Roger Waters Us + Them Melbourne Review

What a show.


Article heading image for Roger Waters Us + Them Melbourne Review

Image: Roger Waters, Garry Brandon, supplied

By My Generations Vicki Poupounaki

Here’s a show I was urged not to miss. “You’ll never see anything like it” people said.

There was a mix of urgency and excitement for the serious music lovers, on the hunt for last minute tickets to any of the three shows at Rod Laver Arena.

Roger Waters is 74 years of age and as vital and relevant as ever. A visionary in his field, a master in music concepts and puppeteer of stunning visuals.

Concertgoers attending the Us + Them Tour are treated to hits and fan favorites from Meddle, The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals and The Wall. The iconic Another Brick In The Wall choreographed with local kids from Girls Rock Melbourne on stage, in Resist t-shirts, bringing the classic to life, and the crowds to their feet, fist punches and all.

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This is no ordinary backing band, 2 guitarists, 2 bassists including Waters, two keyboardists, performing in front of a massive high-def screen that featured jaw-dropping live-action and animated videos created to accompany each song.

Vocal duo of Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig from the indie-pop group Lucius, who previously performed with Roger at the 2016 Desert Trip festival, brought glamour to the stage and amazing power on showstopper The Great Gig In The Sky.
Jess and Holly are back to their 4 piece to headline their own shows later this February (more info here). 

Many of Waters' songs rail against war and political corruption, and the visuals reflected those themes, featuring footage displaying the devastation of war and poverty. Roger has found new targets to focus on, as contemporary as ever, moving with the times, on the topical issues including Trump, consumerism, drone warfare and the refugee crisis.



A series of screens lowered from ceiling that stretched across the middle of Rod Laver Arena, and smokestack-shaped props, recreated the famous Battersea Power Station in London featured on the Animals album cover. This show’s most pointed political statement came to climax during a performance of the epic 1977 song "Pigs (Three Different Ones)."

Roger pulls no punches about his disdain for Trump. Videos mercilessly mock the US President, showing his face superimposed wearing a pig mask, along with images of Vladimir Putin, Adolf Hitler, Kim Jong Un and other confronting images. At the same time, a drone-controlled pig balloon named the Piggy Bank of War flew around the arena. Trump's worst tweets flashed before us. At the end of the song, the massive screen displayed the phrase "Trump Is A Pig!" in giant letters.

1973’s Pink Floyd masterpiece Dark Side Of The Moon was heavily relied upon, bringing utter joy to fans of all ages. The floating moon along with a laser version of the white light passing through the color prism, closed the show spectacularly.

Us + Them the tour, was indeed The Great Gig In The Sky! Don’t Resist – this may be the last time you see Roger Waters genius at work, on stage.

Triple M presents ROGER WATERS US + THEM
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 13 ROD LAVER ARENA

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 16 ADELAIDE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 20 PERTH ARENA

For complete tour and ticket information, visit:
www.rogerwaters.com 
www.livenation.com.au

Official Links:
Website
Facebook



13 February 2018




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