ROGER WATERS
November 11, 2010
Review & Photos: David Simchock
Venue: Wells Fargo Center - Philadelphia, PA
(originally published on Crawdaddy Magazine website & Front Row Focus 1.0)
First things first: This was not a concert. This was a performance.
No. Wait. It was more than a performance. This was a statement.
Or, was it?
When 67-year-old Roger Waters walked on to the stage at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Arena on Thursday, this was not about a founding member of one of the most innovative bands to come out of the 1970s simply making music with a new and somewhat anonymous ensemble behind him. This was about a man with a mission – call it artistic, political or spiritual -- one that started 30 years ago and hasn’t lost a beat since.
As was the “original” Wall, this show was part of a life-long journey for Waters, and his exploration of the fears by which we are all surrounded and engulfed within our complex global society – fears that, in his mind, are created by barriers (i.e., “walls”) that are put in place, or assumed, by the events and information around us. To label his ever-evolving endeavor a mere “concert”, whether on this date or in its inaugural form many years ago, would be doing it a great disservice.
Personally, I “get” all of that. But, having said this, the question remains… How effective was Waters in communicating a message that is so dear to his heart to a wider audience, in this case, the 20,000 fans that came out to see the last of his three performances in Philadelphia?
I had great expectations of this gig, not because I had heard so much about previous dates on the tour (not to mention the never-ending praise dating back about three decades when Pink Floyd first took their version of a rock opera on the road), but because there was this well-defined purpose for Floyd’s creative maestro to revive the iconic album, with its equally iconic storyline, its cast of characters and, yes, its profound message. I was anxious to see if he could fulfill his objective of challenging the masses, or if the story’s moral would be lost in all of the high-tech production and, of course, in all of the precision and beauty of the music itself.
On his website, Waters features a “Why now?” section, providing insight as to the motivation behind “rebuilding” The Wall. He revisits a question he posed to himself 22 years ago: “Will the technologies of communication in our culture, serve to enlighten us and help us to understand one another better, or will they deceive us and keep us apart?” With “the jury still out”, as he openly admits on his site, this show and this tour would prove to be a well-placed opportunity for Waters to gage which way the verdict will sway in the early part of the 21st Century. In essence, The Wall Live tour is not so much a “re-build” of its original form as it is a “modernization” to account for historical events, as well as so-called advancements in how we talk to each other and understand the world around us.
Times have changed since 1980, and the way we share information has transformed exponentially. But, is this allowing us to travel down a path of awareness, world peace and reconciliation, or are we on the road to perpetual conflict and possible self-destruction? As I made my way down Interstate 95 on my way to the arena, I was as curious to see how effectively Rogers and his “new” wall would address this, as I was to hear the music and to experience the unparalleled production.
Of course, as anticipated, the musicianship of The Wall Live was flawless. Sure, a surprise visit by David Gilmour would have brought down the house, but Waters’ band was more than competent in handling the job where his Floyd bandmates left off. But, enough about the music. I’d just be repeating what’s already been said elsewhere.
Same goes for the mesmerizing production. Who paid a day’s wages (or more) for their ticket and didn’t expect this to be the most sophisticated stage show ever? Everything was spot on, from the early pyrotechnics and crashing airplane, to the gradual building of the wall (and its final collapse), to the huge inflatable marionettes, to the slick computer graphics that were projected throughout the event, to the actors themselves. Check. Well done. Incredible.
But, what about the message? Did Waters achieve his goal to enlighten his audience, or was this lost in the music and the theatrics?
Well, I think that the jury is still out, even after a second attempt at The Wall 30 years hence. Of course, the song lyrics haven’t changed for this tour, but quite certainly, the accompanying video clips, animation, still images and projected slogans have. The message intent was there, but I’m not convinced it made the impact that Waters had hoped for, despite all of the grand efforts on the evening.
The typical fan likely walked way from the show raving about the music and the production (and, rightfully so), but saying little about the “why” – the very issue that caused Waters to produce The Wall in the first place, and to revive it so many years later. Surprisingly, throughout the entire two-set extravaganza, Waters never provided any personal commentary for his audience. No opinions. No verbal clarifications or accusations. No thought-provoking insight. No clear statement as to why he was doing this tour again.
For me, this was disappointing, and because of it, I believe that Waters missed a grand opportunity, especially in this day and age of unconscionable turmoil and, worse, the miscommunication about this turmoil (i.e., distortion of truth by our politicians and media). I wanted to know more about what made this man tick, and how that related to The Wall Live 2010. I wanted him to reach a verdict, or at least inspire the quest for one in his audience. I wanted to leave the Wells Fargo Center encouraged that the walls around us could come down if we all did our part in knocking them down. I didn’t get that, and I’m not convinced anybody else did either.
This was, indeed, an entertainment masterpiece filled with musical perfection and backed with high drama normally reserved for a top Broadway show. And, that is how it will likely be remembered by most. Lost in all of the great things that this “concert” was made of was the power of the message, and one man’s self-created opportunity to raise a few relevant and updated questions to 20,000 followers in just a couple of hours. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite make the statement that it could have.
But, it was a damn good show.
In the end, this was truly a history-making event that lived up to most of my high expectations. But, it was not history-changing, and Waters could have gone further in fulfilling his sustained desire in making such an impact, or at least helping to enlighten the masses about what needs to be done. So, to a certain degree, though The Wall literally come tumbling down at the end of the gig, it remains in-tact figuratively. Perhaps he will give this some thought, and take the show on the road again in another decade, God willing at age 77. I’ll be waiting, as will be the jury. For, after all has been said and done by Roger Waters in Philadelphia, we’re all (still) just bricks in the wall.
Photos © Copyright David Simchock (Do not copy or publish without permission.)
