Oslo show…

 

So Kevin and i met up with Ole and Stuart and i also got to finally meet Maria, we have several friends in common but have just never met before.

By now it was going on 6 o clock and the start time on the ticket for the show was 7:30, an early one tonight with doors opening at 5:30. It was an indoor arena tonight but a lot wider than most with 5 blocks of seats across the width of the venue and 3 long blocks back, plus a single tier all the way around the venue.

It was gone 7pm when we walked in the venue, Stuart and Ole were front row in front of Harry tonight, Maria was on the same block but 20 or so rows behind them and Kevin and i were 18th row dead centre(well for the 1st half) on the isle. I remember the Norwegian audiences being very quiet even in 2002 and with 30 minutes before the scheduled start time they were all sat patiently in their seats.

As i was walking to find Kevin i heard my name shouted, i looked over and it was Pat Lennon, i hadn't seen any of the guys so far this year, Robbie e mailed me last week wanting to say hi but I'd arrived at the venue tonight to see most of the guys. I sat down with Pat for 15 minutes and we caught up on things. He was telling me how for the firs 4 days of rehearsals(and the first show) in Arnhem how he had had food poisoning and was carried off the stage by Duncan and Tod before sitting down and totally passing out! Thankfully it had been and gone and he was fine now but said the first show was awful for him! he said the start time had been put back to 8pm before heading back to get ready for the show.

Kevin and i took our seats and took in the atmosphere while waiting for the start, the guy in front of me turned around and asked if i was Simon, he was a member of one of the online forums I've read in the past, was nice to meet you “mfloyd” hope you enjoyed the show. I next met up with a friend from the US who had flown in for the two shows, Ray, we’d never met before but had exchanged e mails and he’s a HUGE collector of Floyd memorabilia. Him and his wife have been touring around Europe, were heading to France after these two shows and then back home to Ohio.It was great to finally meet Ray and we hung out a little at intermission and after the show too.

Sure enough at 8pm exactly the sound of Rogers lousy trumpet playing was heard in the venue and the new Spartacus face mask images were projected on the wall ends.(have to say i prefer the “im Spartacus” in different languages projections.There was very little emotion at all as Roger walked out onstage dodging the pyros as he walked, and there wasn't a single person in the venue that stood as he ran round onstage thrusting his fists in the air! Due to the show being indoors you could see again just how bright and more detailed the projections were, however the first section on the right looked way out of focus, something Ole commented on when i saw him at intermission. During Rogers speech at the beginning of Mother, he yet again attempted to talk to the crowd in their local language, commenting tonight on how it was such a difficult language. As he started to talk English again and explain the whole double track vocals thing there was a loud voice that broke the deadly silence in the venue, “Get on with it” they shouted! to which Roger quite angrily shouted back, “No, I'll take as long as i want” the heckler again shouted something back and Roger made another couple of comments, one of which thanking a person in the audience from memory.(look up Mother , Oslo on YouTube, im sure it’ll be there over the next few days.)

The crowd were very paid back, probably the most I’ve ever seen at a show, i also noticed there were very few people using cameras and this meant the inside of the venue was ever so dark with no glow at al from many LCD screens!

Dave K’s solo on Young Lust was outstanding, i watched Robbie and Roger during the track and they were having ever so much fun together, when Robbie does his screams of “wooooooow “ in unison with Dave's guitar solo early on in the track, Roger looked over to him and gave him the biggest smile, returned straight back at him by Robbie who then looked over to Dave who intern looked over to Roger, this all lasted probably 15 seconds at most but in just these few seconds alone you could tell the guys were having so much fun onstage tonight despite the lull from the crowd.

Ole and Stuart at tonight's how

The sound while loud was yet again crystal clear, this venue was in effect a metal shed with a roof on and I'm not sure what other bands sound like here, i could imagine its not the best sounding venue in the world but this just proves how good Tripp Khalaf is on the FOH and why he’s the best in the business, click here for a little more info on Trip

At intermission we met up with Ole and Start who told us there were two seats free the whole first half on the isle of the 3rd row centre,not any more there weren't as Kevin threw his coat on them like a German placing a towel on his sun lounger at 5am in the morning around the pool!

Fancy dress was optional at tonight's show!

