Impact Arena
From: bv harish
Silent Bangkok finally woke up... there are no words to describe the spectacle... it has
to be experienced. In short... a great show.. to be remembered for life...!!!
Well it all started at 5 PM, I took a skytrain to
reach the nearest part of the venue. Then shared a taxi
with 4 others.. among them were 2 nice old ladies..
who were eager to reach the venue as early as
possible. I reached the venue by 6.15 pm.
bought 2 t-shirts... & put on 1 concert t-shirt. And
gradually.. the crowd came filling in... it was a
festival atmosphere.. I could see a blend of old,
middleaged & young people. The crowd was near capacity
(14,000).
The gates opened at 7.30 PM. I tried to sneak in a
camera, but was thwarted by security. the arena was
huge... neat seating & cool air. some technicians were
busy giving final testing to the equipment. people
stood for King's prayer @8.00 pm.
At 8.15 the lights went dim.... & suddenly I saw a tall
gentleman over the stage... it was Roger himself.... &
under the limelight, the spectacle started with
pyrotechnics. He received a standing ovation. The
crowd was amazing throughout, which made Roger cheer.
Hhe enjoyed the show along with the crowd. The setlist was
same as in Australia. The sound was great. there were a lucky
few who snuck thru the bouncers to greet Roger... Roger bowed & shook hands...
1. In The Flesh pt 2: Roger's voice didn't seem to fade
at all.. he was amazing. Timing was perfect.
I ran towards the stage... stood just 5 ft away from
Roger... could feel his emotions.. great feeling.
Every string of his bass.... shook the heart.
The Encore was good... crowd shouted for more... many of
them ran near the stage... the bouncers couldnt control
all of them... so they came still closer to the stage (center).
We knew he'd play Flickering Flame ... I held a
Flickering Flame poster in my hand... & then he began
introducing the song... this was perfect. Could
see some lighters around... even I had one...
The band received great applause...
I was not ready for the end... never felt I stayed for
more than 3 hrs... the time had come to leave... but the
memories remain... for all my life..
Thank you Roger & team for the brilliant
performance...
The best moment of my life.. having a chance to see a
Floyd legend live... from 30ft away from the stage.
2. The Happiest Days Of Our Lives: seemed like a real
copter had entered the arena... & the transition was
smooth between songs.
3. Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2: The crowd joined
in on the chorus.. this was amazing. Chester was cool in
his solo..
4. Mother: Roger with his acoustics was great... The imaging
was neat... The wall was a built in the image..
5. Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert: The solo years
of Roger were portrayed very well. The transition to
southampton dock was great.
6. Southampton Dock: The images were brilliant...
7. Pigs On The Wing, Part 1: The crowd cheered to this
song.
8. Dogs: the sound was amazing.... Chester, Andy & Snowy
were amazing... During the final solo between Broad &
Harry... Roger, Chester, Snowy & Andy sat over a
dining table... playing cards & drinking... this was
cool. Roger even danced with andy for a while.
9. Set The Controls for the Heart of ths Sun... true
rememberance of Syd.. old images of band were nice.
Roger speaks to the crowd after the song...
10. Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Parts 1-5: This was
the song... that made crowd longing for more. Intro
was great. Stachel was amazing here.
11. Welcome To The Machine : The sound effects were
great...
12. Wish You Were Here: The crisp acoustic sound was
superb... however Chester made us feel the absence of
Dave here.
13. Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Parts 6-9: This was
really amazing.... a rotating diamond shaped object
appears in front of the screen... the limelight splashes the
tiny reflections from the object all over...
The band receives great applause.... Roger announces a
break...
14. Breathe (In The Air): Great start to see the dark
side of moon.
15. Time: Exceeded expectations... Sound was great..
Broad was cool on his drums.
16. Money: Cash registers sounded all over... this was
great... Katie, PP & Linda were superb...
17. 5:06 AM - Every Stranger's Eyes: Roger solo years
seemed great.. Perfect combination of band.
18. Perfect Sense part 1: PP was cool.
19. Perfect Sense part 2: great image & sounds.
20. The Bravery Of Being Out Of Range: great number
21. It's A Miracle: it was really a miracle....
22. Amused To Death: The crowd was quiet during these
numbers.... tears definately rolled over....
23. Brain Damage: The crowd cheered again.. with this
24. Eclipse: A perfect one... with loud chorus by the
crowd.
Roger introduces his band.... they receive standing
ovation & great applause...
25. Comfortably Numb: absolutely numb....
Regards
Harish
I gave the concert a "6". I would have given it a "7" but the cheap shots at America detracted greatly from the experience. The naivet of the rock star cum political critic pretty much turns my stomach and I think that rich performers generally make fools of themselves when they try to get political. I found RW's attack on materialism particularly amusing. Somehow, I doubt whether he drives a VW Beetle and I'm damned sure he makes more impact on the environment that you or I do.
Still, it was fun hearing some of my favorite Pink Floyd songs live, although it's hard to say where the sequencers, samplers and tapes stopped and the live performance started. His vocal efforts were weak and half hearted and, I have to say that as a performer, I found RW's stage presence a bit on the bland side. After more than 30 years in the business you'd think he'd have a bit more up his sleeve.
A goodly percentage of the audience walked out before the encore and they didn't miss anything by leaving early. The one song encore featured a new piece that sent about half the remaining crowd bolting to find taxis. I'd say that Mr. Waters is little more than a vain relic remnant from a band that was one of the best around in it's day. He'd do well to patch it up with Gilmore and stick to the Pink Floyd catalog. As a solo artist I suspect that he'll put one on the charts when pigs fly.
Needless to say, I lost a lot of respect for the man. I thought that seeing a performer who has musically embraced quasi Buddhist themes in a place like Thailand would be a peak experience. However, the only thing Mr. Waters seems to be embracing today is his own bloated ego.
I've been a true fan of Roger Waters for about 12 years. He is the one and only... my all time favourite artist. I discovered him through the VDO concert of the Wall Live in Berline 1990. And after I saw the words "Written and Directed by Roger Waters, I've just got stuck with him since then.
I have always had an unexplainable and unconditional love for Roger Waters. It is a very sentimental feeling. I don't know why I love and adore this man so much. I always have this feeling for him no matter that some people say bad things about him (egomaniac, such and such). Everytime I hear/read people praise him or say something good about him and love him as much as I do, I feel so very delighted and blissfull. It is truly happy to read the tour reviews, and I've found that most of the people have the same feeling as I do toward Roger Waters.
On that night Roger looked great and in top form. The band was fantastic and Roger's voice was still intact. I always love Roger's amazing voice. It is so beautiful and emotional. I think I loved just about every song that Roger sang.
Anyway, all in all the show was superb, and I loved every second of it. I will
always remember that very special night for the rest of my life.
