Pink Floyd are one of the most iconic über groups of all time, with a body of work to be more than proud of. Playing the music of Pink Floyd is at the best of times a daunting and difficult task, but Brit Floyd not only rise to the occasion, they go beyond it to deliver one of the most visually and audibly stunning concerts since, well since Pink Floyd!
Brit Floyd have formed in 2011 and have gone on to play to fans all over the world. On tour with their current show P-U-L-S-E 2013 they are presenting the ultimate Pink Floyd Light & Sound Experience. The show was inspired by the 1994 Division Bell Tour and includes the famous Pink Floyd arch and circle light show. In this amazing three hour set the band play five full album sides (and some Floyd best bits), from the most beloved Floyd albums: Wish You Were Here, Animals, The Wall, The Division Bell, and of course the
seminal and ground breaking album The Dark Side of The Moon. Musically the show is note for note perfection. They really did justice to the tracks with some sublime singing and brilliant musicianship, you had to pinch yourself to remember that you weren’t actually at a Pink Floyd concert. Some of the feel and nuances of the guitar solos were so authentic that you might think Gilmour himself was up on stage.
The fabulous music would have been enough but Brit Floyd really did pull all the stops out to create the total Pink Floyd experience. The authentic light show and circular backdrop featured some mesmerising Scarfesque animations, a collapsing wall and the flying pig appeared just above the audience. This was an evening to be remembered and if possible repeated! There were also some great touches in the show. During a spellbinding version Comfortably Numbmembers of the band partly acted out the infamous scene from The Wall. This also included a TV screen in the corner showing the same scene from the film. I especially liked the way in which each album was introduced by someone selecting a vinyl record from a shelf. This was usually accompanied by a flurry of cheers from the crowd.
The challenging female vocal solo in Great Gig In The Skywas one of the musical highlights. The whole audience sat silently waiting to see if Ola Bienkowska could cut it. It was soon apparent that she was more than capeable of filling Clare Torry's giant shoes. The audience lost their stoicism and melted into a genuine applause of appreciation, giving her a standing ovation. She managed to work within the parameters of the original whilst making this piece her own. It really was a stunning performance.
The crowd did take a few songs to be drawn into the show. By the time Shine On You Crazy Diamond rang out halfway through the first set, they were well and truly converts to the Brit Floyd. Any suspicions that these young pretenders might be a substandard facsimile of the band that defined their youth, evaporated with a musical rendition so good that they could be back in 1973. But make no mistake this is not just some trip down memory lane for those seeking to capture their misspent youth; Brit Floyd are able to bring this wonderful music to a new generation who were not lucky enough to be born in time to enjoy it first time round. It is clear from seeing this remarkable show that the music of Pink Floyd still stands up and is best experienced live. A special thank you and acknowledgement to the band's musical director and guitar player Damian Darlington for all his work in helping to make this project the amazing success it is.
If you have yet to see Brit Floyd at work, there is a very good reason why they are dubbed the World's Greatest Pink Floyd Show. But don't take my word for it, go and see for yourself. I promise you will not be left comfortably numb, but totally awestruck and aghast at the closest thing you will ever get to seeing Pink Floyd Live!