Saturday night we went to see a
Canadian Pink Floyd tribute band called PIGS at the Harbourfront Theatre. Ever eager
to add spice to the mix, Susan decided to drive us to Summerside in a school
bus; yes, drive a school bus. In truth, her job called for someone to collect a
batch of college students from Charlottetown airport and she owned up to having
the appropriate Class 2 driver’s licence.
She duly appeared in the big
yellow bus and without further ado we clambered aboard. This was an elderly
vehicle and it laboured up hills but Susan drove impeccably, safely negotiating
wide turns and giving the steed loose reins on long fast descents. With the
students delivered to their accommodation in Slemon Park, we parked the bus
outside the Training Academy where Susan works and transferred to her car.
A short drive into Summerside and
we parked by the exit of the as yet empty Harbourfront parking lot and strolled
across Water Street to Subway. The tickets and meal were all part of my birthday
present from last month, lucky me!
After working our way through
footlong subs and sodas we headed to the theatre and were soon in our seats.
The band is billed as Canada’s best PF tribute and their musicianship is
faultless, and the laser light show and Floydian circular video screen authentic.
For two and a half hours they played seventeen tracks from seven different
Floyd albums and one Roger Waters solo album, resting midway for a short
intermission. An admirably broad set list but it is fair to say that the less
committed fan might have preferred fewer lengthy obscure album tracks with long
instrumental passages. I was interested to hear Echoes in all its twenty three
minute entirety but I can’t remember the last time I was moved to listen to it
at home. Nonetheless I appreciated the inclusion of rare songs from the albums Animals
and The Final Cut.
We had been lucky enough to see
The Pink Floyd Experience (a Californian tribute) earlier this year and we
could not help but compare and contrast the two. We both agreed our Californian
evening had been the better of the two, and by some margin. PIGS didn’t
interact with the audience at all; we left not knowing any of their names or personalities.
In March the PFE had spoken freely between tracks, interjecting anecdotes about
the music and their vintage instruments. They were close and personal whereas
PIGS, I felt, while having an undeniably excellent sound, were distant and could have been playing to themselves in a rehearsal
room.
All that said, we had a great evening!
Setlist:
Shine on You Crazy Diamond Pts 1-5
Another Brick in the Wall
Set the Controls for the Heart of
the Sun
Wish You Were Here
Pigs
Pigs on the Wing
(Intermission)
Shine On You Crazy Diamond Pts
6-9
Your Possible Pasts
Time
The Great Gig in the Sky
Deja Vu (Waters)
Coming Back to Life
Money
Echoes
(Encore)
Run Like Hell
Comfortably Numb
