Music review

Brit Floyd's musical sounds almost as pretty as Pink's

Brit Floyd is not Pink Floyd, but the band is far more than just a fake Floyd.

That was evident Wednesday night at North Little Rock's Theater at Verizon Arena. Performing before a rapt audience of 1,159 fans, the nine musicians poured it on, proving that Pink Floyd was not the only band talented enough to put on a superior show of Pink Floyd music.

I saw Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon tour in St. Louis in 1973 (the band never performed in Arkansas) and the group's post-Roger Waters tour for A Momentary Lapse of Reason in Dallas in 1987. I can say that Brit Floyd is an excellent band.

The brainchild of the talented Damian Darlington, who played guitar, steel guitar and sang, Brit Floyd made no foolish moves, moving seamlessly -- although not chronologically -- among three decades of music, accompanied by one of the finest light shows to have illuminated a Verizon stage.

Matching Darlington's talents were those of Ian Cattell on bass and vocals (parts made famous by Pink Floyd's Waters, while Darlington sang the songs linked to David Gilmour). Bobby Harrison was equally adept as a left-handed guitarist, and there were some great saxophone solos by Carl Brunsdon and backing vocals by three swinging and swaying women.

All nine were dressed in black, so as not to distract from the visual antics going on behind them on a round screen in the midst of a bigger half-circle screen. The display used green lasers, animation, shifting shapes, views of the pyramids and an aerial flight over vistas in the scenic American West. Even a disco ball made a late cameo, and of course a large inflated pig hovered over the side of the stage at one point.

The show prominently featured Pink Floyd's legendary albums Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall, which were well received by the crowd. Highlights included "Comfortably Numb," "Is There Anybody Out There?", "Run Like Hell" and "Another Brick in the Wall" from The Wall; "Time" and "Money" from Dark Side of the Moon; and "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" and "Wish You Were Here" from the album of the same name.

But they also superbly presented a wide range of lesser-known material, including A Saucerful of Secrets' "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" and The Division Bell's "High Hopes," on which Darlington showcased some excellent musicianship on steel guitar.

Metro on 05/16/2014

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