LIVE: BRIT FLOYD – August 11, 2021

Venue: Music Hall

City: Detroit, MI

Date: August 11, 2021

Review and Photographs by: Todd “Toddstar” Jolicoeur (www.toddstarphotography.com)

There are some tours you just count on to be phenomenal, and Brit Floyd is one of them.  It is the most consistently good shows and tours that runs across the globe annually, even starting to do so last year before the pandemic put a stop to touring altogether.  When the rescheduled date for Detroit’s Music Hall date was announced, I couldn’t wait to put it on my concert calendar for the 2021.  The show that musical director Damian Darlington and the band brought to town on a Wednesday night was nothing short of great.  The music is legendary and everyone in attendance seemed to wrap themselves in the warm blanket of familiarity combined with a sense and feel of something new, with this being the first show in 18 months for a lot of the crowd.  Without an pause of hesitation, the band slowly took their places onstage as their individual parts required them to join the musical fray.  Kicking off the show with “Cluster One” and rolling into “Learning To Fly” set the tone and pace for the evening.  The coupling of “Welcome to The Machine” and “A New Machine, Part 1” was an cool pairing that continued the great flow of the show.  The real magic of a Brit Floyd show is the pairing of the visuals with the music.  The video and digital components swirled together with the various lighting arrangements and the lasers provide the perfect compliment to the Pink Floyd music being played.  The vocals are always a high point of the show, as the sound and accents mirror the recorded originals we have all come to know and love, especially the textured and layered vocals that enhance the instrumental parts of the show.  On the topic of vocals, you need to make sure to check out the vocal piece performed by Canadian Idol winner Eva Avila in “The Great Gig In The Sky.” After the one-two punch of “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2” and “One of These Days,” an intermission preceded an amazing performance of “Echoes.”  This was a high point for me, as I have heard about this being performed for over 18 months now and have waited for it.    Other Pink Floyd classics were played to perfection, including personal favorites “Wish You Were Here,” “Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts VI-VII),” and Comfortably Numb” to help bring the show to a close with on e other track in the set before the encore,  I will say, “Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts VI-VII)” was new to me a couple years back when I saw and heard the band play it live at a different venue and it mesmerized me; it still does.  I have expressed to Damian a couple times when I was lucky enough to chat with him that I was never a huge Pink Floyd fan and was introduced to deep cuts and the nuances by Brit Floyd, and for that reason I will be sure to hit the show every time they come through!  So should you.

Lineup: Damian Darlington (guitar, vocals) – Ian Cattell (bass, vocals, trumpet) – Edu Scordo (guitars) – Arran Ahmun (drums) – Matt Riddle (keyboards) – Ryan Saranich (sax, multi-instruments) – Eva Avila (vocals) – Jacquie Williams (backing vocals)

SETLIST: Cluster One – Learning to Fly – High Hopes – Welcome to the Machine – A New Machine, Part 1 – Terminal Frost – Time – Breathe (Reprise) – The Great Gig in the Sky – Summer ’68 – Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2 – One of These Days – Echoes – Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert – The Fletcher Memorial Home – Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun – Money – Wish You Were Here – Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts VI-VII) – Comfortably Numb – One Slip – Run Like Hell

[Show as slideshow]

FULL SET OF BRIT FLOYD SHOW PHOTOS HERE

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Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries