Roger Waters... The Wall

[orbscure]

Did anybody else here attended what I think was a worldwide screening of Roger Waters The Wall? I attended the 4K screening at a cinema near me last night and thoroughly enjoyed the complete spectacle. The concert footage was interspersed with beautifully shot and quite moving footage of Roger travelling across Europe in a vintage car visiting the final resting places of his grandfather in France and his father in Italy. The concert as an entity in its own right benefits from advances in technology and the wall itself provides a stunning backdrop to the albums narrative.

Check out the full theatrical trailer here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuPyeCX7Fgg)

My only disappointment was that there were barely 20 of us watching this screening, which given that I stumbled upon this event when booking tickets for something else, doesn't really surprise me. I'm not sure what the plans are for this film, but I really hope it gets a hi-def BluRay release so that I can enjoy it again and again...

I also hope they include the short question and answer session featuring Waters and Nick Mason... not that it added very much I didn't already know, especially when one of the questions revolved around whether they considered Gilmour as a friend. I have a foot in both camps and not that its particularly relevant to this thread, I feel that their much of their solo output either lack a decent lyricist, or require acoustic/electric guitar of a particular style, but I'll leave it up to you to decide who needs what :)

[Havana]

I also saw it last night. What a concert - the use of techno;ogy was amazing. The film itself was too long, and a bit clunky in places - his metaphors can be so obvious at times. Waters came across better than expected, and I feel the film should be standard viewing for many of the world's bellicose politicians.

[The Black Adder]

I enjoyed the film but never the album. The album just seems to go on and on and on.

The first disc is about where it should have ended IMO... I've only played the 2nd disc a few times as there is a couple of good tracks but that was that.

....but the trailer... wow! - I'd love to see it. Looks very well done. - No Gilmore appearances in there?

Thanks, Pete :)

If anyone missed THIS (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_MXLI5hyEc), (which I doubt) it's always worth a watch... pure genius - Perfection.

[orbscure]

I don't mind admitting that I was a very late convert to Pink Floyd and initially worked my way back from A Momentary Lapse of Reason to Dark Side... so for me and the Wall, the music came first (on double cassette), later followed by the Alan Parker film which added some visual flesh to the skeleton, but the film was never something I never really returned to. Indeed, I've always enjoyed my music in a dark room, free to visualise it in my own way. That might not be as the artist intended, but it works for me...

Anyway, the concept behind the album is plain for all to see and I do agree with you Jo that the original album is bloated. Indeed, if my memory on all things Floyd is correct (which isn't very detailed and probably based on the Nick Mason book) much of what was later used on The Final Cut came from the Wall sessions too, so there certainly appears to have been a surplus of material. Again, I might be wrong, but wasn't this also around the time that Roger was taking more and more control, so ideas were expanded and elaborated without other members of the band trying to reign him in? But to miss out on the second disc and not take both Comfortably Numb and Run Like Hell in context of where they fit into the album, rather than it being superb but staple diet encore material at various live gigs over the years, is really a great shame.

With regards the new concert film, I agree with David/Havana above that Roger bulks out the message even more so perhaps (like the original album) additional editing/reigning in was required... but I personally didn't mind the extra material, its his message to convey and I for one didn't mind glossing over the excess, especially when the actual music being performed was not only incredible, it was more or less faithful to the original album. In fact, when Mason was asked by Waters during the post film featurette if he enjoyed the concert, when answering to the affirmative, he added that he was surprised at how little Waters had tinkered and that the advances in the technology he'd used had a positive effect.

If its released as a soundtrack CD or BlueRay, it'll be an absolute must for my collection... :D

[PaulStewart]

Sadly, now that Roger Waters is a racist anti semite who promotes boycotting Israel, I have declared my home a roger waters, Pink Floyd free zone. Shame is I've been a Floyd fan most of my life and remain a David Gilmour fan, just won't play anything with Waters on.

[walpurgis]

Sadly, now that Roger Waters is a racist anti semite who promotes boycotting Israel.

Where did you get that from Paul? I'd not heard.

[struth]

Not sure he is an anti semite but he is currently anti Israel. Not unsurprisingly it has caused a bit of a storm. Alas pop stars often decide to get involved with stuff they dont really understand..... More money than sense imho

[mikmas]

Sadly, now that Roger Waters is a racist anti semite who promotes boycotting Israel, I have declared my home a roger waters, Pink Floyd free zone. Shame is I've been a Floyd fan most of my life and remain a David Gilmour fan, just won't play anything with Waters on.