 

Second half of the show went without incident with the exception of what looked like Dave and GE picking up the wrong guitars for ITAOT and swapping them over just in the for the opening notes! ( Dave just said to me 5 minutes ago: the guitars were placed on the wrong stands!!! GE didn't realise, but as soon as I picked up 'mine' I thought 'hey, Tim has changed my strap.... and the EQ.... and ummm.... hang on a minute'!!! ) Even the opening hotel room from the wall didn't get the Norwegians on their feet with their  cameras! something that usually always happens at most of the shows. Comfy Numb started and at the line of “can you stand up” i looked over to Kevin and said “screw this, 3,2,1” and we both stood up and encouraged everyone else to do the same, it was hard work but with Rogers help we managed it! lol it was short lived though as everyone couldn't wait to get back to their seats for The Show Must Go On.

Run Like Hell did the trick though and even got the Norwegians to learn  a new way of showing their appreciation called clapping! again, short lived and the crowd descended for Waiting For The Worms.

Roger is risking it more and  more as the shows go on, standing onstage tonight as the wall was moving at the top just before the bricks fell, by the end of the tour he’ll be getting hit with the bricks if he keeps on at this rate! I still marvel at the “fake” wall fall that's projected on the ends of the wall before the actual middle section falls, its sheer brilliance and a very cool and believable effect. The whole middle section came down in two hits tonight, all falling forward towards the crowd giving the Norwegian crowd their first and probably last experience of “wall wind” Kevin and i moved up onto the rail and joined Ole and Stuart for Outside The Wall, all four of getting acknowledged by the guys as they waked offstage.

These 5 guys created more atmosphere than the crowd tonight!

Whilst not one of  the most atmospheric shows I've seen it was surprising in my top ten shows! something that Ole and Stuart

After the show, we took a walk back to the bus stop for the shuttle back in to Oslo, there was several hundred people that had had the same thought as us too!

Stuart wasn't in the happiest of moods after the show  as his soccer team (Scotland) had been playing England and got miserably beaten! he drowned his sorrows by buying us all a bottle of wine and some pringles at a hotel near the venue, we sat down for an hour having a few expensive drinks before getting a taxi back into Oslo then paying an extortionate amount for some food that I’d rather forget ( food and monetary wise!)  and got back to our hotel and in bed for 2am

On my way to Oslo…

So my good friend Ole from Norway had convinced me a few weeks ago that i HAD to do the two shows in Oslo and the one in Gothenburg, who was i to argue! I flew out from Manchester to Rygge, Oslo yesterday, As with a lot of Ryan air flights, they say they are flying to the city your going to be in reality the airports are at least an hour away! Rygge was no exception and was an hours bus ride to the centre from the airport. One thing i have never liked doing is arriving in the city of the show from the UK on the actual day of the show, especially when i don't land till gone 3pm in the afternoon.

I hadn't had chance to get any Norwegian Kroner and after landing i asked the information desk if there was anywhere to exchange currency, there wasn't, however she said if i bought something from the airport store in Euros, I'd get Kroner change! Perfect as i had a 50Euo note in my pocket. I picked up a small bottle of orange soda for the extortionate price of £4.00 ($6.50 for my US friends) It was then i remembered my visit to Norway  for Rogers In The Flesh tour in 2002.

Norway is not cheap, its one of if not THE most expensive countries in Europe and when Phil, Jens, Emil and i all came in 2002 i don't remember any of us having a few beers, it really was the city where we did just have one beer! The price of living is just very high and when you live in Norway you are paid accordingly in relation to that but when you visit here its damn expensive!

I’d forgotten just how nice it was in Norway though, on the hours bus ride to the city centre the scenery was stunning, forests of green fern and pine trees, rivers and lakes of dark blue water, blue skies and the air smelt like fresh cleaned laundry! ok well maybe not the last one but it did smell fresh and clean!

Kevin was on the train on his way from last nights Ca-Ira even in Gothenburg, he was due in to the rail station around the same time as my bus would arrive, Ole and Stuart were at a bar in Oslo with a few other friends and we arranged to meet up to get the shuttle bus to the venue at 5:30. Kevin and i met up at 5, checked in the hotel and then walked up to meet the others at the shuttle bus stop.

Ca Ira tonight in Gothenburg...

Thanks to Phil for these pictures and video clips.

 

 

The napkin below that Roger mentions in the video clip above.

Operation "Get Bacon" a complete success!

As most people know, there is no better bacon than Danish bacon! Well, last night’s show in Copenhagen proved the perfect venue to put well laid plans into action with operation "Get Bacon!"

My good friends Jens, Phil, Matt, Bibi, and Ole were at the show last night and hatched a plan during the day to get some Danish bacon!

I knew things must have gone well when I woke this morning to see my friend Jens' status on Facebook read:


I WAS INSIDE THE PIG!!!!

Gotta say how much I love this updated stadium version.
The projections makes so much more sense.

