I am a fan originally from Ankara, Turkey. Thanks to my sister I bought my first LP in 1979. It was The Wall –Pink Floyd. I had never seen any of the band members or the band itself live. As one could imagine this concert was really important to me.
I prepared myself watching some of the amateur shootings and reading the reviews of the tour from the Internet and then I was ready to go.
While I was driving to the venue, it was very nice to listen to Floyd songs on the radio. I arrived at Nissan Pavillion very early, chatted with the fans. Everybody seemed excited. There were fans from all age groups and from all across the region including some other states such as South Carolina. Around 8 o’clock I guess there were around 25000 fans.
I wish that I was able to say fantastic things about the show. Unfortunately I have mixed feelings about the concert. Roger Waters and the band were all great. But the venue and some of the audience were disastrous.
First half of the show started pretty vibrant but for some reason it seemed to me that something went wrong. Up until Sheep the energy in the venue went down and down and down. I guess it was due to some people who were completely trashed or wasted because of marijuana or alcohol. The smell of pot was everywhere in the venue. I have never seen so many disrespectful people chatting loud, wandering around and distracting those who wanted to witness a historic event while the show was going on. I heard some guys talking about a fight after the show!
There were hundreds of people who were late to the show. I do blame those people. Even though this was my first time, I got info about the location of the venue, parking issues etc. Most of those late comers simply did not give a damn to it. Pavillion MUST have a policy for late comers.
Yet another group of people just could not sit. I felt like I was at a baseball game. I was wondering why on earth they bought tickets to see Roger Waters. They could have bought a DVD, couple of beers and hot dogs and watched a similar show in their homes. The constant commotion of those who went out to get some food and beer continued even when the Dark Side of the Moon started.
The venue was another problem. I have never been to Pavillion before (and I don’t think that I will ever go there again). The sound was not loud enough (with the exception of On the Run). I do not know what those people at the lawn listened to. The intro of Set the Controls had great vocal components in it but it was almost impossible to hear that. Furthermore some of the lights in the venue remained on throughout the show which was really frustrating.
Anyway it was fun overall. Waters had a lot to say about political issues. However the audience looked as if they either ignored or disapproved him. I did not understand it. Later I heard that some people booed but I did not hear that myself. Shine on you Crazy Diamond, Wish You Were Here and Have a Cigar were performed outstandingly. Leaving Beirut was truly amazing.
Then the lovely flying fat pig joined the crowd while Sheep was playing. Then they broke it loose. It was cool to see that huge pig flying across the Virginia skies. Dark Side of the Moon was unbelievable. That is the reason why I can say that it was worth going to the show.
The whole crowd and the band were able to reestablish the synergy by the end of Dark Side of the Moon. Finally with the first tunes of Happiest Day of Our Lives everyone woke up. Majority of the distracting idiots settled down. But it was a bit late. Vera was received warmly but I don’t know about Bring Boys Back Home. To me it was shockingly beautiful but again due to the political nature of the song the audience was mostly silent. Comfortably Numb was great. Even though die hard Floyd fans might have missed Gilmour, Mason and Wright, I would still give credit to whole band and Waters. For those of you, who will see Waters in closed venues, just go for it. I am sure you will really get more than what I got.
Finally if Waters ever comes to D.C. again, please someone tell him to find another venue to play where fans can truly enjoy the show. Roger Waters’ rarely smiled at the audience. Probably he also recognized some pf the problems I mentioned before.
Pavillion might be a nice venue for other activities such as parties for drunkards or potheads but not an ideal place to see acts such as Roger Waters. Still I would like to thank the band for playing and singing perfectly and Waters for creating such a great music.
Review thanks to Baykal Eyyuboglu
OK,so WOW is the first word which comes to my mind as I sit down to describe my experience. This is was my first ever concert , so I was trying to soak in as much as the concert experience as possible.
Packed with my digital camera and my dark side T I set off to the venue and reached the parking lot at 6 and spent the next hour just goofing around at the lot. People were belting off Floyd numbers from left, right , and centre in their car stereos. There were a whole lot of barbeques going on and a lot of beer being guzzled, which was good as they were really enjoying it over there.
