Roger Waters
Entertainment Centre
February 7.

Eric Clapton
Entertainment Centre
February 9.

Reviewed by Murray Bramwell

It has been a busy time at the Entertainment Centre with two of the biggest names in British rock playing within two days of each other and The Scissor Sisters getting in for their snip as well. The word is that the current world tour is a victory lap for Roger Waters – victory, that is, over the other seventy five percent of Pink Floyd, led by guitarist David Gilmour, who have claimed the Floyd trademark and repertoire and set the standard for massively spectacular state-of-the-art live shows. Waters began his response somewhat diffidently. His In the Flesh Tour performances in New York in 2000, I thought, were undistinguished and the cut-down scale placed uncomfortable demands on Waters to carry the show.

On stage with a massive light and sound rig, a flash band and a well balanced repertoire, Roger Waters is now looking match-fit and in charge. After a blistering version of Mother, he set the controls for some antique Floyd and a poignant Crazy Diamond tribute to the late Syd Barrett. The strong anti-war themes, always present in Waters’ songs, are especially apt in Fletcher Memorial and Leaving Beirut, an undistinguished new song – but a brave attempt to humanise the Middle Eastern conflict. Later, a huge pink pig floats through the ether inscribed with messages in support of David Hicks and habeus corpus.

The performance of The Dark Side of the Moon is an expected highlight, full blast and all the songs in the right order. Money has its unexpected irony – given the lucrative nature of heritage rock shows like this – but with a rousing version of Another Brick and a scathing attack on the Coalition of the Willing with Bring the Boy Back we are left anything but comfortably numb. And yes, since pigs do fly, a Floyd reunion is likely – but not in our town. Not to worry, we have already seen the best.

Eric Clapton had a reunion of his own when Cream settled their curdled differences for some Albert Hall and Madison Square shows in 2005. Perhaps that’s why his setlist is notably short of staples such as Badge and Sunshine of Your Love. Instead Clapton returns, with a nimble band and a strong blues emphasis, to early solo tracks like Let it Rain and a cluster of songs from the Dominoes period, Little Wing, Tell the Truth and Key to the Highway – featuring two support guitarists Doyle Bramhall III and (a new Derek ! ) Derek Trucks, whose splendidly fluid slide guitar makes Layla a triumph and must surely have summoned the smiling shade of Duane Allman.

The sit-down section, with the band on acoustic and National steel guitars, turns Nobody Knows You When You are Down and Out into an ensemble treat, as does the full-tilt electric jam on Queen of Spades with Grease Band veteran Chris Stainton featuring on piano. It is interesting to see Clapton, himself in top silky form, sharing the tasks so freely with his band. Not like Muddy Waters, in his latter days, glaring at anyone stealing the thunder. Eric is relaxed – some might think a little too off-hand for such a pricey ticket. But the fact is, he played a hundred and ten minutes of amazing music, put blues firmly back on the agenda and proved, with the discovery of Derek Trucks, that there may not only be a god, there might be a pantheon.

“Rock, Sprites and Tenors” (Roger Waters /Eric Clapton, A Midsummer Night’s Dream) The Adelaide Review, No.310, February 16, 2007, p.14