The Australian Pink Floyd Show Breaks the "Cover Band" Mold

Photos by Jason Barr

Don’t call them a cover band. The Australian Pink Floyd Show is a tribute band, and the difference between impersonation and idolatry was crystal clear in the extravagant live performance they presented at the San Jose Civic Auditorium on Oct. 26.

They tour the globe offering psychedelic rock fans the ultimate blast from the past, an opportunity to either relive times when craftsmanship dominated popular music, or to finally experience the energy of the world’s most intense concert phenomenon firsthand.

If imitation is flattery, their perfect rendition of Pink Floyd favorites is outright adulation. From the moment the concert began with a simulated starlight performance of “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” it was obvious this was going to be a first-class show.

Note for note The Australian Pink Floyd Show matched their mentors with a mastery reserved for the chosen few. Their attention to detail included an amazing light show complete with acid-trip inspired videos projected on the trademark Pink Floyd moon-shaped screen behind the stage.

While the music was performed with faithful reverence for the original album material, the light show provided a chance for The Australian Pink Floyd Show to distinguish themselves. Every opportunity was taken to insert a giant pink kangaroo into Pink Floyd’s infamous imagery.

The only other obvious distinction was a didgeridoo introduction to “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun,” a favorite of Pink Floyd mastermind Roger Waters. The rest of the song sounded like a Waters performance, played in a way that transports the audience back in time and reminds us of why rock music was so evocative in the late 1960’s.

Their set-list was a complimentary mix of old and new, respecting the attributes of estranged Pink Floyd front-men, David Gilmour and Roger Waters. They covered many of the songs Gilmour engineered after Waters departed, including “What do you Want from Me,” “Learning to Fly,” “On the Turning Away,” and “Take it Back.”

Gilmour’s guitar solos were played to precision, whether emulating his studio perfection on “Time,” or whaling through his grand finale stage version of “Comfortably Numb.” Waters was equally represented, as they played many of his favorites, like “Dogs, “Mother” and “Us and Them.” The bass player even stretched his vocals to match the anguish in Waters’ voice for “The Gunners Dream.”

A Pink Floyd or Roger Waters concert is an experience unrivaled in music, and for all we know they may never tour again. The Australian Pink Floyd Show is not just the next best thing – it is in some ways better. They provide a reunification of the genius of Gilmour and Waters, and since too many relegate The Australian Pink Floyd Show to the lowly status of a cover band, they perform in smaller venues that allow the audience to feel more intimate with the musicians.

The Australian Pink Floyd Show displayed a stellar light performance at the San Jose Civic Auditorium on Oct. 26.

Originally published in the Express, November 17, 2006.

Roger Waters Presents ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’

On the moonlight night of Oct. 10, I was one of the few thousand fortunate fans swaying mesmerized to the music of Roger Waters, the mastermind behind some of the most emotional rock music ever conceived. His schizophrenic live performance was riddled with those perfect moments you wish would never end, where through the haze of insanity and international politics everything becomes clear and somehow you know it is all going to be OK.

If you missed it, too bad. There is no way to describe the intangible welling of pain and spirituality that ascends from the soul and becomes lodged in the back of the throat, forcing you to sing along in an effort to shed your sorrow, and then to share in the joy of relief from your dark hauntings. Indeed, for a few hours the shoreline amphitheater had become one giant psychoanalyst’s couch holding what could be considered the largest group therapy session ever.

I’d like to describe the precision of the themed video projections with the music, the power of the compositions, and the depth of what are widely regarded as some of the best guitar solos in history, but if you are a fan you already know, and if not, you won’t care.

I will say this, witnessing Roger Waters perform Pink Floyd’s entire “Dark Side of the Moon” album was a once in a lifetime event that will remain indelibly etched in my mind. Not just because he is one of my favorite composers and lyricists (his voice was unbelievably flawless, by the way), but because that album is so unique it has become one of those pieces of pop-culture everyone remembers. Like the lunar landing itself, we all recall exactly what we were doing the first time we heard it.

Hundreds of years from now, our descendents will marvel at the mastery of his music the way we wonder on Mozart, Beethoven, or Bach. As a composer, Waters has written work that will stand the test of time, and that’s why the only part of the show I didn’t like so much was his new song, “Leaving Beirut.”

