In The Flesh 2002
Tour Reviews

I loved every song/track played and The Flickering Flame as the last song with a superb backdrop was awsome. Roger's fellow musicians were superb the guest vocalists as Roger calls them were stunning, well done Katie, PP and Carole.

If I hade to pick any magic monent it would be the "Every Strangers Eyes" to the "Amused to Death section". All in all a great night one I will never forget, nor will my wife.
Bob and Karen.22.06.2002.

Technically the sound was good, but NOT loud enough, and the 360 degree sound was not as I expected.

The show itself... Excellent, very professional but too damn predictable... It WAS great to hear all the old classics AND the solo stuff, but having seen the video from the US tour, there was just no element of surprise...

The band IS NOT AS GOOD as the 1999/2000 band. Chester Kamen is AVERAGE, Harry Waters cannot compare with Jon Carin. Snowy white is BORED and Andy Fairweather low is under used.

Roger himself and the other band members were into it, and I think his voice has IMPROVED since the US tour.

The high points for me were the songs that I have not seen the Gilmour led Floyd do live... Southampton Dock, Mother, Dogs and Set the controls for the Heart of the Sun and ALL the Waters solo material... he needs to be bold enough to do MORE of it.

I am sorry but this band cannot do a better Shine On, Wish You Were Here, Time, Money, Comfortably Numb... they do not appreciate how to create a Floydian atmosphere on these tracks especially, as there is such a reliance musically on Gilmour/Wright in the original versions.

He should do more songs that are 'all Waters' like If, The Final Cut, Pigs(Three Different Ones), Nobody Home - Lesser known, but less tired Floyd material.

Overall it was a brilliant concert and great to see Roger live after 15 years of being a fan. I just expected more, but given the same set list and audience greetings... there wasn't the REAL magic that a live concert can offer.

Come on Roger... take a few risks... the real fans of your music want that.

It was 8 PM. The lights went out and the crowd went wild as Roger and the band came to the stage. In the Flesh began to be played followed by Another Brick... In The Flesh

I suddenly realized that I was in one of the best concerts of all time. The music was amazing. The sound quality was awsome. There was one bit in the concert, that they played a video of Pink Floyd in a field and it showed Roger falling into the long grass. At that point I realized that this mans music was the work of a genius.

The concert was emotional and you could feel the intimacy of the lyrics. At the end Roger invited people to come to the front. During Comfortably Numb, he said " After all, It is rock 'n' roll. He finished with Flickering Flame. Shoooooweeeeeee. What a night

The NEC gig was brilliant. Roger and all the other musicians were superb and the backing vocalists a pleasure to listen to.

The air of anticipation was at an all time high when Roger and his wonderful backing band hit the stage at 8.05. From the opening organ rumble of "In The Flesh" we knew we in business. Roger gained a huge cheer when he appeared at the top of the stage counting down to the crashing tones of "The Walls" stellar opening number.

The thunderous opener made way for "Happiest Days of our lives", complete with the spotlight zipping around the vast arena to the blasting aeroplane affects. We were right underneath the right hand speakers on the third row. To say this seating position provided aural heavenly the understatement of the decade.

Roger cajoled some participation from the crowd during "Another Brick In The Wall", which segued into an emotional charged "Mother". Not enough credit can be given to the tremendous backing vocalists. Veteran band members Katie Kissoon, P P Arnold, and more recent addition Carol Kenyon help Roger breathe new life into these standards, especially "Southampton Dock" which followed the introductory "Get Your Filthy Hands off My Desert".

Roger gave a subtle and fragile rendition of "Pigs on The Wing", before giving new guitarist/singer Chester Kamen a chance to excel beyond belief during the masterful, epic "Dogs". Chester traded licks with the great Snowy White, performing David Gilmours guitar solo with consummate ease and enviable gusto.

Rogers son Harry handled the synth/moog duties with an equal amount of passion, inventiveness whilst maintaining the authenticity of the original. Harry excelled during the spacey middle section of "Dogs" whilst the Roger, Snowy, Chester and the ever-present Andy Fairweather Low played cards. Overall the favourite "Animals" track deserve the ovation it received.

A swooning, haunting "Set the controls for the heart of the sun" was an enormous surprise, pleasing the fans of the very early Pink Floyd. The video archive footage of Roger pictured with the other members of the original line-up added depth to the immaculate performance.

Seeing that an hour had past made me wonder how much of "Wish You Were Here" Roger would choose to play for these gigs. "Shine on" was performed verbatim as it appears on Side 1, with Chester, Harry and Snowy playing all sections magnificently, before Norbert Stachels scorching solo paved the way for a blinding "Welcome To The Machine" complete with Gerald Scarfes river of blood animation. The title track to "Wish You Were Here" was lapped up by the crowd, whilst we all gasped in disbelief when "Shine on Part 2" was played in its entirety.

