Roger Waters, BST Hyde Park review: Enthralling spectacle filled with Pink Floyd's biggest hits
The showman eviscerated Trump during a high concept, three-hour set
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Your support makes all the difference.Roger Waters has officially been added to the pantheon of music icons to have graced the stage at BST Festival in London’s Hyde Park, alongside the likes of Mick Jagger, Neil Young, Carole King, The Cure, Eric Clapton and the late Tom Petty.
The one-time Pink Floyd bassist turned co-lead and all-round concept overseer of rock’s most progressive staple kicked off this year’s run of events on a scorching English evening with his politically-charged three-hour 'Us + Them' show, that made today's chart-toppers look like small fry.
The crowd grabbed their drinks and assembled for the early start time of 7.50pm before Waters - backed by a screen to rival any IMAX cinema’s - tore into Dark Side of the Moon’s opening duo of tracks, the woozy “Speak to Me” and “Breathe (In The Air).”
It wasn’t until “Time” that the evening felt truly ignited, however, seguing into a rendition of “Great Gig in the Sky” that was breathtakingly performed by Waters' backing singers, Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of indie quartet Lucius. "The sun is the same in a relative way but you're older / Shorter of breath and one day closer to death," the 75-year-old showman bellowed, more energetic than ever.
Politics were initially flirted with during delivery of one of Pink Floyd’s signatures “Another Brick in the Wall” accompanied by fantastically-confident children from the Grenfell Tower community clad in orange suits, which easily evoked thoughts of Guantanamo Bay inmates.
The sun needed to set for what Waters was hoping to accomplish next: a grab-you-by-the-throat second act which saw Battersea Power Station chimneys - fitted with flying pig - rise from the stage signalling Animals track “Pigs (Three Different Ones)” which Waters made clear was dedicated to the world leaders of today.
“Big man, pig man / Ha, ha, charade you are,” he sang alongside LA musician Jonathan Wilson - nobly taking on Dave Gilmour’s vocals with seamless ease - as images of Donald Trump fit with a swine’s body were projected onto the screens behind them.
For three enthralling hours, Waters occupied Hyde Park - it was hard to imagine anyone else had graced the stage before him.
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