It is supposedly the story of an Arab family who treated him with extraordinary kindness when he was down and out in the Middle East, yet it contained direct messages that apply particularly to our current political climate. Roger, please continue doing what you do best, make undying music, and leave the politicking to the pundits.

His anti-war message has always been implied through the narratives embedded in his lyrics, and lends itself to any conflict without unnecessarily overt statements. Take for instance the encore, a perfect rendition of “Vera”, “Bring the Boys Back Home” and “Comfortably Numb”. Damn, I am still crying.

I can’t depart without noting the “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” tribute to original Pink Floyd guitarist and lead singer Syd Barrett, which bore significant meaning as he recently passed away, after decades of lunacy. To Syd and all those who have left us behind, we wish you were here.
Roger Waters played the entire "Dark Side if the Moon"
album for his concert at the Shoreline Ampitheater
Photo Illustration by Jason Barr

Originally published in the Express, October 13, 2006.

Tool Resuscitates New Album With Stellar Live Performance

Though progressive-metal band Tool’s latest release “10,000 days” topped the Billboard charts this summer, it lacks the impact of their past work and has fallen flat with many hard rock fans. Yet those who witnessed Tool perform this material live at the Oakland Arena on Sept. 3rd beheld a miracle.

By itself “10,000 Days” could be categorized in the ever expanding sub-genres of rock as “background-metal”, just don’t tell that to the thousands of fervent fans who exploded in applause every time they recognized an introduction to one of the new songs. Indeed, they were aware of something that had eluded the non-believers.

While this album presents a weaker version of the Tool we have come to know and love, it is no less an awesome work of art. If a concert revival was needed to open our eyes, so be it.

Befitting reanimation, the stage was designed in the sterile simplicity of a hospital hallway, and the roadies were even dressed in long white lab coats as they tended to the equipment. The theme carried into the perfectly synchronized video projections, which featured bizarre images of hemi-sectional human anatomy, pregnant people becoming balloons, and conjoined CGI characters locked in an intricate coital embrace seemingly woven from the tapestry of an M.C. Escher hallucination.

Even without the unrivaled visual presentation, the power of Tool’s live performance transcends even the polished production of their recorded music. Danny Carry’s tribal, rolling thunder drumming and the chunky grunge guitar and bass rhythms of Adam Jones and Justin Chancellor take on new meaning in person. Maynard James Keenan’s poetic and increasingly insightful lyrics impart deeper understanding when sung to the audience. Witnessing the technical precision of these four gifted musicians coalesce into their unique syncopated styling is a spectacle all its own.

Interspersed with the new songs were a handful of hits from their past, including “Stinkfist”, “Forty Six & 2”, “Schism”, “Sober”, “Lateralus” and “Ænema”. Hearing the new material performed with the old helped to foster a connection many otherwise would not have made. While the band has musically evolved, they are still the same old Tool, and “10,000 Days” is a great album, even if it qualifies as background-metal.

Originally published in the Express, September 15, 2006.

The Chili Peppers Rocked, but The Mars Volta Brought the Heat

John Frusciante, Flea, Chad Smith, and Anthony Kiedis still bring the funk!

Photo courtesy Bridenthal & Associates

The Red Hot Chili Peppers staged sold-out shows at the Oakland Arena Thursday and Friday in support of their new album Stadium Arcadium. Following The Mars Volta, the RHCP demonstrated their brand of funk rock that continues to appeal to the energized youth rock market. Both bands delivered spectacular, though dissimilar performances.

The RHCP kept the crowd dancing and cheering wildly with every solo, mostly for John Frusciante’s increasingly effective guitar work, though Flea’s infamous bass lines and Chad Smiths’ legendary drumming also received plenty of appreciation.

Their set revolved around songs from the new album, like "Dani California", "Charlie", "Snow (Hey Oh)", "Tell Me Baby" and "Readymade", and included past hits such as "Can’t Stop", "Scar Tissue", "Around the World", "Throw Away Your Television" and "Give it Away".

While most of their show reflected the sound that gave them mainstream popularity following the release of their 1991 album Blood Sugar Sex Magic, there were a few surprises in store for older fans, like the 1989 classic "Nobody Weird Like Me", and covers of the Clash’s "London Calling" and Simon and Garfunkel’s "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her", which showcased John Frusciante’s talent while the rest of the band took a break offstage.

John’s contribution to the band extends far beyond guitar wizardry, as he also provides backup vocals in harmony with Anthony Kiedis’s rap-singing. While the group is continuing to evolve musically, they are beginning to show the inevitable side-effects of their maturity.