After the intermission, the sound of the heartbeat descended over the arena. "Breathe In The Air", "Time", "Breathe" reprise, and of course "Money" were all performed as if they written yesterday. The first solo track to be played was "Every Strangers Eyes" which went down as well as any of the Floyd material. A stirring, powerful and climatic "Perfect Sense" went down a treat. It was enhanced by PP Arnold, who received a rapturous ovation for her part in this anthemic epic.

A rocked up "The Bravery of being out of range", and a wistful yet soaring "Its a Miracle" were two more cuts from "Amused To Death" which proved any doubters wrong who thought Roger work could not stand up to the Floyds greatest masterworks. The melodic, thought provoking title track ended the "Amused To Death" quartet, and it was time to be transported back in time for "Brain Damage" and Eclipse".

Roger introduced the band and encouraged people to come down to the front, which we did! We had a good sing-along to "Comfortably Numb", and Roger ended the evening with a new song "Flickering Flame" which Roger announced as being about love and freedom. Ive only heard this song a few times and its already my favourite Roger song since "The Tide is Turning".

We left the NEC arena in a state of bliss. It would be picky to moan the absence of "Sheep", "Grandchester Meadows", or anything from "Radio Kaos". Instead Ill be thankful that I have witnessed this awesome concert, and be even more thankful I will see it all again tomorrow night!
MATTHEW ISAACS

Impressed with the size and constituent of the audience, I was similarly pleasantly surprised at the lack (well, near us anyway) of scary, weird, Rogheads banging on!

After a moderate start, Dogs ripped through the necessarily sterile gloom of an arena show and created something a little bit outré, and for the first time in the show, took some of our minds away from the earlier disaster that was England/Brazil! (apologies for bringing sports into music!). The whole piece was very very focused and the card school merely confirmed who it was who was really working!

Set the Controls... was sublime, and I assumed in error, heralded an earlier than expected pee-break. Clearly that did not turn out to be the case, and I inwardly congratulated myself for not being desperate...

Not too sure about Shine on... for this band. Although the second part was very well interpreted. What was however simply superb from WYWH, was Welcome to the Machine, an absolute set highlight.

A strident and punchy Money (which looked great the week after on telly) led into the Amused To Death stuff and this was a total pleasure to hear for the first time. The Bravary of Being Out of Range, including the backdrop, was excellent and ... It's A Miracle was both thought-provoking and amusing, which was nice....

Comfortably Numb, was against all the odds fantastic, and testomony to the two guitars which were consistently bang on the money and also thrillingly fluid throughout.

Generally the sound and lighting were immaculate, although the screen images seemed to be a little less dramatic than they were in '84 ...perhaps the beer is different...?

Thankyou very much Rog. We all look forward to the new records and a City Hall tour in about 2005!
Neil Matlock.xxx

To see a Roger Waters show I had bought 2 tickets for Barcellona, Spain for May the 8th (I have a brother who lives in Madrid). But work problems forced us to change our plans. So in looking on your website for another place to see Roger Waters, I found the NEC Arena of birmingham. A good choice as I have another brother (a younger brother) who lives in London.

So I bought 3 tickets, always over the Internet, and then I called my brothers and told them we'd be going to see Roger on June the 21st all in Birmingham!

Maybe you think: why you didn't you choose Roma or Milano to see Roger? Well, I couldn't find a place to get tickets nor a number to call. Plus, there were no seating places at the Italian shows. So with more confusion in trying to buy tickets and standing only shows... Plus... Roger was born in Cambridge, not in Italy, so why not see him in his home.

My brothers and I came by bus from London and after 3 hours arrived at the Nec at 20 past 7. I look around me and I didn't see many people, but my brother explained to me that everybody already had tickets, like us.

We went into the NEC at 7:30 and there were only 2 bars (and they only karlsberg beer in plastic bottles!!) There were many more places selling hot dogs and others types of food,and some concert merchandising places, and a lot of ushers to protect your place.

At 7:45 we were sitting in our places and began the wait. 8:07 and all the lights went out. The charleston began to give the time, 8 knocks... and then... TADAAAA-TAAAA-TAAAAAAAA-TAAAAAAA-TA-TA TA-TA-TAAAAAA.

It was completely dark, only a ray of light in one direction, up and behind the musicans there he was, mister Roger Waters, with his bass guitar in his hands, with a black suit, walking to the left and the right side of a riser at the back of the stage. Behind Roger were projected fantastic videos with the incomplete wall and the crossed hammer coat of arms over him... oh my God... is this real... am I really seeing this... in the flesh?? During the song the inflatable pig head appeared on the left side of the stage and after a few seconds the hammers began their march... at the end of the song I heard the crying child, it was coming from everywhere in the hall. The quadraphonic sound was magical! My heartbeat was really pounding out of my chest as I sat listening to THE WALL...

