Bellville Velodrome
From: Ms" Elmi E. Badenhorst
The venue was
sold out, and the crowd - mostly over 30's, roared when Waters walked
on stage. The stage had a big screen as a back drop - and images of
The Wall started to appear. Waters gave the audience the "Wall
salute", and went straight into In the Flesh. He followed that with
Happiest days of our lives, going straight into Another brick in the
Wall Part 2.
The SOUND WAS AMAZING!! Speakers all around the hall
made it felt as if that helicopter was circling above our heads.
Things calmed down a bit when he did a relatively acoustic version
of Mother. The big screen images moved onto poppy fields - and he
did a sort of a medley of "get your hands off my filthy dessert,
South Hampton Dock" I think that was all the songs from Final Cut,
but he could have done another song that I have missed. We then
moved onto Animals - Pig on Wings, and Dogs. Once again, the sound
was unBELIEVABLE!! Then we got almost the whole "Wish you were here
- but for "Have a cigar." He did "Welcome to the machines, Wish you
were here, The entire (I think) Shine on you crazy diamond - with
haunting images of Syd as backdrop. This set was fantastic.
We had a
20 minute break, and he returned with "Set the controls for the
heart of the sun" with live footage of old Pink Floyd stuff.
Images of "dark side" filled the screen, and he did "Breathe, and
Time." "Money" was phenomenal - he added a HEAVY rock guitar bit,
the guy who played this had a bald head - man, he was good. The sax
took over and blew our minds. Waters then did a song I do not know
- a sort of bluesy, Ry Cooder feel - with images of Native Americans
- something about the look in your eyes.
Then we moved to Amused to death -
Perfect Sense - great visuals with exploding lights
The stars of this set definitely were the 3 back up singers. They
were wonderful - they ended "amused to death" in a sort of angelic
choir style. So, all that was left do do, was Brain Damage - a fairly
quiet version of it, followed by Eclipse.
Waters thanked the crowd, mentioned that this was his first evening -
took a bow, and left the stage. We tore the roof down. He came
back and did a goose bumping version of Comfortably numb - with a
guitar duo - Snowy White and another guy doing a duo that was
incredible. Once again he left the stage - we tore the roof down, he
came back and did a quiet, very beautiful acoustic song - i don't
know it - it is something about "I have peace" with the back up
singers doing a funky kind of doo wah thingie. He did say to us that
he has not really done this last song, but he is going to give it a
try, so...The backdrop was an African sunset scene, with 2 birds
flying away - and the words were something about" .... in this place
you find this, and in that place you find that, and on African plains
you find that, and lala now I know I have peace." It was very
beautiful.
His own voice was a bit soft in this song, but it could
have been that the crowd was just roaring so much. I must proudly
say - Cape Town set the scene for a great tour. We gave him ALL our
support, and he had a big grin on his face when he finally left the
stage.
And then it was over. I might have the songs in the wrong order here
and there, or I might have left something out, but there it is. For
you guys in Europe it might not be as incredible, you have seen it
all. Not trying to be melodramatic - my life has been touched -
nothing will ever be the same. " It all makes perfect sense!"
My one BIG regret is that Cape Town has been very slack to promote
the concert, I have not seen one poster. So, just because I am a
very sentimental person, if anybody out there can sell me a poster,
or T Shirt from this show, i will be happy.
I think I am a bit delirious - maybe I must go and sleep - I go on
like a star struck teenager!!
Hi there
If I don't make much sense today, it is because my mind has been
blown away by the most phenomenal concert I have EVER seen. Bear in
mind that I am from South Africa, where we were not allowed to
listen to the Wall (on the radio) or at public gatherings due to our
pathetic apartheid government of the time. So, you can imagine - we
will NEVER see Pink Floyd perform. But hey, we got the first prize
last night - stuff Pink Floyd... Waters came on at 20h15 ( we have
been hit by a heat wave, so Cape Town was pumping)
Bravery,
It's a miracle - beautiful solo's from the back up singers
Amused to death
Regards Elmi
When I first heard about this tour in October last year, I bought my Golden Circle ticket straight away. I have never seen Pink Floyd live, though I have most of their live videos, and I reasoned that this Roger Waters gig would be the closest I would ever get to seeing Pink Floyd in the flesh, so to speak!
