The Dark Side of the Moon Live was a worldwide concert tour by Roger Waters, lasting two years. Waters and his band performed the titular album in its entirety at each show, beginning at the Rock in Rio festival on 2 June 2006.
The tour featured elaborate stage design by Mark Fisher (the architect of Pink Floyd's The Wall shows), including giant puppets, large video screen displays and a 360° quadraphonic sound system. The performances were divided into two sets: the first being a collection of Pink Floyd material along with songs from Roger's solo career, and the second The Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety, plus encores.
Pink Floyd's iconic pig was used extensively during the Dark Side of the Moon tour, introduced on 6 September 2006, the opening night of the US leg, and since appearing at almost every venue. During the tour, the pig often carried messages critical of the American government, Waters' socialist views, and the support of repressed Latin American populations, including indictments of discrimination and calls for the further prosecution of former dictators.
The Performers
Waters retained much of the backing band from his 1999–2002 In the Flesh tours, including guitarists Snowy White and Andy Fairweather-Low, backing vocalists Katie Kissoon and P.P. Arnold, plus Graham Broad on drums. Guitarist Dave Kilminster, along with Waters and Jon Carin, sang much of the lead vocal parts performed by David Gilmour and Rick Wright on the original Pink Floyd recordings. Andrew Latimer, leader of the progressive rock group Camel was auditioned to be lead guitarist and Gilmour's vocal replacement on the tour, but it was felt his voice could not reach the same high notes, although his guitar playing (often compared to Gilmour's) was exemplary.
Dave Kilminster performing with Waters at the Arrow Rock Festival, 10 June 2006Graham Broad Performs "Time" with Roger Waters in Ottawa 6 June 2007
Carol Kenyon – Backing vocals, percussion, lead vocals on "The Great Gig in the Sky" (session singer who has recorded for Van Morrison and Tears for Fears).
Katie Kissoon – Backing vocals, percussion, lead vocals on "Mother" (backed the likes of Elton John, Clapton, Van Morrison, and many others).
P.P. Arnold – Backing vocals, percussion, lead vocals on "Perfect Sense" (former backing band member for Ike and Tina Turner), backing vocals, percussion. Solo artist, who sang the original version of "First Cut Is The Deepest", and "Angel Of the Morning", produced by Andrew Oldham, Mick Jagger, Mike Hurst, Barry Gibb, Eric Clapton, and Steve Cradock. (Her original touring band "The Nice" was led by Keith Emerson, later toured on their own) backing vocals with Peter Gabriel and many others.
Most of the touring band for Waters has toured with him and other Pink Floyd members for many years and even recorded with them in a few instances.
Waters' former Pink Floyd bandmate Nick Mason played drums alongside Broad at the 12 June show in Iceland, the 29 June show in Ireland, the 1 July show at Hyde Park in London, the 12 July show in Italy, and the 14 July show in France. During the North American tour, he performed at both Madison Square Garden shows and all three nights at the Hollywood Bowl. On 12 May at Earls Court in London, Mason was introduced on stage to play the second set, the whole of The Dark Side of the Moon and the encores by Waters.
Tour band 2008
A small personnel change was made due to two of the band members having already booked April and May 2008.[1]Chester Kamen replaced Andy Fairweather-Low on guitars, bass and backing vocals. Chester toured with Waters in 2002 during the third year of the In The Flesh tour, back then replacing Doyle Bramhall II. Kamen is the brother of pop singer Nick Kamen. Sylvia Mason-James replaced Katie Kissoon on backing vocals. Mason-James also toured with the Pet Shop Boys. These Roger Waters concerts were the first without Fairweather-Low since 1984, when he replaced Tim Renwick, and the first ever without Kissoon (apart from Wall concert in Berlin in 1990, which utilized the male backing singers from the original tour.)
Carol Kenyon – Backing vocals, percussion, lead vocals on "The Great Gig in the Sky" and "Mother" (session singer who has recorded for Van Morrison and Tears for Fears).
P.P. Arnold – Backing vocals, percussion, lead vocals on "Perfect Sense" (former backing band member for Ike and Tina Turner.)backing vocals, percussion (former backing band member for Ike and Tina Turner. Solo Artist, who sang the original version of "First Cut Is The Deepest" and "Angel Of the Morning", produced by Andrew Oldham, Mick Jagger, Mike Hurst, Barry Gibb, Eric Clapton, Steve Cradock. Her original touring band ´The Nice´ was led by Keith Emerson, and later toured on their own) backing vocals with Peter Gabriel and so many others.
The tour's set list remained constant after 8 June 2006. Earlier shows' sets differed in that they featured "The Gunner's Dream" along with a different running order.[2] A power outage at the 29 June 2006 show forced an early intermission,[3] and so the second set featured "Leaving Beirut" and "Sheep" before The Dark Side of the Moon.
Set one
Roger Waters and his band performing Pink Floyd's "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun"
According to an interview with Roger's manager, a DVD of the tour is in the works but until it is finished there will be no release date.[citation needed][4][5] At different points in 2009–2011, a DVD document was rumoured to be coming soon but to no avail.[6][7] Not much has been heard since.
Tour images
Roger Waters live at Wuhlheide, Berlin on 8 June 2006
Roger Waters. Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, on 21 April 2007
Tour dates
Waters announced that he would be performing 62 more dates worldwide in 2007.[8] The tour resumed in late January and February with shows in Australia, New Zealand, India, Hong Kong, and China.[9] More shows in South America and Europe, including the UK, followed, with 27 US and Canadian dates in June and July.[10]
On 17 December 2007 it was announced that Roger Waters would play a single one off show in Odense, Denmark 13 May 2008.,[11][12] but on 19 December, only two days later than the first announcement, it was announced he would also play at the Pinkpop Festival in The Netherlands 11 May 2008.[13] On 21 January 2008, a big rumour and a lot of speculation was finally put to rest when it was announced that Roger will also play the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California, on Sunday, 27 April, as the final night's headliner.[14][15]
On 3 February it was announced that Waters would also play in Denver, Colorado, on 30 April, almost eight years since he last played there, on 3 July 2000, during the In The Flesh tour.[16] Two more US dates were confirmed, Dallas on 2 May and Houston on 4 May, both in the state of Texas, again almost 8 years since he has played in the area.[17] On 20 February, another European date was announced, this time in Granada, Spain, 9 May.[18]
On 26 February, what were supposed to be the last dates of the tour as confirmed by Roger Waters' manager, were announced, two concerts in England, 15 May in Liverpool and 18 May in London.[19] Finally, on 5 March a second London show was announced.[20]
Roger Waters live at Wuhlheide, Berlin on 8 June 2006
Roger Waters live at Norwegian Wood festival on 14 June 2006
"Eclipse" live at Hollywood Bowl on 5 October 2006
Roger Waters. Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, on 21 April 2007.png)
