According to Pink Floyd front man Roger Waters, “The Wall” tells the story “of a young man who is alienated and defensive, because he’s fearful — could be an allegory for a more universal story. We’re all frightened of each other, and that makes us behave in ways that are sadly inhumane, like engaging in wars…”
“The Wall” is Pink Floyd’s concept album which was released in 1979. The record, which is one of the industry’s most successful, has been said to largely reflect Waters’ personal life as the album dealt with the tragic loss of the singer/songwriter’s father during World War II which was followed by a period of grief and isolation.
And now after 30 years since Pink Floyd performed the record in its entirety during their 1980-1981 tour, Roger Waters is set to embark on a very timely “The Wall” world tour not only to celebrate the success the album has had three decades since its release, but more importantly, to relive and convey the strong political message the record delivers. “…I wanted to make this show more political”, says the 66-year old progressive musician.
Waters also emphasizes that all cuts from the 1979 concept record deliver “a generalized anti-war message” and that he wants to remember the heroism not only of his father, but of all other war survivors and victims through the shows, which is why he is requesting his fans to send pictures of their befallen war relatives through the artist’s official website. The pictures will be used to metaphorically present each war victim as “another brick in the wall”, as another unwilling instrument used by higher powers to put up the wall of war, divisiveness and greed.
But Waters also acknowledges the fact that while the timing of his world tour, with its North American leg scheduled to kick off in Toronto on September 15 and will run through mid-December, is appropriate as political and religious conflicts continue to inflict unnecessary pain and loss among families and communities, fans who adored the 1980-1981 “The Wall” performances might just see the new series of shows only “for the spectacle”.
The “spectacle” in the previous “Wall” shows included a carton-based wall that was built so high so as to create a division between the stage and the audience, while giant inflatables float across the stage representing the characters in the concept album. And whereas the previous “The Wall” tour featured “technical clumsiness, distorted sound and meager visuals” as The New York Times have put it in their March 2, 1980 edition, expect a more polished set in the 2010-2011 “The Wall” shows, filled with more innovatively designed inflatables and puppets, thanks to Gerald Scarfe who is best remembered for his work in the ‘80s tour and the 1982 film adaptation of the album, and massively eye-popping projections through the wonders of animation and video technology.
