Pink Floyd fans are in for a treat as In The Flesh bring their powerful and dynamic music to the New Theatre in Oxford on Monday, November 7.
During the course of a two-and-a-half hour show, the band will play tracks from classic albums including The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, A Saucerful of Secrets, Atom Heart Mother, Meddle, The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, The Wall and more. The prog rock group's signature sound will be recreated by a mixture of state-of-the-art technology and traditional analogue equipment and instruments, including a Hammond organ of the same model as used by Rick Wright, all played in surround sound.
A massive light show and projection screen will show specially commissioned film sequences and images to accompany the music. "The current concept is to play songs from Pink Floyd's first single Arnold Layne through to their last studio album, The Final Cut, with the original line up," said Chris Thomas, singer, guitarist and keyboard player, and de-facto leader of the band.
The seven-piece group are on a mission to evoke the very essence of Pink Floyd as if straight from a time warp, covering classics such as Echoes and Wish You Were Here, through to Comfortably Numb, capturing an authentic 1970s atmosphere. They may not look like the real Pink Floyd band members - you certainly won't see any wigs here - but the vocals and instruments all sound like perfect replicas of the original.
"I have a 1963 Hammond M102, the same as Richard Wright. My Kurzwiel Piano is also the same make as his," said Chris. "My guitars are both replicas of David Gilmour's and all my effects are analogue. It's impossible to recreate something if you don't make the effort to use the same gear. People will notice."
Pink Floyd were famed for their extravagant show, and while In The Flesh doesn't have the big stadium budget of the original, the show still needs seven crew members. "We carry our own PA system and lighting rig that includes a huge projection screen," Chris said. "It usually means we have to get to a venue at mid-day where our crew sets up the show through the afternoon ready for our sound-check at around 5pm. We spend most of our time either in the tour bus, in a hotel or in a theatre. I have no idea what most of the places we visit look like. It's not glamorous; we do it because we love it."
With chief lyricist and songwriter Roger Waters leaving Pink floyd in 1985 to pursue a successful solo career, Chris is aware some fans have divided loyalties. "I know it's debateable but the combination of Roger Waters and the rest of the band was what Pink Floyd was all about," said Chris. "Take away all the anger and tension and the band became, well, bland. In my opinion.
"I think hardcore fans love it, Gilmour fans perhaps not so much. Roger Waters and Syd Barrett fans I would say lean towards us. I think it's very hard to please everyone and with new Floyd fans getting their first taste of Pink via their farewell tour in 1994, but I think it's very important to give the audience a more realistic portrayal of what Pink Floyd were like pre-1985. That was after all when they were at their most creative."
While the majority of In The Flesh are in their 30s, guitarist Steve Loar has just celebrated his 57th birthday. That may not be so remarkable in itself, but their newest recruit, backing vocalist Fredi Wright, is just 17. "She's often locked away in a quiet dressing room revising for her exams whilst we're setting up the gear," laughs Chris. "Steve's children are older than she is."
Fredi is one of two backing vocalists. The other, Polly Anna Davies, is one of her tutors at stage school which explains how she ended up being asked to join the band. "It's an amazing experience for me to be able to sing in a professional touring band and perform in theatres all over the country," said Fredi. "It's great to have Polly to work with and the rest of the band is like having five older brothers looking after me."
For more information on the show or to book tickets, call 08448 713020 or visit www.newtheatreoxford.org
