The Pink Floyd Experience
1st June 2021
Municipal Theatre, Napier, New Zealand
Review by Rob Harbers. Photography by Reef Reid.
Continuing a habit they have been involved in for nearly 25 years, the Pink Floyd Experience are currently touring a show based on “The Wall”, with an appetiser of the “Animals” album. Having wound their way through the country, they are coming to the end of the trail, with dates in Tauranga, Hamilton and Auckland closing out this sojourn.
As a general rule, cover bands don’t fall within the purview of Ambient Light, but given the nature of this production, such rules go out the window. The Pink Floyd Experience take pride in reproducing the sound, feel and atmosphere of the original band, bringing to new generations an appreciation for this iconic and influential music.
As I’ve seen this band many times over the years, to the extent that they’ve made me get far more into Pink Floyd than I ever was before encountering them, my perspective is possibly somewhat skewed and less than impartial, so my plus-one tonight has given me the benefit of the impressions of one who has less enjoyed than endured the source material.
The show commenced with a clever and humorous visual element, which I won’t spoil for you, but soon we were hearing the familiar acoustic intro of “Pigs On The Wing 1” leading the way into a note-perfect rendition of the full “Animals” album, enhanced by a stream of visuals projected on the large screen, which complemented the lyrical themes of the songs. The screen was a hugely effective device, as it enabled the players to be seen behind it, while providing the aforementioned visual enhancement, and being the focal point of a dramatic moment in itself (look out for it!). Bonus content before intermission came in the form of “Welcome To The Machine”, giving the purists something extra to please their ears.
After the brief refuelling break, the lights went down and the opening bars of “In The Flesh” rolled out across the arena, accompanied by some visual surprises, which all served to alert the audience that some serious entertainment was coming their way. Lead vocalist and showman extraordinaire Stan Gratkowski then proceeded to lead us through the full masterwork that is “The Wall”, accompanied by a band whose passion for the music they play was hugely evident. The presentation in this format brought out the narrative thread of the album, enhancing its unifying concept. To provide too much description would be at the risk of giving away too much of what awaits you if you go, and I don’t want to be that spoiler guy! I’ll just say that my plus-one described it as a true rock opera and a real show, one which she would see again. High praise indeed from one considerably more casual about the source material than I am.
The crowd, while being (disappointingly) considerably below the venue’s capacity, were nevertheless hugely responsive and appreciative of the production, and drawn from a wide age demographic, showing the enduring place that Pink Floyd hold in many lives, and the appreciation that this troupe inspire.
To give you too many more words would put me in danger of over-egging the pudding, (and push me even further past deadline!) so I’ll give you an executive summary: If you’re a fan of Pink Floyd, go to this show if you can – you’ll appreciate the skill with which the music is recreated. If you’re the significant other of a fan, forced to endure the music over your time together, try going along too – it just might enhance your appreciation of what they’ve been trying to tell you all this time! If you’re havering over whether to go or not, just do it, you’ll have no regrets. If you’re any degree of fan or fan-adjacent, you owe it to yourself to see this show. In short, might you like to go to the show? You would, and you’ll bathe in the space-cadet glow! Go and glow!!!
Were you there at the Municipal Theatre to witness this brilliant tribute show? Or have you seen The Pink Floyd Experience somewhere else? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
Part 1 – Animals
01. Pigs on the Wing (Part 1)
02. Dogs
03. Pigs (Three Different Ones)
04. Sheep
05. Pigs on the Wing (Part 2)
06. Welcome to the machine [encore]
Part 2 – The Wall
07. In the Flesh Part 1
08. The Thin Ice
09. Another Brick in the Wall Part 1
10. The Happiest Days of Our Lives
11. Another Brick in the Wall Part 2
12. Mother
13. Goodbye Blue Sky
14. Empty Spaces
15. Young Lust [Feat. Kirsten Te Rito]
16. One of My Turns
17. Don’t Leave Me Now
18. Another Brick in the Wall Part 3
19. Goodbye Cruel World
20. Hey You
21. Is There Anybody Out There
22. Nobody Home
23. Vera
24. Bring The Boys Back Home
25. Comfortably Numb
26. The Show Must Go On
27. In The Flesh Part 2
28. Run Like Hell
29. Waiting For The Worms
30. Stop
31. The Trial
32. Outside the Wall
Note: The Pink Floyd Experience provided passes to Ambient Light to review and photograph this concert. As always, this has not influenced the review in any way and the opinions expressed are those of Ambient Light’s only. This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase a product using an affiliate link, Ambient Light will automatically receive a small commission at no cost to you.
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Breathtaking, spectacular show performed by some incredibly talented musicians. The Pink Floyd Experience get better everytime & I’ve been going to their shows for 20 years.
I grew up with Pink Floyd playing in the back ground of my life. I heartily endorse every comment here. The show is so close to the original shows from the 70s, it is if you have time travelled back there. I cant recommend these entertainers highly enough! Go and see it!