  had much to say to their audience; nor did anyone else in the band. In fact, there wasn’t much movement in general coming off the stage. The only visible energy was from the occasional spray of lime-green lasers. Otherwise, the vibe in the room was a bit staid and neutral -– more like Khaki Floyd than something Pink.

The vibe improved in the second half, when the 3-D feature kicked in and the set list featured more well-known numbers, like “Time,” “Money" (which included a stellar sax solo), “Another Brick in the Wall, Part II” “Wish You Were Here” and “Comfortably Numb.” The 3-D was a novel attraction. Its best moment was when the pink pig appeared and spun around, seemingly in front of the viewer’s face. It was nothing like the lavish spectacle Roger Waters brought to the Sprint Center last year when he re-created "The Wall," but for a place the size of the Uptown, the visuals were at least entertaining.

But the novelties ultimately took a back seat to the music and classic songs, especially the mournful songs like “Wish” and “Numb,” which cast an ethereal spell throughout the room. The crowd for most of the evening seemed content to remain seated, even during the more raucous numbers like “Money” and “Wall.” When the 3-D affects were in full force and the room was filled with people wearing the goofy glasses, they looked like a ‘50s crowd sitting in a theater, watching a movie. A few spasms of dancing and restrained rowdiness broke out during the encore, “Run Like Hell.” That one, too, was re-created with an unwavering faithfulness, which seemed to be both the means and the ends to this elaborate homage to a great band.

| Timothy Finn, The Star

 

Comments

[Tony Cheray]

I have seen the Ausie floyd almost 7 times and the the actual pink floyd once in 94. true the Ausies don create alot of energy when on stage but the Pink floyd did not either i think Gilmour only spoke 20 words to the audience the whole night. I will say this band is the best tribute band period.

[Bewlay]

Floyd hadn't improvised in their live shows probably since before Dark Side of the Moon was released so it's probably expected that this would be a carbon copy.

[Andrew]

We had a great time and thought the music and visuals were tremendous!

[Rick]

I'll never 'get' tribute bands, a group of people who devote their professional lives to meticulously recreating the work of another group, totally surrendering any musical vision they possess - or once did - in the service of obsessively performing another band's songs to an audience all too willing to engage in denial of the reality that it's not Pink Floyd or The Beatles they're watching onstage.

Sorry if that sounds haughty, but the whole exercise seems so reactionary.

[pellboy]

Besides the obvious reason of dollars (in this case a sell-out crowd), I don't really get it either. I'm not a musician, but I'm sure there is a certain amount of satisfaction that comes from technically mastering an existing work(s). Having said that, as a creative artist, shouldn't the ultimate goal be to try and create something new and unique? I'm under the impression (in fact, I think this was actually covered in a TF (?) piece on local tribute acts) that most of the musicians involved with tribute bands do it for the gigs and because they were fans of or influenced by those same acts and usually have other side projects that engage their creative sides.

[Chad]

You go to any symphony that plays Bach, Bethoven, Mozart, etc. and you're hearing a "tribute orchestra" performing. Why should we scoff at the same treatment given to more current musical genres?

All the same.. I don't particularly enjoy watching tribute bands.

[pellboy]

Good point, Chad, I was sort of thinking the same thing when typing my post and if anything, Floyd would lend itself to that sort of tribute more than most.

[Geordan]

They played "Arnold Layne." It's good that the Syd Barrett era was represented, if for only a song. The Floyd's debut album, "The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn" has always been my favorite from the band and is one the best examples of Psychedelic Rock that you'll ever stumble across.

[NEW]

"Having said that, as a creative artist, shouldn't the ultimate goal be to try and create something new and unique?"

Interesting point PB and very true IMO. It's pretty easy to learn a guitar or keyboard part to an already existing song no matter what the leel of difficulty as long as you know the gear and teh effects that were deployed in the original. The true artistry lies in the development of the material, not the reproduction.

[Green]

With all this talk, are you guys saying American Idol and X-Factor are filled with pretty faces with no true musical talant just cause they play others music ;) I might have put words in your mouth or the blog for that matter, sorry. I agree with yea about cover bands, little more open to it if the band is no longer around, be it Liverpool or whatever, if you never had a chance to see Floyd something like this would be a nice way to spend the evening but if you have it would seem kinda flat. I like the point about the symphony, although that is a little different, that was more of a master mind writing and then bringing in performers, I think its also something that is accepted in classical and not as much in modern music. Hell we freak out when someone plays something that isn't their own music, brand them a hack, Girl Talk, anyway, good point, can't remember anyone bring that up before.

[Wallofvudu]

Music is sound that appeals to your ears.... regardless of how many tribute bands or symphony's that play Bach and Mozart, it's all about what makes your brain happy.

[Steve]