How does criticising Israel state policies make Waters a 'racist and anti-Semite'?
- always been curious why doing the first automatically makes one the latter

[walpurgis]

More money than sense imho

More (self) perceived influence than in actuality. :rolleyes:

[struth]

More (self) perceived influence than in actuality. :rolleyes:

yes, that too. but as Mike says one does not have to follow the other, although it may be true. I have no evidence of it though

[Havana]

Sadly, now that Roger Waters is a racist anti semite who promotes boycotting Israel, I have declared my home a roger waters, Pink Floyd free zone. Shame is I've been a Floyd fan most of my life and remain a David Gilmour fan, just won't play anything with Waters on.

In no way do I want to be seen as an apologist for Waters and his enormous ego, even though I liked his film as I say above. However, to assume he is anti-semite because he is anti-Israel is simply wrong and far too simplistic. Read what the man himself says here : https://www.facebook.com/notes/roger-waters-the-wall/an-open-letter-from-roger-waters/688037331210720

[keiron99]

I think Waters has unfortunately gone so far with his anti-Israel views that it does at least hint at an irrational, racist motivation. Why doesn't he rail against Iran, Syria, Belarus or North Korea with the same venom?

He certainly doesn't help himself with putting the Star of David on the pig.

And lines like "You don't have to be a Jew to disapprove of murder" are nothing if not provocative.

Funny how he boycotts only Israel and not one of its biggest supporters, the USA and indeed most of the western world. Wouldn't have anything to do with the fact he earned nearly half a billion dollars playing in these "markets", as he calls them?

That said, I saw the show three times, it was quite a spectacle!

[Fi-Wi]

Sadly, now that Roger Waters is a racist anti semite who promotes boycotting Israel, I have declared my home a roger waters, Pink Floyd free zone. Shame is I've been a Floyd fan most of my life and remain a David Gilmour fan, just won't play anything with Waters on.

That will teach him!

[Haselsh1]

Musically I just don't understand why Roger Waters keeps on rehashing the same old shite...? Has he so little creative talent...??

[walpurgis]

Musically I just don't understand why Roger Waters keeps on rehashing the same old shite...? Has he so little creative talent...??

Probably Dave Gilmour's influence. They've got into the 'Status Quo' mode!

[Anthony K]

Sometimes anti Zionist and anti Semite get crosswired

[keiron99]

Because it packs out stadiums around the world - nine dates at the River Plate stadium for example!

[keiron99]

Sometimes anti Zionist and anti Semite get crosswired

...and then people get Jewish, Israeli and Zionist mixed up too!

[Bazil]

I haven't seen the movie but will get the Blu-Ray.
I saw RW perform it twice at Manchester , 2011 and 2014 the second show was vastly more entertaining than the first , I don't know if he had help from anybody but the whole presentation was better.

[Us-&-Them]

............................ Has he so little creative talent...??



Let's all have a good think about that part of your statement !!!!!!! HHHHHHMMMMMM:scratch:

[orbscure]

I hope he doesn't mind me answering Loz, but I don't think what Shaun says is really a statement... its more of a comment on what he perceives as Waters continually rehashing The Wall with little in the way of new material appearing. To a point I agree with him, but the technology available to Waters this time around means that very little if anything can be done to improve on the experience. Indeed, I've just pre-ordered the special edition digipack Blu-Ray of this latest version and cannot wait to relive the cinematic experience again in my own living room... :)

[Us-&-Them]

I hope he doesn't mind me answering Loz, but I don't think what Shaun says is really a statement... its more of a comment on what he perceives as Waters continually rehashing The Wall with little in the way of new material appearing. To a point I agree with him, but the technology available to Waters this time around means that very little if anything can be done to improve on the experience. Indeed, I've just pre-ordered the special edition digipack Blu-Ray of this latest version and cannot wait to relive the cinematic experience again in my own living room... :)

You may be right :) I just couldn't get my head round that bit of his comment which I interpreted as meaning that Roger Waters hasn't got any talent; that is something I couldnt agree with - without Waters, the classic albums of Floyd would not have been the same. I guess maybe got my interpretation wrong - sorry guys.

[keiron99]

I haven't seen the movie but will get the Blu-Ray.
I saw RW perform it twice at Manchester , 2011 and 2014 the second show was vastly more entertaining than the first , I don't know if he had help from anybody but the whole presentation was better.

I saw it 3 times there (2011 and 2013, he didn't perform it in 2014)). I don't recall any difference between the shows at all. What was the difference?