Despite the incredible repertoire, the political charge brought some tiredness to the public, struck by the singer’s feeling of revolt.
Roger Waters they left the Allianz Parque stage to applause after the last note of the song Off the wallan apotheotic ending for his new show This is not a drillwhich has just passed through six Brazilian capitals before heading to other South American countries.
A significantly different reaction than that witnessed by the founder of Pink fluid five years ago, when he was booed by much of the audience watching the tour show Us+Them at the Palmeiras stadium. On that occasion, on the eve of the presidential elections, he called Jair Bolsonaro a fascist and projected the hashtag # EleNão on the screens.
This time the 45,000 people who filled the arena were prepared for a conceptual and political show, far from being just a parade of successes. There was also an emotional feeling in being able to see the octogenarian rocker for the last time. He says this is his “first farewell tour” – a word of advice to bands who abuse this type of marketing to sell more tickets, like Kiss, for example.
It is no coincidence that the opening of the show projects a clear message onto the big screens: “If you are one of those who say ‘I love Pink Floyd, but I can’t stand Roger’s politics’, go to the bar!” – slightly inaccurate translation, as Waters uses an expletive (fuck you) laced with typical British humor. The “joke” mentioned is a reference to his new song The barwhich proposes dialogue in such a polarized society.
The bar or any bar in the Perdizes area, in fact, could have been a good place to be during the first song of the evening, the only negative point of the entire repertoire. Fans of historic bands like Pink Floyd tend to reject alternative versions of their greatest hits. Waters, however, isn’t worried about it, so much so that he decides to re-record an album that borders on perfection – The dark side of the moon (1973) – and chose an unexciting version of Comfortably Numb at the start, ignoring David Gilmour’s guitar solo, with whom he regularly exchanged barbs.
At this point, the feud between the English group’s two biggest talents seems more like childish nitpicking than anything else. Gilmour was completely forgotten when Pink Floyd images illustrated songs like Have a cigarfierce criticism of the recording industry, or in the emotional double Wish you were here/Shine on you Crazy Diamonda tribute to the late Syd Barett, who left the band in 1968 due to serious mental problems – an episode detailed in writing on the screens, bringing a message capable of bringing tears to a legion of grown men dressed in black: “When you lose someone that you love, this is to remind you: this is not training.”
Roger’s activism permeated the entire concert and was highlighted in two of the presentation’s best performances, both from the singer’s solo career: The strong powerswhich mentions Anne Frank, George Floyd and Marielle Franco, and The courage to be out of reachwho labeled Joe Biden and several former American presidents (from Reagan to Trump) as “war criminals”.
“Good evening! Welcome! Thank you,” Waters said in Portuguese, before apologizing that he doesn’t speak the Brazilian language. His voice sounded powerful and cavernous, but he used playbacks in specific parts of the concert, the theatrical aspect of which was even more evident with the 20-minute break between the two sets.
And anyone who has seen the artist live knows that the flying inflatable pig cannot be missed. The classic prop flew over the audience during In the fleshin which Waters played the character of The wall (1979) and sang in a wheelchair, wearing a straight jacket. In addition to the portico, a friendly giant sheep was circling around the stadium Sheepthe only representative of the album Animals (1977), evoking George Orwell and Animal revolution.
another Brick in the Wall, Money, brain damage AND Beat it gave weight to the setlist, which also had room for obscure Pink Floyd songs, such as Two suns at sunset – a poetic warning about the risk of a third world war.
In the final part of the show, Roger bowed to Bob Dylan before singing The barrevealing the song’s influence Lady of the plains with sad eyes in the new composition. A timely mention that provokes the following reflection: like Waters, Dylan has always been a staunch critic of issues of social injustice, such as police violence, political oppression, racism, the suppression of women’s rights, among others. Unlike the bassist, however, he never seemed militant or “pamphleteer”.
Do not misunderstand: Waters’ music, talented band and high-tech production are amazing. However, the excessive political charge brought some tiredness to the public, struck by the musician’s feeling of pessimism and revolt. At a certain point, for example, he even invited fans to participate in a meeting of BDS, the movement that boycotts the State of Israel.
Moral of the story: We’re screwed? Maybe, but we can’t give up. We must harness our humanitarian capacity before it is too late.
Source: Terra
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