It was a great performance, but I've not much to tell about the other musicians, I came to see Roger Waters, and not Pink Floyd. So I can't be expecting to hear a Gilmour guitar sound... Andy and Snowy are great guitarists, the entire band was great.

After this magical moment Roger put away the bass guitar and began playing an acoustic guitar... the introduction was maybe 30 seconds, and then he sang MOTHER DO YOU THINK THEY''LL drop THE BOMB... and during the song great (woman) singer responded hush now baby baby don't you cry..., and it made me think about her as if she was Roger's real mother...

At the end of Mother the entire hall and stage was dark once again... a great explosion with more lights began THE FINAL CUT part (the last Pink Floyd album - I think). During SOUTH HAMPTON DOCK, the back of the stage become a great field of crosses, and then a field of poppies (I had tears going down my face!) Listening to these songs was like going back in time, like the past never happened (I hope u understand).

When Roger began playing the acoustic guitar once more, it was the beginning of ANIMALS with Pigs On The Wing p.1. The psychedelic effects of the Syd Barrett picture enlarging and pixilating and during the instrumental part of DOGS, when Roger and friends play cards and drink at a table on the stage... it was Magic!

At the end of Dogs was the start a film, a really strange film, with metallic monster and a sick man (I think), his head cut by a flying sickle, it was WELCOME TO THE MACHINE. Then they played WISH YOU WERE HERE without images: I see Roger like a man speaking to his friend, like one of everyone of us; no images for this moment, only the emotional world of the Roger's poem for Syd...

SET THE CONTROLS FOR THE HEART OF THE SUN. What a great psychedelic moment, 7 minutes, mmmhh... non ho parole (I haven't words)!

At this moment of the show Roger and friends took a break for 20 minutes, and I was able to relax my fingers and hands from clapping. I left my seat place during the break, and went out to smoke a cigarette and buy a beer.

Now the show was about to start for the second time, and when I heard the music I closed my eyes and waited 30 seconds before opening them again. Breathe, and after 3 minutes Roger start to sing the time with his bass TU-TA-TU-TA-TU-TA his fingers were like a perfect clock, now the mighty Graham (the drummer) is standing up and his performance on the rototom is a great treat.

The atmosphere was really beyond any description, all the people were bewitched by the music, the images. The genius of Roger Waters was in every corner of the NEC.

after the Breathe reprise started MONEY, Roger relaxed his voice (I think there is some limit imposed by Sony Columbia, You know something about this?), and then came young Norbert with his perfect sax.

At this time a TIR appeared in the video, and a girl's voice... Wanna cup of Coffee? announced The Pros And Cons.. one of the better "solo works" of Roger Waters, and this is one of the best songs when you can hear the great voice of Roger.

And then... STOP DAVE... I AM AFRAID DAVE... CAN YOU STOP DAVE? The overture of Perfect Sense, what a great song! Amused to Death is the best work of Roger after The Wall (I think)! The images are perfect, Roger is on stage, like the captain of a submarine, His order is: FIRE ONE - FIRE TWO until the great explosion... and the oil derrick is destroyed.. is this the real perfect sense? I'll have to wait for a man like him to explain this to me? I understand, but him to tell you the real thing that a bullet in stomach does.

The story continued with The Bravery... and after is a really great moment: AMUSED TO DEATH. What I can tell about this performance? It was near the end of the show, but it was an unforgettable moment, now as I see that scene in my head, wow... (Ivano without worlds...) after this great emotional moment Roger started with Brain Damage, and then Eclipse. I can't believe that he sang those songs after the solo works, but the fantastic thing was that in that moment... I was waiting for the last song (I was waiting for Each small candle) but he close his right hand, and the musicians started the song: this is Comfortably Numb... and this IS the STORY!

The last song is FLICkERING FLAME and then show was over. I went to the bathroom and I left my brothers. Then I met some bodyguard of the band and they explained to me the way to the my seating area. I'm walking in the area, looking for my two brothers, but I didn't find my brothers, my head was too full... of the great ROGER WATERS SHOW!

Many Thank's to: Michael Simone for your site and giving me the opportunity to write about the best event in my life (after my wedding!). And many thanks to my brothers because without YOU it would never have been the same, and to my wife Daniela who listens to the stories or problems about my trip. And finally to Roger, because you have written the stories in lyrics of fucking words, thinking about your friend Syd, and many times in your poems, your father, and all the rest I have found in your songs! THANK YOU! Ivano Pisanu