Pink Floyd tribute
band revives rock

Last Thursday night, the Australian Pink Floyd brought to town a performance paying tribute to one of rock music's greatest bands. In the three-hour performance, they played the entire "Dark Side of the Moon" as well as many favorites spanning most of Pink Floyd's career, and they nailed every single song.

The performance was flawless and as powerful as the original Floyd was at their best. APF followed each song ninety-nine percent note-for-note except for those moments where they captured the original spirit through improvisation. The light show and psychedelic graphics on the trademark circular screen were also top notch. It was nearly an exact replica of a circa 1973 Pink Floyd concert.

They began with their rendition of the classic album "Dark Side of the Moon." From the opening strum of "Speak to Me" to the climactic "Eclipse" it was what many years of listening to the album late at night on headphones had been building up to.

With the help of APF, the album gained new life, at least for those people who were at the Bank of America Center that night. It was like the album had been recorded only a few years ago.

The second set consisted of several of the best Floyd songs ranging from the early "Careful With That Axe Eugene" to "Keep Talking," from 1994's "Division Bell." APF picked the best songs from the best Floyd albums and delivered them with skill and enthusiasm. Two of the audience favorites were "Wish You Were Here" and "Comfortably Numb" which were saved for the encore, and provided a decently climactic end to the evening.

After ten years of paying tribute to Pink Floyd, the members of APF seemed to be enjoying themselves as much as the audience, if not more. They couldn't hide the fact that they were having fun (something most bands have gotten a little too good at).

They must have been excited because they make a living touring the world, playing the songs of their favorite band. On top of that they have been officially endorsed by the members of Pink Floyd and were even hired as the entertainment for Floyd guitarist David Gilmour's 50th birthday party.

For the obsessive Floyd fan (which this journalist freely admits to being) this concert approached utopia. It was the closest most of that audience will ever get to seeing Pink Floyd in concert, and it was pretty close. The only things truly missing from the Australian Pink Floyd concert were the four familiar faces of the members of the original Pink Floyd.

Justin Prescott
Culture Writer

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