Cell phones rule...

I made my way through the sea of faces. It was dark, which made it even more difficult. I knew I only had mere moments before it all started. I thought, ‘There’s no way I’m going to make it in time…” Just as I slipped into my seat, the lights dimmed, and the band walked onto the stage and picked up their instruments. Immediately the drums thundered, the bass boomed and the electric guitar screamed. Then, Roger Waters sings, ‘So ya… thought ya… might like to… go to the show.’ The sound was perfect. I could hear every note, every word, as my seat was just next to the sound technicians… the perfect place to be, and center stage at that. Only 3 sections back, there wasn’t a step taken on stage that I couldn’t see clearly. ‘That one is Jewish… and look, that ones smoking a joint… get them up against the wall…’ The screen behind flashing images of walking hammers periodically washed out by blasts of fire coming from behind that band. The song winded down, ending with the sound of an airplane spinning out of control and crashing behind us… then the screen went black. The crowd went wild, naturally, and I thought to myself, ‘That was just the first song.’ They followed with Have A Cigar.

I managed to snap a picture of Roger Waters standing in front of a video of him walking through a wheat field when he was younger. A white blast of sparks igniting behind him. Good thing I brought my camera phone in here. I love technology. Waters grabs an acoustic guitar in the dark, and goes right into Mother as the lights all focus on him. I made sure I kept snapping pictures at the appropriate time. I got a great one of the screen with a close up of Sid Barrett during Shine On You Crazy Diamond as thousands of bubbles filled the room we stood in; the few lights that were on shimmered through the slowly falling bubbles, which would sparkle softly as they burst.

The show was originally scheduled for a Friday night, but ours got moved to Thursday night. Because of that, my wife wasn’t able to join me like originally planned. Unfortunate, as we weren’t even half way done and I already didn’t know what to do with myself. So, when Wish You Were Here came on, I sent her a text message saying the same. She wrote back saying her and the little one were going to bed, and hoped I was having fun. I knew she got the reference… and the sentiment.

I wasn’t sure what to expect of Waters' solo work. I’ve heard some of the albums. It’s not bad, I’m just not familiar with it. No matter, as he played a song or two from one off those albums, and that too, was incredible. At the time, I was making my way back to my seat again, as I felt it was time for a refreshment. Just as I was getting back, I could hear Pigs On The Wing start. Soon after, 4 stage hands walked through the crowd towing a giant inflatable pig. The pig flew above us, covered in various graffiti style messages. Of course, I got pictures of them as well. Things like ‘All Religions Divide’, ‘Freedom At Last’, and ‘Fear Builds Walls’ where adorned on the sides and bottom of the animal. As I listened, and watched, the pig got closer and closer. It was just as it was passing overhead that I noticed what was written on the back end of the pig. Right below the tail where the words ‘Bush – What An Asshole’ with an arrow pointing to the pigs… well, asshole.

Vera begins. I always forget how great that song is. The drums march builds, and bombs explode on stage while the words ‘Bring The Boys Back Home’ pierce through the air. An image of every nation's flag involved in the current war fades on and off the screen. Call it lamely patriotic, but I waited until the American flag was up to take my picture. It was fittingly during the line, ‘Don’t leave your children out there all alone.’ The song came to the end. Roger Waters announced, ‘We are going to take a 15 minute break, then we are coming back and doing Dark Side Of The Moon. Bring it.

During this break I wondered how it was that we came to be here. In decades past, if someone from another country came here and made public statements like that, the place would have rioted. It just shows you where we stand politically at this point. It’s unfortunate, really. Obviously we can’t hide it. Everyone knows. Yet, no one seems to be doing anything about it. At least we have the freedom to say what we want, but how much longer is that going to last? Scary times we live in, whether one wants to admit it or not.

15 minutes isn’t long enough for this discussion, as I soon noted, when the image of a moon appeared on the screen. No sound could be heard but a heart beat. A satellite popped out from behind the moon and floated towards me. The light on it blinking in rhythm with the heart beats. Then Speak To Me/Breath began. Dark Side Of The Moon, live, in its entirety? Again, I say, bring it. It was all perfect. Right into On The Run. I got a picture of spinning rainbows and the band jammed on. The next picture I snapped was classic; a close up of Roger Waters making the tock-ticking on his bass. Behind him, hundreds of clocks floated towards the audience. He never stopped making the ticking through the entire drum solo, which I got a picture of as well. The drum solo was second to none, and was 8 minutes long if it was a second. Pounding on the tom toms next to the drum kit he used through out the rest of the show, the percussionist slipped seamlessly back into his seat to begin Time. Excuse the pun, but he never missed a beat. Time floated into Great Gig In The Sky. I apologize, as I was too entranced by the vocal solo to even think about a picture. All I could think about was, ‘How the hell do you audition for that?’ Words can’t describe.

Us and Them, and Any Colour You Like followed. It was during Brain Damage when I was taking pictures of Bush standing in front of a wall with words like, ‘Shame on you Bush’ written on them that I wished this concert wouldn’t end. As Eclipse came to a close, which was no rushed event I might add, images of Bush waving goodbye in military garb where followed by Nancy Reagan waving goodbye from the back of a limo. The lights came on, and each of the 11 people on stage held hands, bowed, blew kisses and walked off. Roger Waters tossed his pick to someone in the crowd as he left. The crowd pleaded for an encore. The walking off, at this point, was just a formality.

It wasn’t more then 5 minutes before everyone came back out. We were thanked again. The band was introduced; each of the 11 members on stage received the same roaring ovation. Each responded with a sincere grateful bow through pressed hands held to their lips. The lights went dark. The sound of a helicopter flew around the crowd. A spot light from above searched through looking for someone. It stopped on the 5 foot radius that we stood in, and before I realized what was happening, I hear Roger scream, ‘You! Yes you behind the bike shed… stand still laddie!’ It was at that point I thought there was someone in my head, but it’s not me. Following that was Comfortably Numb. A great song, obviously. And one that many people in the audience would have felt cheated had they not heard. The light show I couldn’t begin to explain… but thank Moses I had my camera.

I’m driving home, as it’s now 1 am after we finally got out of the parking lot. I’m sitting in the back thinking about how I can possibly explain what I just experience. I’m looking through all the pictures from that night, planning my eventual article. The picture were intermixed with all from that week. All great pictures, none-the-less. As I made my way in the door and began to load my picture on the computer, judging the importance and order, I realized which one was the most important. I realized which one would perfectly round out the evening. One perfect image. Cell phones rule…