Before The Show: The press releases from Big Concerts before the show said that it would start at 8pm and end at 11pm with a 20 minute interval... and that's exactly how it happened, give-or-take a few minutes. I arrived at 7pm and wandered round the Bellville Velodrome saying "hi" to friends, buying the programme and obligatory T-shirt and just generally soaking up the atmosphere. I was amazed at the number of young people in the audience, especially later during the show when I heard them singing along to the lyrics. Roger (and Floyd) seem to have a very wide appeal across the ages.
8.03pm: The stadium went dark, BANG! fireworks went off, and Roger was in the spotlight, on top of a wall, shouting "Ein, Zwei, Drei" (German for one, two, three), and for the next 3 hours I was in a different world. A world of my youth, a world of anger and turmoil, a world of hope and longing and a world of music and madness... Roger Waters was in Cape Town on the first night of his World Tour 2002.
Images: The backdrop to the stage was a huge screen which was constantly filled with images, slide shows, and videos, which added greatly to the music. I was really impressed when during 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' a gradually expanding image of Syd Barrett appeared on the screen and there was immediate recognition from the audience, most of whom were born long after Syd had already left the band. (By the way, try reading like this: Shine on You crazy Diamond, just in case you didn't know who the song was about).
Another great moment was the torpedo scene during 'The Bravery Of Being Out Of Range' when Roger looks through an imaginary periscope and we see him aiming at an oilrig while 2 American voices commentate as if they are watching a "game". And that explosion... wow!
Sounds: I was in the middle of the Golden Circle and there were speakers suspended above my head on either side. I seemed to be in the perfect spot for a full surround sound experience - like a giant home theatre! Dogs barked behind me, clocks ticked all around me, things exploded in front me - it was incredible.
I love that fact that so many of the classic soundbites were used to enhance the songs and bring back the memories. The alarm clocks, the rhythmic cash register, the heartbeats, the voice-overs all brought a rush of nostalgia and added immensely to the enjoyment of the music.
On the original 'Amused To Death' album, Roger had wanted to use the voice of HAL, the computer from "2001: A Space Odyssey" that goes mad and has to be disconnected. Unfortunately he was not able to, but in the show it appeared as he originally intended and we heard the mechanical (maniacal?) voice of poor HAL saying "stop, Dave... I'm afraid, Dave..."
The Music: If you have the 'In The Flesh' live CD released last year, then you have 99% of this show. Only 2 slight differences. Firstly 'Shine On' flows into 'Welcome To The Machine', then straight into 'Wish You Were Here' (including that radio tuning interlude) and then the final sections (parts 6 to 9) of 'Shine On' are played. This is the whole of the 'Wish You Were Here' album in the right order just omitting 'Have A Cigar'.
Secondly, the encore song is not ' Each Small Candle' which was new 2 years ago, but an even newer song titled 'Flickering Flame' (read the lyrics here). The mention of "African plains" during this song, brought cheers from the South African crowd.
Highlights: A highlight for me was the really long version of 'Dogs' which was originally known as 'Gotta Be Crazy' when first performed live in 1974 - it was renamed 'Dogs' for the 'Animals' album in 1977. I also really enjoyed the tripping 'Set Your Controls For The Heart Of The Sun' from 1968's 'A Saucerful Of Secrets' with a wonderful sax solo accompanied by slide show images of my favourite comic book hero, the Silver Surfer. Graham Broad's drumming on the introduction to 'Time' was outstanding. And the dual (duel, maybe?) guitar solos by Snowy White and Chester Kamen on 'Comfortably Numb' blew me away. They climbed on top of the wall and traded licks and I hoped they would never stop, but eventually they did... stunning.
The Band: Basically the same musicians as on the 'In The Flesh' CD with a few changes (see list above). Guitarist Doyle Bramhall II has been replaced by Chester Kamen (not a "mystery" guitarist as some reviewers have referred to). Susannah Melvoin (Doyle's wife) is replaced by Linda Lewis who has been around for years and sang on Bowie's 'Aladdin Sane' album amongst many others. Keyboardist Jon Carin (who also played live with Pink Floyd on their 'Pulse' tour in 1994) has been replaced by Roger's son, Harry Waters.
