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| Classic Albums Live Presents Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon – Massey Hall Toronto 2013 |
March 3 2013 – Classic Albums Live (CAL) is an incredible Toronto based company that employees a number of talented musicians that go on the road and play homage to an album of the classic rock glory era. We have seen and reviewed such masterpieces such as Queen’s A Night At The Opera, Led Zeppelin II, Led Zeppelin IV, and most recently Supertramp’s Breakfast In America. It is one thing to say that any given night you will go watch a cover band (or the more politically correct phrase a tribute band) but that is not really the case with CAL. The experience is very easy to describe; the first part of any CAL show is the featured album in it’s entirety from a group of musicians that in tonight’s case numbered 12 at any given time. The thing is they play it note for note – or in other words like a carbon copy of the original album (sans the cracks and scratches).
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| Rob Phillips – Classic Albums Live Presents Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon – Massey Hall Toronto 2013 |
Dark Side Of the Moon is arguably the most “classic” album of the classic rock period and certainly one that everyone in attendance owned or still own (in 3-4 various formats like myself). The most recent issue from Pink Floyd is the immersion set which we reviewed here and had this to say:
Worldwide sales of 48 million. 1 out of every 14 people in the US under the age of 50 own or have owned it. 1500 weeks (or roughly 29 years) on the Billboard charts. A CD printing plant in Germany dedicated only to produce this CD 24 hours a day 7 days a week. My favorite album of all time. Let me just get the obvious conclusion out of the way: The definitive release of the best album ever made. Buy it and experience the apex of rock music once more.
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| Classic Albums Live Presents Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon – Massey Hall Toronto 2013 |
If one came into Massey Hall tonight without having seen a Classic Albums Live show before they probably would have lowered expectations and possibly would have been telling their buddy “Ya, yet another cover band doing another Floyd tribute show oh and wait what no lasers?”. For the CAL audience alumni’s the anticipation was sky high “How will they perfectly reproduce the crazy beginning of Time, or Money?” would have been their pre-show ponderings. Well without a doubt CAL delivered and nailed this masterpiece of modern era music. The first half was an emotional experience and the musicians outdid themselves on this one. The concentration levels we observed was insane – the timing of all the layered sounds of this album were a challenge that not even Waters and Gilmour could play live in this manner.
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| Des Leahy – Classic Albums Live Presents Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon – Massey Hall Toronto 2013 |
Rob Phillips who was the star of the show knocked us to our asses with his uncanny vocal reproductions of Gilmour and Waters (while still finding time to nail guitar riffs including time on the lapsteel guitar). Des Leahy filled in the guitar sound and lead the dance when appropriate in such a compelling manner that Dave Gilmour would have been proud. Johnnie B showed up on bass once again and did an incredible Roger Waters musical reproduction. Richard Wrights musical doppelgangers were Will Hare and James Gray and their timing was impeccable. Troy Feener personified Nick Mason on the drums and his position right in the middle of the whole setup was very appropriate as he was the central force of the beat for the night. Braxton Hicks played a mean sax and any other required lung driven instruments for the night. (Note – if you read our CAL Breakfast In America review mentioned at the top of this review you might notice that the last 6 artists we mentioned were all part of the glorious Supertramp reproduction a couple of weeks back.) A couple of familiar names from our Queen’s A Night At The Opera review were helping on background vocals – Mike Slute (who did a mind blowing David Bowie on Under Pressure) and the angelic voice of Jenn Kee were on stage tonight. Rounding out the cast were new to us backup vocalists Selena Evangeline, Julie Mahendran and Daniel Rotstein all three of them impressed. Needless to say the vocal highlight of the night was the goosebump inducing Great Gig In The Sky where the three female vocalists took turns showing off their impressive vocal talents.
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| Jenn Kee – Classic Albums Live Presents Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon – Massey Hall Toronto 2013 |
The second half of the show featured the typical “best of” Pink Floyd and the last time I heard songs like those were when David Gilmour stopped to play in Toronto a few years ago. All songs were impressive and honestly there is nothing bad that can be said about a CAL show.
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| Classic Albums Live Presents Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon – Massey Hall Toronto 2013 |
Verdict: 5 out of 5 – Classic Albums Live really delivered on Dark Side Of The Moon – I could go watch this show over and over and not get bored of it.The entourage did an excellent carbon copy rendition of the album and yes, seeing how they reproduced the opening sounds of Time and Money was truly mind blowing.
Set 1 (Dark Side Of The Moon):
Speak To Me
Breathe
On The Run
Time (Breathe Reprise)
The Great Gig In The Sky
Money
Us and Them
Any Color You Like
Brain Damage Eclipse
Set 2:
Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Parts I-V
Mother
Wish You Were Here
One Of These Days
Run Like Hell
Encore:
Comfortably Numb
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| Rob Phillips and Johnnie B – Classic Albums Live Presents Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon – Massey Hall Toronto 2013 |
I saw them do this album several years ago and they just plain nail it. I would never hesitate see this band perform an album I like..they would always do it justice.