Ft Lauderdale show 1 (part 1)……

So Maria & Jack headed back to their hotel and half an hour later Lori, Ralph, Mike and Greg all got into my rental car and we headed off to the venue, about a 45 minute drive away. We had arranged to meet a couple of people at a bar across the highway from the venue called Bahama Breeze. After the hot English voice of the tom-tom GPS lady took us around the loop road the wrong way and wasted 10 minutes drinking time we finally found the bar. It seems Mike has a crush on the tom-tom GPS lady and I'm sure he set her to go the wrong way just so he could hear her voice for 5 minutes longer!

The bar was packed with people going to the show, i guess everyone had had the same idea as us and after all it was a Saturday night. We found a place to stand outside and and looked around for friends who were due to meet up. I was unable to find my friend Gary whose house i was staying at this coming Monday but i had his contact details and address so if i didn't see him we would speak soon anyway.

Mike, Lori, Ralph and Greg                  Ralph and Lori                            Myself, Greg Jack, Lori, Ralph, Maria, Mike

    

A friend of ours (Robert) and his buddy that we met up in Chicago with joined us plus we had a chat with a guy who says he taught Rogers kids to swim in Florida in the mid 80’s he couldn't remember their names and when i mentioned harry and India he was pretty adamant that wasn't their names so who knows!

Myself with Robert and friend

 

Greg made a toast while we were at the bar to Mike Alexander,AKA Floydianleaf,  Mike was a HUGE fan whom some of us had met in Florida on the Dark Side tour 3 or 4 years ago and had passed away so young, he will always be in my heart when i see the shows and i know he’s looking down on us in spirit.Shine on Mike:) Would appreciate if everyone takes a couple of minutes and remembers Mike by watching the video below he really was a great guy.

 

We started to walk over to the venue around 7:15, Maria and Jack had to pick up their tickets from Will call as did Greg and Mike. After picking up tickets, getting into the venue we all headed down to take our seats. Lori and Ralph were in the rear section of the hall about 10 rows up from the floor, Greg and Mike were 7th row right and Mari and Jack were 3rd row stage left on the block off the floor.

Walking over to the venue

   

I was  at Greg's seats when a shout from the front row of “SIMON” caught my attention , it was my friend Gary who i was supposed to meet up with in the bar and who's house i would be staying at on Monday, We had never actually met but i met his wife briefly in 2000 at the pre show meet up in Vegas and after a few years of not being in touch we had reconnected six months ago. he had recognised me from my blog so i made my way round and had a good chat with them before the show.my friend Jim from Atlanta had told me his friend Fritz and his wife would be at the show, i had met them briefly in Atlanta on the Dark Side shows and his wife had spotted me and came down to say hi! Sorry we didn't get more time to talk but was great to see you again!

A good friend of min e Hassan was also at tonight's show and we had been texting for the last couple of hours, he was running late for the meet up and even later for the show! he text me at 8pm that he was just getting in the venue, i asked him where his seats were and lo and behold they were right next to my friend Gary and his wife Debbie where i was standing!! amazing how these things happen! Gary and Hassan had never met but had posted on the Roger Waters message board I've run for the last  few years.

Gary and I                                                  Mark Lennon and Gary

    

With 5 minutes to go i walked over to see Maria and Jack before the show, they were amazed at how good their seats were and couple wait for the Nobody Home part of the show where Roger comes down in the hotel room set, it would be like Roger was performing just for them they were that close!

I was standing on the rail tonight next to Hassan and his brother and Gary and Debbie, i also said i would have a look round on the floor to see if there were any vacant seats during the first set that Ralph and Lori were able to use for the second set.

The instant that In The Flesh started i thought holy crap this is loud!! it was unbelievably loud the bass was going right through my chest within the first few notes and that wasn't the loudest part of the show by far! It was fantastic to be on the rail with such great friends. I had spoke to Gary earlier about watching out for the plane crash at the end of ITF and tapped Gary on the shoulder just as a reminder. Its amazing how many people don't see this happen till its too late and i like the fact that when i turn around to watch the plane say 15 seconds before its due to crash that a lot of people around me wonder what I'm looking at and turn around to see, its only then that they see the plane and watch it as it comes down the wire and crashes into the wall.

   

The kids during Another brick were fantastic, one came out right in front of Roger playing air guitar and really went for it, Roger was laughing to himself as he watched her writhe around on the floor mimicking the guitar actions of Dave as he played his solo. Two other kids right in front of me came out and did their own dance routine as did two other further down the line.At the first few shows i thought this show dance thing was a bit cheesy but I'm beginning to like this part of the show more and more.

It was great to see Hassan and Gary's face during the first half, it was pure delight, it was the first time they had seen the show and i know Gary had stayed away from any spoilers that had been put online and it was so paying off doing that now, he was having the time of his life.

   

There was so much energy coming off the stage tonight, it was a combination of the people i was with, the loudness of the show, the performance and the position i was in. It was turning out to be THE nest show I've seen on the tour so far and i know i say this after every show but this was seriously the best so far!

I had noticed a couple of seats free  dead centre second row, i kept an eye on these the whole first set and no one came and sat in them at all. I made a mental note and carried on watching and enjoying the show.

To be continued…….