11:02pm: I left exhausted and elated. OK, maybe he didn't play all my favourites. Where was 'Pros and Cons Of Hitch-Hiking Part 10', for example, and why so little from 'The Final Cut' which in my opinion will always be the first Roger Waters solo album, rather than the last Roger-era Pink Floyd album. And nothing from 'Radio KAOS'... but these are small gripes. We were entertained and treated to a master composer sharing his thoughts, his paranoia, his hopes and his dreams with us - and I left knowing that my almost 30 years of being a fan has all been worth it.
Brought to Africa by Big Concerts and 5fm, Waters will play classic tunes while using elaborate video projection and a quadraphonic sound system to create surreal twists and effects in his first world tour since he retired from Pink Floyd in 1983.
His UK performance in June 2002 will be his first in his homeland for 15 years, and the single show has already been sold out.
Waters's only European solo tour was 18 years ago when he briefly toured his The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking. His only major performance in the '90s was the legendary 1990 production of The Wall in Berlin, which took place in front of more than 350 000 people at the site of the newly destroyed Berlin Wall. It attracted a TV audience of more than 100 million.
This In The Flesh World Tour will see Waters perform classic Pink Floyd tunesIn the summers of 1999 and 2000, Waters took his In The Flesh show to America and performed 50 concerts to sell-out success.
These US shows were an outstanding commercial and artistic triumph, with rave reviews from fans and widespread critical acclaim. Demand for tickets was so intense that many concert venues were changed mid-stream and upgraded to larger arenas and amphitheatres.
This In The Flesh World Tour will see Waters perform classic Pink Floyd tunes, as well as a selection of songs from his solo albums.
With a set and production reminiscent of the halcyon days of his tenure with Pink Floyd, the show will see Waters and 11 musicians embrace the musical legacy of the band he was so vital in helping to create.
The set list will see Waters focus on his contributions to such classic Pink Floyd albums as The Wall, The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here and Animals, and will also delve back into the treasure trove of early Floyd material with songs such as Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun from 1968's Saucer Full of Secrets.
Flying pigs, brick walls, crossed hammers, the prism and the rainbowIn The Flesh will feature signature Pink Floyd show effects with a surreal video, sound and light show throughout. The show uses elaborate large-scale video projections to create surreal twists, effects and psychedelic graphics featuring many of the iconic images from Waters's 35-year career, such as flying pigs, brick walls, crossed hammers, the prism and the rainbow, a war-torn skyline, a gorilla watching TV, homages to Syd Barrett, a cemetery of crosses, and more.
With two speaker stacks in front of them, and a further three stacks behind them, the audience will enjoy the ultimate surround-sound experience, with all the sound effects Floyd album fans are familiar with, such as dogs barking, thundering helicopters, sirens wailing, crying babies, cash registers, alarm clocks and singing choirs.
Booking is exclusively through Ticketweb (www.ticketweb.co.za, 0831 400 500 or
0821 400 500) with ticket prices for the three-hour show ranging from R150 to
R300.
After a great Portuguese fillet, Neil, Waine, Graeme, Kobus (my brother-in-law) and I arrived at about 7pm outside the Bellville Velodrome. I bought an In The Flesh 2002 T-Shirt (made in South Africa, so I assume the entire tour doesn't have the same T-Shirts). Silly that they didn't sell the DVDs though. Then we split up, with Neil and Graeme going to the Golden Circle, and Waine, Kobus and I went to our South Stand seats.
After about ten ushers passing us along we got to our seats and the wait started. The age group was varied, but a lot more over 30's (and even over 50's) people than under 20's. Watching the "In the Flesh" pig and listening to Dire Straits passed the time. The heat (and smoke) was pretty uncomfortable, but at 8:05 the music started and I never even thought about the heat again.
Starting with a fireworks blast and straight into "In the Flesh". The stage was split with a wall section at the back. Roger started on the elevated section in a bright spot light. A spot light also picked out crowd members when the "Are there any queers in the audience tonight", etc. lines were sung. The walking hammers were projected on a large video projector behind the stage.
Straight after that we get to the commercially known "Happiest Days of our Lives" and "Another Brick in the Wall (part 2)". The crowd cheered loudly when the first guitar solo started. "Mother" rounded off the Wall songs.
The Final Cut was next with "Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert"and "Southampton Dock". Brilliantly performed.
"Pigs on the Wing (part 1)" was accompanied with great visuals of the famous factory with the giant pig floating between the stacks. Then we get to a nice long version of "Dogs". Great guitar playing by Chester Kamen! In the middle of the song Roger,Snowy,Andy and Chester sat down at a table to play a game of cards while green beams of light ran throughout the stadium. A nice touch to the card game, was that the back of the cards had the South African flag on it (yes, I had binoculars).
