10/12/18: I was not sure I was going to make it to the 8:00 start time of The Australian Pink Floyd Show (TAPFS), much less to 10:30 or so when it ended; in fact, I was trying to figure out how early I could leave. Luckily for me, there was no easy way out of my seat, nicely tucked into the first row of the balcony, so I stayed. I like Pink Floyd, but I'm not an uber fan, however, I greatly enjoyed seeing Brit Floyd a few years ago, and was looking forward to seeing the Aussie version. Please don't ask me who was better, I honestly enjoyed them both. The night started with the band behind a gauze-like curtain and images of clouds swirling, and the lighting used to play with the shadows and proportions of the musicians behind it. Coincidentally, the song (which I didn't recognize) was "Obscured by Clouds". Like a lot of Prog Rock bands, there is as much emphasis on long instrumental pieces, with sometimes only brief snippets of vocals or just vocalizing. I enjoyed the songs I didn't recognize almost as much as the ones I did, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I was thrilled with the band's performance of fan favorites like "Another Brick in the Wall, pt. 2", "Us and Them", "Comfortably Numb", "Wish You Were Here", "One of these Days" and Run Like Hell", most of which were saved for the second half of the show. The musicians and vocalists were incredible, giving the audience what it wanted, not being overly showy, even though after a couple of those guitar solos you couldn't blame them if they were. There was a screen behind the band showing videos that keep within the idea of Pink Floyd, but seemed original to TAPFS, especially when a kangaroo made an appearance. You have to be careful with tribute bands, I think, because some fans are so dedicated to the original one, they want exact replication, whether it's feasible or not. It wasn't an issue for me, or the rest of the crowd, I think. The light show was huge; I've been to a lot of concerts, and even at some 'bigger' shows, the lights aren't as good. It was a fabulous night, and I'm so glad I didn't crap out. If you're a Floyd fan, and you haven't caught TAPFS, I would recommend checking them out the next time they're in your neighborhood. You will not be disappointed.