PB, I get what you are saying about tribute bands. That said, there is music by certain bands that I love to hear/see live that for many reasons, usually attributed to death, you can't see. A few examples, next month I'm going to St. Louis to see Furthur, which even though there are a couple of founding members of the band playing, is a Grateful Dead "tribute" band. You can't have the Grateful Dead without Jerry. Weir and Lesh get that and that is why when they had the rest of the band sans Jerry they just called it "The Dead" (which by the way when they had Herring and Haynes playing together kicked ass) and now since it is just the two of them it is called "Further". But I love the music and I want to see it played live. I love seeing the Schwag because I love seeing Dead music played live. Bands that still call themselves Guns N Roses, Lynard Skynard, Journey, Foreigner, REO Speedwagon, ect are really just glorified tribute bands because they include few of the original members of the band. Can you call REO Speedwagon REO Speedwagon without Gary Richrath? Can you call Journey Journey without Steve Perry and Greg Rollie? I won't even get started on that douche bag Axl Rose. I took my son to see Daltrey last Friday, it's not The Who and even when Towndsend plays it really isn't The Who w/o OX and Moon the Loon. But it still kicks ass live and Daltrey put together a great band and we had a blast. McCartney tours with a band that is probably far superior live than the Beatles ever dreamed about being. In a way they are a tribute band and they were awesome. I hope they come back so I can see them again. I'd mortgage my house to see Plant, Page, Jones and Jason Bonham play live. I probably would not have a problem with it if they still called it Led Zepplin. I saw JBLZE at Voodoo Lounge. That show defined what a tribute band is all about and frankly it blew me away. Same thing when I saw Dark Star Orchestra at Crossroads KC a few years back. At the end of the day I have no problem with tribute bands as long as they don't call themselves the same name as the original and try to pass themselves off as the original. Aussie Pink, which I understand was really good, gets close to crossing the line on that issue. I say enjoy the music you love for what it is regardless of who is playing it. I'll get off my soapbox now.

[pellboy]

Good points, Steve and while I'm not a huge fan of tribute fans they do serve a purpose and I do enjoy them on occasion. Heck, one of the best times I ever had at a club show was seeing a Stones tribute bands called The Blushing Brides in Lockport, NY in 1982. It felt as though I had been transported back to England circa 1964. As you said, they fill a need for those who have either never seen the original band or were bigs fans and just want a shot of nostalgia...certainly nothing wrong with that. My post was more about the motivation behind the musicians who play in tribute bands.

[Darrell]

There is a large portion of the buying public who are more comfortable with music they already know by heart. It's those people who are served by touring classic rock nostalgia acts and tribute bands. That part of show biz may not have the same level of street cred that "original artists" have, but it creates work and income for people who may not have either otherwise.

I've seen both sides of this issue in the years I've played live. I've seen lame tribute bands who feel it's more important to have the costumes and gear right than it is to sound good. I've also seen a slew of self-important flavor-of-the-week "original" acts who looked down their nose at any other act who wasn't as "original" as they were.

One thing a musician needs to remember is - just because you wrote it doesn't mean that anybody else wants to hear it. An audience votes with their feet and their wallet. An audience wants to be entertained. Some audiences want to hear something they've never heard before. Others don't want to get out of their comfort zone that way.

[interesting]

how do you "almost" see a band 7 times? you were on the way to a show once and changed your mind and just went to a bar?

[Tony Cheray]

in response to interesting's post. I sufferd a terrible case of food poisoning due to something i ate prior to the TAPFS show at the uptown in 2007. I missed the last 1/4 of the show because i had to check my self in to hospital because of it. due to that i considerd since i missed part of the show I almost saw them 7 times.

[interesting]

exact same thing happened to me! I almost saw Black Sabbath 2 times but fell from balcony during the 2nd half of the 2nd show! I was taken to hospital and leg was amputated below the knee! Bloody hell!

[Keith]

I was in the balcony, Section 203 and could barely hear the band. I've seen them twice before in this same theater, also sitting in the balcony. Did anyone else have a problem with the sound? Especially on Wish You Were Here, I could barely hear the guitar. Overall, the last two shows in Chicago were far better and this one was disappointing.

[interesting]

so you have seen them a total of 5 times? were you ever in any danger? have you almost seen them 6 times?

[Bob]

OMG.... Like this one time at band camp, we took a field trip to the Uptown theater, and like, we sat in the upper balcony... and this flute player girl who had amazing lips put me in serious danger of... LIKE OMG!!!
===================
====================
BTW-someone said...
""I sufferd a terrible case of food poisoning due to something i ate prior to the TAPFS show at the uptown in 2007. I missed the last 1/4 of the show because i had to check my self in to hospital because of it.""

I call BS, first of all, food poisoning takes longer than that to set in... maybe you are rich and can afford to check into a hospital like that... but BS!!!! plus the fact... ah anyway....

PS
But I will say, I heard this story of a girl who went to the crossroadskc, right after they put the new woodchips done, and the chips were still infested with deer ticks.. and the deer ticks bit her so baddly... and she got Lymes disease... and she never could drink beer, or have fun, again.

[interesting]

i almost saw lynyrd skynyrd, twice

[Green]

I got sick after Coldplay, I blame the band and the guy spinning records for an hour before the show, who knows maybe it was something I ate, but the coldplay didnt help any, one of the worst concerts I have ever seen. I pretty much gave up Coldplay after that show. They played achy breaky heart, come on man, at least pick a good country song if you wanna play up the cowtown thing, but achy bre... ahh, thats grounds for a boycott.

[Man]

"at least pick a good country song"

come on Green, please try to make sense when you post. What you posted is like saying you want a sunny night, or dry water, or a skinny fat chick...

pick a "good cuntry song"??
there is no such thing, come on man.... next thing you will be asking for military intelligence.

[web development USA, web development Florida]

I was sort of thinking the same thing when typing my post and if anything, Floyd would lend itself to that sort of tribute more than most.

[interesting]

i have never almost seen coldplay

[Green]

I knew the good country song bit would take some heat, I think there are good ones but many are older songs.

[interesting]

every time i almost go to a country concert, i suffer food poisoning

i have almost seen Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, George Strait, Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert

[Tell Me]

Can somebody please explain why stupid azz KC paid all that money to add all those extra seats in Kemper arena and now we are juts going to tear it down.

If there is so little money in this city, how do we reconcile this type of waste?

Who can we hold accountable for all this waste?

[interesting]

pretty much answered your own question, stupid azz KC

[interesting]

i almost saw Aerosmith in Paraguay last night but Steven Tyler suffered food poisoning and canceled the show