We were under piggie waiting to tear it apart.

I got a hold of the right rear leg, tore it apart and looked up into it. I then couldn't help myself and "put it on" like it was a t-shirt or something and I was INSIDE IT.
It was surreal and the adrenalin was pumping through me.
I must have gotten 25-30% of it. Phil got 35-40% I'd guess.
It was crazy!!!!

I've never heard Parken sound this good!!!!!!

I now simply can't wait to take wifey to the show in Berlin!!!

Matt & Phil devise a cunning plan in the afternoon!

It’s a pig’s tail!

Matt looking for a piece of bread big enough for his bacon sandwich breakfast!

After a hard night’s work, it looks like Phil slept well in his new sleeping bag!

Another new "I’m Spartacus" opening

Looks like Roger changed the projections on the "I’m Spatacus" opening again last night in Copenhagen. (Thanks to Ole for the pictures.)

New song from Roger at Istanbul sound check!

 

Fantastic paintings for sale

Just before I head out to Oslo next week I thought I’d let you know about the following.

The pictures below are actually paintings on box or board canvases done by Paul Jones. My friend Phil recently bought the “Big Mother” one below, and I was immediately struck by how good these were. The pictures vary in size and most are acrylic paint on canvas and come ready to hang on your wall.

Paul does take commissions, and if there's a certain part from the show that you’d like done then i suggest dropping him an e mail on ipaint@hotmail.co.uk  He does currently have a few paintings for sale on eBay HERE. Paul also donates 10% of the sales on eBay to The British Legion! Although based in the UK, I’m sure he’ll look at international shipping if it were needed. Prices are very VERY reasonable, some listed on eBay starting at prices of only £10!!

I have no affiliation with Paul whatsoever and was just really taken by how good the paintings are.

16” x 20” Drop it On Em!                            16” x 20” I'm Spartacus on board canvas     

     

8” x 20” iPaint on Box canvas                                                     8” x 20” iResist on box canvas

 

8” x 20” The Wall, a composite of background images from The Wall and a mixture of paint, paper, gel medium, and fine sand!

Istanbul, 4th August

Few pictures below from the Istanbul show. Roger paid respect to some of the protesters that were killed during the recent events there.

Rome, day of the show

We had breakfast at 9 am on the hotel rooftop terrace before walking the 1/4 mile to board the “hop on hop off” sightseeing bus.

It was still very hot, but as we’d made an early start, we were able to sit on the top deck of the open top bus. We got off at the 2nd stop—The Coliseum. This was somewhere that Ole had wanted to visit since he used to read the Asterix books when he was a kid. I don't think he was disappointed at all. I’ve been in it three times now, and it still leaves me in awe when I try to imagine when it was built and just how it must have been built!

View from the sightseeing bus                    Ole being Spartacus!                                  Probably one of the earliest walls!!

 

After getting a drink outside the Coliseum and a short walk to nowhere, we waited at the bus stop to “hop” back on. We carried on the whole of the bus route passing lots of amazing building and sights without getting off until the last stop.

    

We got off at the Pantheon, had a look around, and then stopped in at a restaurant for a drink and some lunch, followed by my one and only cup of Gelato the whole time I’d been in Italy!

We’d arranged to meet up with a few people at the Hard Rock Cafe later on in the afternoon and started the walk back to the hotel to chill out for an hour. Half way back we decided to take the rest of the 5 minute journey in a taxi.

It was great to see Johan and Anders at the Hard Rock. I also got to see one of my Italian friends, Rocco, who I’d met last time I was here. Glenn had been complaining of an upset stomach earlier on in the day, and, as he put it, he had had trouble getting off the shitter before coming back out! Stuart was already at the Hard Rock when we got there and had also been complaining of a bad stomach, but the two couldn't think of anything they had eaten the same that could have caused the problem. (Later on in the day at the show Stuart had to leave the gig half way through due to not feeling well at all!)

Stuart, Glenn, Ole, and I took a taxi out to the venue. Frank, Dora, and a couple of others followed behind shortly, and upon arrival at the venue we proceeded to pick up tickets at the box office. The gig wasn't due to start till 9:15, and it was only 6:30. I hung around outside waiting to meet everyone else while Stuart, Ole, and Glenn headed in to get good places on the floor.

I met Anders and Johan first, then Frank and Dora arrived, and then Mike, Fran, and Ray. We all chatted outside the venue for a good couple of hours before heading in to find our places. Michael told us how he, Fran, and Ray had received a police escort just to pick up their tickets at the box office! I mean, seriously, you couldn't make this stuff up what they have been through and doing this past week!