Made it to the entrance at about 7 and took some pictures from the lawn, grabbed a beer and took my seat (I was seated about 30 rows behind and was right in the middle). On the screen was the picture of the radio and there were two side screens too so that people could get a close up view of the band. The crowd was still trickling in, I guess most of them wanted to be fully drunk and enjoy the show ! Meanwhile the gentleman, whose seat was beside me arrived and we begun talking about Roger and Floyd. He was as big a fan as I was , it was all so exciting ! And to top it all off, it turned out that he was the guy who sold me his wife’s ticket on ebay ! The venue was still not full, but any movement on the screen bought huge rounds of roars from the audience, including me !
Finally at 8:15, Roger and the Band arrived and the crows went wild , they all got a standing ovation. As Roger shouted the first few words from In the Flesh, the crowd roared and the show was on . This was it, I was actually seeing Roger in concert, it was so unbeleivable . The crowd settled down during the middle of the song and then Roger sang Mother. The crowd sang along ( as they would do throughout the show) and when Roger sang ” Mother should I trust the Government” and made that face of his (He makes that face in the In the Flesh DVD too and probably in all the other shows as well), thats when I realized that I was watching the MAN live !
I was already on a high from all the action. Then came Set the Controls with the bubbles and the pyrotechnics on stage. Shine on then started and it was a sight to behold with pictures of Syd on the screen, though I should add I felt a bit dissapointed as the beginning solo was way too short, they should not have cut so much of it.
He then continued on with Have a Cigar (which I recorded) and Wish You Were Here, his voice was very good and you could see the audience getting more and more involved. Southampton Dock and Fletcher were superb as well and many of the audience were singing along too . Never did a song from the Final Cut sound so good !
Then came the best section of Set One, Perfect Sense, that song is so much better when perfomed live and you could feel it. And when PP Arnold finished her part they gave her a standing applause and really got into the song.
Roger was enjoying it every bit and was moving to the side of the stage and was having a very good time, so was I . Roger then introduced Leaving Beirut to us and I must say that was a nice ‘narrative song’, I guess the graphics did the trick on that one. large parts of the crowd cheered when the lines ” That Texas education…” and ” The christian right..” was sung but i didnt hear any jeers. Set one was rounded off with Sheep and it rocked and everybody was shaking it up. The Pig was brought on and they moved the Pig to all parts of the audience and at one point it was almost right over my head and I did manage to take many pictures of it.
The momentum was really building up and you could see why, as he was playing Dark Side next. When the heartbeat came on, everybody was scampering to their seats and when Breathe came on, that was it, I was watching Dark Side of the Moon being performed live. Breathe was sung very nicely by John and Dave. On the Run was spectacular, I think they pumped up the volume on that one as I could really feel the music in my entire body ! Now there was no stopping the crowd, it was going absolutely wild .
Time followed suit and Graham Board did a very nice job with the rotoms. Great Gig was just so orgasmic ! Katie Kissoon did a wonderful job with that one. Money bought the biggest cheers from the audience and everyone was dancing to the song.Us and them was excellent too and John’s playing and singing were top notch. Any color you like was probabaly the best as Dave scoreched up the venue with some stellar work on the guitar. it was all happening so fast, i was enjoying every bit of it but yet I constantly thought whether I was actually soaking it all up.
By the time Brain Damage and Eclipse came on , almost half the crowd were on their feet and when it all ended they got a big and thunderous round of applause. Roger was very pleased and said ” You have been a great audience and we really appreciate it” The crowd cheered again and then roger said ” what a sight !”. he was having a ball, you could tell. He then introduced the band with Dave, John and the ladies getting the highest applause. By now everybody was standing, ready for the encores.
Happiest days/another brick -II was a highlight too as everybody started singing to it. As vera started the noise subsided a bit but soon rose as they sand “Bring the Boys back home” and it contiinued on till “Comfortably Numb”. Dave and Snowy traded places with the solos and it was stunning. They had bought the whole stadium down by now . As it ended, Roger thanked the audience again and the band headed back stage.
That was it, what a SHOW I had the privilege of witnessing. Everything went perfectly and the musicmanship was top notch and most importantly, the band especially Roger were having a wonderful time on stage. I might have missed so many other points but Im still so pumped up (its 2 25 ET). This is one show I will never ever forget. Thank You Roger and Thank You Pink Floyd. You guys rock and will continue to rock for a long long time
Review thanks to triptoechoes
The show last night at Nissan was awesome to say the least. I had never seen Roger live before so I was not quite sure what to expect although I had heard and read nothing but rave reviews.