Not shy of long songs he directly moved from Dogs to "Shine on You Crazy Diamond (parts 1-5)". The crowd was ecstatic when he got to Syd's theme and even more so when the vocals started. "Welcome to the Machine" had these weird mechanical looking creatures walking on the screen behind him. And the super guitar intro to "Wish You Were Here" didn't disappoint. During the song they zoomed into a huge photo of Syd Barett. Back to instrumental bliss by completing "Shine on You Crazy Diamond (parts 6-9)". Beautiful effects was created by shining a very strong spotlight on a mirror diamond. In the smoke filled stadium, this created dazzling rays of light.
Interval
The music stopped and Roger said his first words to the crowd: "We will now break for 20 minutes". The lights came on and suddenly I was aware of the heat again. Waine went on an unsuccessful cooldrink hunt, and then promptly at 9:45pm the lights went out.
Roger started by saying we are going back into time, and we got "Set the Control for the Heart of the Sun" with visuals from old Pink Floyd on the screen.
Everything went dark and with a steady heartbeat and flashing red lights on stage "Breathe (In The Air)" started. Followed directly by the alarm clocks of "Time" going off in full surround sound. Again Chester did a great job with the guitar solo! Cheers all around the stadium when the cash registers lead into "Money", and I'm sure I heard a few gasps when the topless girl was shown on the big screen. Norbert Stachel's sax solo leading into Chester's guitar solo was another highlight.
Moving on to Roger Water solo albums with "Every Stranger's Eyes". Maybe not all of the crowd knew Pro's and Cons of Hitchhiking, but I sure wasn't the only one singing along.
And then the absolute peak of the show (for me) was "Perfect Sense (part 1+2)". PP Arnold did her first big solo of the evening and she just blew our socks off. This woman can sing! And Perfect Sense is such a good song that everybody got rocking and singing along. Did I sing along? All I can say, is my throat hurt after this song!
The excellent lyrics of "The Bravery Of Being Out Of Range" and "It's A Miracle" followed. "Amused to Death" was sung with the monkey staring at the TV in the background. Towards the end of the song the screen changed to show all the names on the memorial and we even see the guy talking about Bill Hubbard.
Back to Dark Side of the Moon with "Brain Damage" and "Eclipse" following one another. I liked the effect where they started with a sunrise until the sun is high and then when Eclipse starts you see the moon appear and slowly move in front of the sun and "the sun is eclipsed by the moon"
Roger went into his "Thank you, no thank YOU" routine, and after the applause, Chester and Snowy White went into a guitar solos duel during "Comfortably Numb" ending up on the elevated wall in two spot lights. This is about as good as it can get without David Gilmour present.
Roger said goodbye and everybody left the stage. After the longest encore applause I've ever heard, they returned (with my hands hurting from clapping). Roger said they are playing a new song for us, the very first time and then sung "Flickering Flame". The crowd cheered when he mentioned "African Plain". The song was still pretty rough around the edges, which made it feel very authentic. You can read the full lyrics here: http://www.crause.co.za/flickeringflame.php
Conclusion
In short this is the best live show I've ever seen! Roger Waters is my
favourite artist and seeing him live has been the experience of a
lifetime. Even at the ripe age of 58, this muscial genius still knows
how to rock! The band was great (especially Chester Kamen and PP
Arnold). But the greatest of all, for me, was the crowd. It is so
special to hear 10,000 other people cheer and sing along to my
favourite music. Roger still have lots of fans out there! And thank
you Kobus for introducing me to Pink Floyd and Roger Waters years ago.
My Rating: 11/10
As you can see I am from South Africa, I seem to have a problem to find DVD ' s to work on my machine I bought the in the flesh dvd but it does not work on the machine according to the experts here our region is a number 2.
Will it be possible for me to get some of your concert dvd's for my region that is listed as no 2 I am looking for the in the flesh one, hell I was mad when my machine could not read the cd. As you know South Africa is always 10 years behind.
Roger I know that you are a very busy man, but will you please reply to my email, Oh and my name is Almero Pienaar.
Roger and last but not least when can we expect you back in South Africa again I hope soon because there is know way I will miss a Roger Waters Concert ever.
Go well and I hope we will see you soon.
My best regards
Almero