Anders and Johan                                       Few of the pre show group                         Ray and Fran ready to go to the show

   

Upon entering the venue we had an incredible view of the wall and the area behind it—a unique view not normally seen at most venues.

     

     

The stadium was a fantastic venue built for the Rome Olympics, and I believe has a capacity of 85,000 when totally full! I’d guess that by the time the show started there were 68,000 people there to watch the show! I don't believe it was totally sold out, and there were a few people outside selling tickets and still tickets available online on the day of the show.

I wanted to take the whole show in again and sat at the side where I was able to see the whole of the floor area and the people in all the level all around the stadium

Ole took some pictures from where they were stood on the floor, and it looks like they had a fantastic place. Thanks to Ole for the pictures below.

    

The same new Spartacus graphics came on after the pre show music tracks, and the reaction of the crowd even this early on was amazing. They went crazy screaming, shouting, chanting clapping—you name it they did it—anything they could do to show they were ready for the show!

 

The plane was mounted real high up on the back of the roof tonight, and the timing was just right as it hit the wall making the flames and smoke erupt behind the wall. I think that point was the loudest of all the music, explosion sound effects, and crowd screaming I have ever heard. It truly was totally deafening, even where I was. I can’t begin to imagine what it must have sounded like on the floor. Phil, Ole, and Glenn said afterwards it was absolutely incredible! Phil and Laila had gone in early to get a place near the rail, Stuart, Glenn and Ole had gone in an hour or two later, but made their way through to Phil and Laila by Glenn shouting out “Move to the side, I’m a Dr, let me through!” They all found each other eventually! I didn't know until after the show, but Stuart had to leave at intermission due to him having a bout of food poisoning! He thinks he may have caught it at the restaurant we ate at the night before. I’m just glad the bathroom wasn't in Bangladesh and that he made it to the one in the stadium!

  

The crowd sang most of the words to Another Brick, Mother, and a few others. The PA sound was incredible tonight, very loud but crystal clear. Robbie's vocals sounded amazing. It was like the guy was sat right next to me while he was singing—you could even Hhear his sharp intakes of breath during his singing. he was the best I’d ever heard him. Dave K’s sound was just the same, too. The guitar squeaks on Young Lust and the clarity of his notes were incredible. You can hear the crowd singing a little in the video below, but nothing gets it across just how loud they were all around the arena. Take a listen at 5:30.

The show went pretty much with incident apart from, again, Roger having problems with his mic at the beginning of Nobody Home. It sounded like they forgot to fade his mic up, and we missed hearing the first couple of lines before Roger had a go at the sound crew saying “About time guys.”  This was the second show in a row that he had had problems at this part of the show, and even though tonight he had a spare mic, which he swapped to as soon as he realised, it was obvious they hadn't faded it up as the replacement mic wasn't audible either. (You can hear this on the video below.)

The crowd during the second half, and especially Run Like Hell, were amazing. Every hand in the arena was in the air clapping in unison with Roger. The pig came out as usual and stayed around in the air until the wall fell when it was lowered to the ground and ripped to pieces by the crazy Italian fans.

There was a new “tweak” to the animations tonight that I’d not noticed before. During The Trial when the animated wall spins around 360 degrees, and as the wall come back around and meets the other wall projections, there was a little “whisp” of animated dust as the two pieces meet. I'll try grab a video of it in Oslo in a couple of weeks.

Of course, after the wall came down there was the obligatory Italian singing of Ole, Ole, Ole, which Roger joined in with. This is incredible to hear, and it makes the hairs on my arms stand up just thinking about it now! Roger commented  after Outside The Wall, “This is why we like to come back to Italy.” Listen to the crowd on the video below from 5:15 onwards.

I did a runner the second the guys walked off the stage—ran like hell to the end of the street by the venue entrance and jumped in a taxi. I’d said goodbye to Mike, Ray, and Fern at Intermission, and from what they said then, they were enjoying the show a lot! 15 minutes after I got back to the hotel, Ole came into the room and  headed downstairs to the pizza restaurant outside the hotel to have a final drink with everyone before we all went our separate ways in the morning.

I have to say that Rome was THE best show I've seen. I’ve now seen this show 128 times, and tonight was the best of them all, The crowd, the sound, the performance, and the people made this my favourite show of them all. It’s not over yet, though! I’m now home for a couple of weeks, unless I find a cheap flight to Frankfurt or Prague, and then its out to Oslo for the two indoor shows there and the outdoor show in Gothenburg.

A few more pictures from the show:

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Pictures from sightseeing:

 

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