As the anticipation of the capacity ( or near) crowd rose, the opening crescendos of In The Flesh was a perfect way to start the show. The band sounded very tight.
I had heard rumors of Roger lip synching but from my vantage point, section 102 row Q right next to the sound board, it sure didn’t appear that way.Roger’s voice was clear and strong. He sounded much better than at Live 8.
The set list was the same as throughout the tour.Shine on and STCFTHOTS were expertly performed. I was curious of the crowds reaction to Leaving Beirut since this venue is a mere 30 miles from the nations capital. It was well received with loud cheers whenever Bush was referenced ( disparaged). Sheep was great and as usual everyone loved the pig which was paraded through the crowd and then relased into the Virginia night. I wonder how that looked to aircraft approaching nearby Dulles International Airport!
After a 15 minute intermission, The opening pulses of Dark Side started and the crowd went nuts. DSOTM always seems so short although it was expertly performed. P.P. Arnold was phenomonal on GGITS. There were very few recorded sound effects. It appeared most of the effects were being played live.
The Encore of Wall tunes was also awesome with Dave Kilnmeister and Snowy White doing a fine job on the Comfortably Numb solos.
All in All, It was a fantastic show. I did miss David Gilmours voice on some songs and I could hear the difference between DG’s strat and Kilnmeisters telecaster and Snowy’s LesPaul. Jon Carin has proved himself as a master of Floyd Music.
I would encourage anyone thinking of going to see Roger on the remaining gigs of this tour to do it! It is a show not to be missed by any Floyd fan.
Review and all above show pictures thanks to Rusty Drew
Without a doubt, the best show I have ever attended, that is, both visually and musically. However, I just need to vent and agree with the previous reviewer regarding the audience. I have never, and I mean never, been to a show (and I have been to many) that people have not been able to stay in their seats or seem to want hold conversations that (1) have nothing to do with the show, or (2) require that they lean across an entire section of seats to talk or slap high-5 with someone that is 5-6 seats away (blocking those of us trying to enjoy the show) not giving a shit about how they are affecting other’s experience. For example, two girls a few rows in front of us left and came back 3 times just during the first half of Dark Side!! WTF!!! IDIOTS!!! Also, no excuses for being late. The posted time on the ticket was 8pm and they didn’t come on until ~8:15pm. Make arrangements to be there on time, it really isn’t that difficult.
Message to those people: I suggest that next time please you stay at home and watch a video, don’t waste you money and let those of us who are truely Pink Floyd and Roger Waters fans attend and enjoy the live show. There was a time that Roger probably would have just stopped the show. Actually, I couldn’t believe when Roger said that we were a wonderful audience. Obviously he either wasn’t aware of how completely bad it was, or has completely mellowed as time has gone on.
Enough venting. Thanks to Roger and the band for putting so much time and effort into an absolutely Grade A musical and visual show.
Review thanks to Stephen Hyland
WOW is right……..
We got to the venue about 7 and after all this time awaiting this show the excitement was building and building…. I couldnt believe I was about to see this show! I had taken along my 16 year old son and a friend of his who knew enough about Pink Floyd to almost be dangerous with their limited knowledge…… after the show I truely feel we have two new followers of the Floyd to carry on into the next generations.
I had been told by many our seats would be great but had never been to this venue before…… the seats couldnt have been better 6th row center.
Before the show started the fog from the fog machines intermingled with the cigarette smoke on the screen and the hand coming in and changing radio stations and having a sip of scotch was very cool as the techs were getting the instruments in perfect set up.
Then wow it started…. the band came out and the crowd roared. The first notes of In the Flesh gave me goose bumps which remained during the entire show. I had forgotten about the bubbles coming up and we were too close to the stage to really enjoy them. I imagine about halfway back it would have been an incredible sight seeing the performance thru this sea of bubbles.
Dave was incredible all night….. never missed a lick and he seemed to be so into it as if he had been playing this music forever. Snowy was awesome and the duets he and Dave did were great and they really seemed to enjoy doing it. Andy was great I just wish he would step up out of the shadows more often…. He had something written on his strat but I couldnt make out what it was.