Frontman Anthony Kiedis still supplied the raw energy fans have come to expect from a RHCP show, bouncing and stomping all over the stage, but Flea and John remained mostly immobile, favoring poses for the cameras which fed large video screens behind the stage, giving the presentation the feel of a music video. Gone are the days when the RHCP’s rocked out in their underwear, sporting flame throwers on their heads.

The Mars Volta opener was an altogether different kind of show. Featuring eight musicians in a nearly nonstop jam, they produced a heavily textured live performance beyond comparison. Many have tried, and invariably resort to pointing out the similarities to Led Zeppelin or Santana.

Sure, Cedric Bixler-Zavalas’s vocals sound like Robert Plant, and Omar Rodriguez, with his genius compositions and guitar playing, could be considered a modern version of Jimmy Page. And yes, they do incorporate a spicy hot Latin influenced rhythm section, but comparing The Mars Volta to Santana or Zeppelin is like comparing the best sex ever to a first date.

Watching their hour long set was akin to receiving multiple ten minute orgasms. Their rhythms build to a hard groovy jam in constant crescendo, leaving one to wonder how the music could keep on peaking.

Most of the material they played was from their new album Amputechture, which hits the shelves on Sept. 12, though "Viscera Eyes" can currently be heard online. They also played a few favorites from their past, including "The Widow" and "Roulette Dares".

Regrettably, the Arena was less than half full throughout their act. The Mars Volta represents the future of rock music, and they will soon be packing stadiums on their own.

Originally published in the Express, September 1, 2006.

If We Don’t Say "Merry Christmas" the Terrorists Win

The war on Christmas continues this year – the latest casualties, sanity and reason.

The holy movement against the secular progressives, led by Bill O’Reilly of FOX News notoriety, is reinforced in a new book by FOX News cohort John Gibson, and complimented with asinine comments from CNN pundit Glen Beck.

Gibson’s book, subtitled “How the Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday is Worse Than You Thought,” promises to provide concrete evidence of the conspiracy against Christmas. Finally, the evildoers are exposed!

Glen Beck, the radio “personality” who now wastes an hour of TV airtime every day in CNN’s sorry stab at stealing some market-share back from FOX, said that anyone offended by imagery of baby Jesus ought to join al-Qaeda. Tasteless to the core, Beck still has a great descent before reaching the depths where O’reilly dwells.

O’Reilly displayed the unfortunate insensitivity to connect Crate & Barrel’s alleged assault on Christmas with the unrelated tale of six Islamic imams who were handcuffed, humiliated and removed from their flight home following an Islamic-American relations conference in November.

Evidently, Crate & Barrel spokeswoman Betty Kahn was confirmed to have stated store employees “would definitely not say ‘Merry Christmas.’” With a witticism reserved for the repugnant O’Reilly said, “Maybe the imams who got thrown off the plane shop there. I bet you they wouldn't get handcuffed in Crate & Barrel if they started chanting and stuff."

Wow. Why doesn’t O’Reilly just come out and say it? “If we don’t say Merry Christmas the terrorists win."

His fabricated fable was not just utterly improper, but also entirely inaccurate. Kahn was simply saying Crate & Barrel does not require employees to say “Merry Christmas.” She was misquoted while declaring the store takes no position either way.

Somehow O’Reilly’s “No Spin Zone” twisted her words and managed to associate them with fears of terrorism. Interesting – is outright lying considered “spin”?

Where is the threat in this so-called war on Christmas? Are Christians going to convert to Islam because K-Mart might choose to promote the less exclusionary greeting of “Happy Holidays”?

Honestly, shoppers beating each other to grab the latest fad toy dont give a damn what the decorations look like. Meanwhile, Christianity no longer seems to care if its favorite day of the year is reduced to the relevancy of a little needle on some super economic gauge.

These holiday militiamen have themselves forgotten the true meaning of Christmas. The holy celebration should have nothing to do with the shopping experience.

Christmas is supposed to represent the ultimate expression of goodwill to mankind, no more, no less. Those expressing anything other than benevolence in defense of Christmas are entirely off base.

Oh well. In my ultimate expression of goodwill, I wish you all a wonderful holiday season. And for those who want to hit O’Reilly where it really hurts, let’s start a war on St. Patrick’s Day.

Originally published in the Express, December 8, 2006.