Hyde Park Calling... Pink Floyd/The Who/Suzanne Vega...
Posted: Sun Jul 02, 2006 7:52 pm
At 7:00 AM this morning, my friend, Phil, woke me calling me from London, to tell me about the Pink Floyd concert she went to yesterday. They remained at the main stage at the "Hyde Park Calling" event ~ an event apparently started when the Rolling Stones gave the first-ever, free concert there, many years ago. I guess it's continued since and, of course, is no longer free. I think she said this was the first time in a couple years that they've had it.
She continues to have mega computer/Internet problems, so I'll just tell you about it.
Vega and Robert Cray were there on another stage, yesterday; the Lightning Seeds were there, too, but not sure on which stage and whether or not she saw them; and The Who is there today. She saw Pink Floyd and is over the moon about it. I was over the moon, just listening to her descriptions! All ages were nearly evenly represented. There was a strong hearkening to the 60s with the light show and the overwhelmingly high energy of the crowd, steeped in deep appreciation of their music.
Roger Waters and Nick Mason played. David Gilmour, of course, wasn't there
. I think it was Live Aid in which he squashed all hope of any reconciliation occurring between them, the animosities just run too deep.
At this concert, there was a tad of 60s behaviour, but not much, according to what she was able to see. She was in the 20th row... and now wishes she'd at least tried to get closer. Even so, excellent seats considering the magnitude of the event. She was dismayed by a totally drunk couple whose approximately-age 10 daughter was smoking cigarettes. Another girl was obviously 'tripping' and her legs gave out on her, at one point, and her boyfriend had to carry her out. Maybe not such a good idea, after all, getting stoned, eh, guy
? Missed 'who knows how much' of the concert because of her .
It was all outside. They played about 1/2 of "The Wall;" some from "The Secret; and a bit of "Division Bell."
ALL of the second half of the concert was the entirety of "The Dark Side of the Moon." It was just getting dark when they started playing it. The moon was at about 1/3, so they were able to see its dark side. No doubt their timing was orchestrated by intent
. There were large screens on each side of the stage. A prism with rainbow colours turned round, into the sky and against the moon . Katie Cassoon [sp? this is the phonetic for it] was amazing in the female vocal parts.
At one point, just listening to her, I got chills all through my body... goosebumps on my arms. She said that's exactly what it was for her being there, that it was ~ literally ~ spine-tingling.
She's come over to the anti-Iraq War side of things... was a fence-sitter in the beginning, but feels vastly different now. She said that Roger wrote an anti-Iraq War song. He shared how, when he was 17, he backpacked in Lebanon and a family, a really poor family, in Lebanon took him in... the father had only one leg and they just made do with what they could. He stayed with them and they fed him, and then dropped him off at where he needed to be to continue, seeing him off when he left. The song he's written is for peace and bringing back the boys from Iraq. He said he's never forgotten that family in Lebanon and doesn't even know their name. Their son, I think she said was about 7 at the time, and would be about 40 now. The song was written for this family... remembering and honouring his memories of the time he was spent with them.
She commented how wouldn't it be wonderful if, somehow, as a result of this story, he might be reunited with them. In today's world, that's certainly possible and would, indeed, be wonderful.
I told her about the Dublin concert, but she's [regretfully !] not going to be able to go. I'll tell her about it, again, with the news of Anjani's joining them ! One never knows...
Did anyone here attend any of the Hyde Park Calling concerts?
I don't think there are any errors in my reportage of this conversation; however, it was 7 AM and I was awoken from a sound sleep, so... if there's anything one-off, please correct. Thanks.
~ Lizzy
She continues to have mega computer/Internet problems, so I'll just tell you about it.
Vega and Robert Cray were there on another stage, yesterday; the Lightning Seeds were there, too, but not sure on which stage and whether or not she saw them; and The Who is there today. She saw Pink Floyd and is over the moon about it. I was over the moon, just listening to her descriptions! All ages were nearly evenly represented. There was a strong hearkening to the 60s with the light show and the overwhelmingly high energy of the crowd, steeped in deep appreciation of their music.
Roger Waters and Nick Mason played. David Gilmour, of course, wasn't there
. I think it was Live Aid in which he squashed all hope of any reconciliation occurring between them, the animosities just run too deep.At this concert, there was a tad of 60s behaviour, but not much, according to what she was able to see. She was in the 20th row... and now wishes she'd at least tried to get closer. Even so, excellent seats considering the magnitude of the event. She was dismayed by a totally drunk couple whose approximately-age 10 daughter was smoking cigarettes. Another girl was obviously 'tripping' and her legs gave out on her, at one point, and her boyfriend had to carry her out. Maybe not such a good idea, after all, getting stoned, eh, guy
? Missed 'who knows how much' of the concert because of her .It was all outside. They played about 1/2 of "The Wall;" some from "The Secret; and a bit of "Division Bell."
ALL of the second half of the concert was the entirety of "The Dark Side of the Moon." It was just getting dark when they started playing it. The moon was at about 1/3, so they were able to see its dark side. No doubt their timing was orchestrated by intent
. There were large screens on each side of the stage. A prism with rainbow colours turned round, into the sky and against the moon . Katie Cassoon [sp? this is the phonetic for it] was amazing in the female vocal parts.At one point, just listening to her, I got chills all through my body... goosebumps on my arms. She said that's exactly what it was for her being there, that it was ~ literally ~ spine-tingling.
She's come over to the anti-Iraq War side of things... was a fence-sitter in the beginning, but feels vastly different now. She said that Roger wrote an anti-Iraq War song. He shared how, when he was 17, he backpacked in Lebanon and a family, a really poor family, in Lebanon took him in... the father had only one leg and they just made do with what they could. He stayed with them and they fed him, and then dropped him off at where he needed to be to continue, seeing him off when he left. The song he's written is for peace and bringing back the boys from Iraq. He said he's never forgotten that family in Lebanon and doesn't even know their name. Their son, I think she said was about 7 at the time, and would be about 40 now. The song was written for this family... remembering and honouring his memories of the time he was spent with them.
She commented how wouldn't it be wonderful if, somehow, as a result of this story, he might be reunited with them. In today's world, that's certainly possible and would, indeed, be wonderful.
I told her about the Dublin concert, but she's [regretfully
!] not going to be able to go. I'll tell her about it, again, with the news of Anjani's joining them ! One never knows...Did anyone here attend any of the Hyde Park Calling concerts?
I don't think there are any errors in my reportage of this conversation; however, it was 7 AM and I was awoken from a sound sleep, so... if there's anything one-off, please correct. Thanks.
~ Lizzy
.
!