Bring the Boys Back Home

Hello my strong, devoted, loyal reader. I am writing to you yet again. As my previous blog entry had mentioned, Melanie and I were attending the 10/10/10 performance of "The Wall: Live" tour with Roger Waters. This is quite a ceremonious entry as it is my 50th. It is also the 30th anniversary of my favorite album, "The Wall" and I am extremely tickled I get to write about a live performance of the album in this historic (only for myself) entry.

I must immediately start off with "WOWEEE OH MY GOD THAT CONCERT WAS AWESOME, I NEVER WANT TO GO TO ANOTHER SHOW IN MY LIFE" kind of statement. At straight face value, this concert was a spectacle of epic proportion. The backing band for Mr Waters was quite proficient and talented. My only real gripe with them was the lead guitar tone was a bit too harsh, as I am used to Mr Gilmour's more mellow tone. The stage effects and projections upon the 200 foot wall were dazzling and enthralling. The real thing that made the concert so moving though, was the deep, personal connection the performer has with the material. Roger was sharing with us his childhood, his political and social beliefs, and his struggle. It is rare to find a musician to be so blunt with his expression and truly wear his emotions on his musical sleeve. He smacks you in the face with the realities of being a child of a soldier and his battles with social pressures and authority, and his conflict with his fame. This piece is about nothing but anti-establishment. To imagine an artist with the courage to perform such an anti-government, anti-commercialism work in the nation's capital is quite courageous.

With that said, I of course have to call Mr Waters out. I spend $70 for a tour program and a tour t-shirt. Mr Waters was selling his tour shirts for $45 and the program for $25. Live Nation is selling these items on their website for $10 less. If I knew he was using this money to feed the starving Africans projected on his wall, or to put the poor crying child reunited with their G.I. father through college, I'd have no issue paying these prices. I stood in line to purchase these items with the rest of Mr Waters' "iSheep", clamoring to get my hands on one of the five male t-shirt patterns. Mr Waters also was selling three female shirt patters, a hoodie, a demin shirt, coffee mugs, two styles of hats, a music CD, a tour program, and a book on the making of the tour. Also, key-chains and metal pins were available. These items being sold by the man who hated the commercialism of music and fame. Who, in the films shown, placed iPod earbuds on dictators and victims with terms such as "iHate" and the previously mentioned "iSheep" on the screen.

Along these lines, but in a deeper sense, the basic concept of the concert and album is the band building a barrier between it and the audience. The lyrics have issues with fame and fortune and glitz of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle. The group spends one hour of music building a wall to shield themselves from us. Then after intermission they do two numbers from behind the wall, and suddenly there's Mr Waters before us, walking in front of the wall. It seems to me now, that Roger has come to terms with his fame and fortune and cannot pull himself away now from his crowd. Why else would one build such a large wall, bash the concept behind fans spending money to see him in the first place, just to then stand in front of the wall as if now one is proud of their creation, and sell outrageously priced, yet very diverse tour merchandise? I feel now that Roger Waters is a changed man. In no way is this a criticism of the musicianship or the showmanship demonstrated in this performance, but just a moral dilemma that plagued me on the long metro ride home, and all this following Monday. If he truly hated the stuff he preached against in his music, why would he present it? Why would he charge for it? Why would he make such a production of it? Why would he create it to begin with? My humble opinion is he simply created a monster that took control of him, and he felt presenting it would help.

These things could be the root cause of the divide between him and David Gilmour. This album was really the starting source of contention between them. With Roger now taking "The Wall" on tour again, and presenting it in such a way, I am left with several questions. Has Roger woken up and accepted his fame or is he trying to live both sides of the fence, and is it possible he always has tried to live with both teams of being anti-establishment but in reality is a big part of the establishment? And if Roger has changed and is doing this tour just to celebrate the wonderful music, gripping story, and fantastic concept, why can't he admit David was so important to it, and reunite with him and Nick Mason? At this point why keep the quibble going? Why not tour together? Who would be hurt by a simple mutual apology around some coffee, get the managers talking and plot out a mega tour? Would Gilmour possibly feel like he's submitting by playing "The Wall" again? This concert had such energy, I literally teared up about 5 times during it, and actually lost control and began to cry a little during "Tear Down the Wall" and "Outside the Wall". Why can't these two men of incredible talent tear down their wall? I am in no means saying that it is a fan's right to have their band together at all times. I'm a musician, I know what it is like to professionally disagree with someone so badly that you can no longer stand playing with them, yet you drink a beer with them after. I am simply posing the question of who wouldn't benefit? The fans get one of the most influential art rock bands of all time back together. The agents and merchandising people make millions. Roger Waters finally has his music performed exactly how he wants. Don't forget he credits himself as writing "The Wall" and "The Final Cut" and having it performed by Pink Floyd. As a fan you see that as pretentious but musically, that means he chose them for his piece. He wanted them to perform it. As a composer I can see Roger's point. I can't see what is in it for David Gilmour except for maybe coming out of the decision as the bigger man, willing to forgive Roger for his actions, and play the music of which so many of us fans just can't get enough. So for us, music history, and yourselves, bring down the wall, end the war, and bring the boys back home.