Roger was “on” all night his smiles, his gestures…. the tilt of his head and looks in his eyes just helped make all of this so very real. He really seems to enjoy himself soooooo very much and I admire the man for his level of energy. His eyes were as bright and happy at the end of the show as it was at the beginning. One word about lip synching……. I never saw ANY and I was 15 – 20 feet away….. to each his own about that issue. Roger would even sing along to the others parts away from the mike….. I dont think I’ve ever really seen anyone do that. It just shows his love for the music and the good time he has with it.
I wondered being this close to DC how the political stuff would go over…. but if there were boo’s I couldnt hear them over the cheers.
The spaceman was cool but I liked the pig better….. The bloody Butcher led Piggy out and took him around the place. Impeach Bush now of course was written in the appropriate place on Piggy.
At intermission I went to grab a quick cig in the close by smoke hole and chatted with some very nice people one couple who had flown in from Florida. But then hurried back to my seat so as not to miss one moment of Dark Side. When the heart beat started my own heart beat felt like it fell in tune with it and was damn near as loud. This was it… I was about to witness and really experience the album that I have listened to sooooo many times over the years on 8 track, vinyl, cassette & cd. Tears came to my eyes. The entire performence was perfect. Its obvious that Jon has Pink blood flowing thru his Floyd veins. Harry (hairy) was really good on the keys and I think its great that he is involved in this. Katie Kassoon, my god you could feel the passion in this lady as she poured her soul out thru that song for us. The second half flew by way too fast but then again everytime I listen to the cd its like wow its over that fast? About halfway thru Dark Side my son was hugging me!
and thanking me for sharing this experience with him he too had tears in his eyes.
The encore again was letter perfect and I felt like we all got into it during bring the boys back home and we all knew what we meant by it.
Comfortably Numb was beautiful but somewhat sad….. sad being that I knew this incredible experience was almost over…. but the song still gave me that soulful feeling as it always has. I think my son finally understands when I say…. you don’t just listen to Pink Floyd…. you feel it, you experience it.
Yes there was pot around I smelled stuff that smelled pretty damn good too…. but I didnt need a buzz, didnt want a buzz….. i was high on the show.
As far as drunks or unruley people I never saw anything that was a problem the folks that surrounded me were there for the same reason I was and really enjoyed the show.
I had hoped to try to meet up with a couple of my forum friends who I had talked to before the show but my damn cell phone died Saturday and I had forgotten to bring my charger…. sorry I missed you guys, you know who you are. I hope you had the time of your lives as I did.
All in all a serious “Floyd” experience was mine Saturday and I will never forget it..
Review thanks to Greg (Pantazm)
I too attended this show, and was blown away by the show itself. Roger showed emotion as he sang “Mother” and “Leaving Beirut”, and actually slapped hands with some members of the audience in the front row. There was no booing and much cheering during “Leaving Beirut”, and during “Mother” at “…mother should I trust the goverment…” to which Roger emphatically shook his head on the big video screens.
The spaceman and the pig were there, of course, and the pyro for “Sheep” was excellent, as was for “In The Flesh”. The entire “Dark Side of the Moon” suite was awesome, with Jon Carin, Dave Kilminster, and Snowy White in prime form, as true to the 1973 release as could be while adding their own interpretation of the guitar.
Over, an excellent show.
But………………..
Like some here have said, the crowd left something to be desired. Beer flowed freely, and the drunken sot beside me didn’t shut up the whole show, and finally during “Us And Them” spilled beer on me, to which he got an earful. I don’t know what it is about most concerts here in the USA, but they seem to be reason to go and get smashed and not even enjoy a great show.
But I didn’t let this jerk ruin it for me. It was an excellent show, I knew it would be, otherwise why did I drive 350 miles one way to see it?
I recommend Roger Waters and Pink Floyd fans see this show, for it is excellent, and could very well be the last tour ever.
Review & ticket scan thanks to James Sloan
Pictures in above three reviews thanks to Greg Hampton
Set List
FIRST HALF: In The Flesh, Mother, Set The Controls For the Heart Of The Sun, Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Have A Cigar, Wish You Were Here, Southampton Dock, The Fletcher Memorial Home, Perfect Sense parts 1 and 2, Leaving Beirut, Sheep.
SECOND HALF: Dark Side of the Moon.
ENCORE: The Happiest Days Of Our Lives, Another Brick In The Wall (Pt 2), Vera, Bring the Boys back Home, Comfortably Numb.
Thanks to Mhbtfb
Thanks to James Sloan
Thanks to Bill
