The Dark Side of the Moon Live

The Dark Side of the Moon Live

Tour by Roger Waters
Legs	7
No. of shows	119
Roger Waters concert chronology

After expressing an interest in reviving The Dark Side of the Moon following his performance with Pink Floyd at Live 8, Roger Waters announced that he would be staging "The Dark Side of the Moon Live", a worldwide concert tour. Waters and his band performs the title piece in its entirety at each show, and began doing so at the Rock in Rio festival on 2 June 2006.

The tour features elaborate staging designed 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 are divided into two sets: the first a collection of Pink Floyd material and 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 has been used extensively during the Dark Side of the Moon tour, introduced on September 6, 2006, opening night of the US tour, and since appearing at almost every venue. During the tour, the pig has 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. A complete list of the pigs and messages featured at each show can be found at inflatable pigs on Roger Waters' tours.

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, and 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 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, June 10, 2006

Graham Broad Performs "Time" with Roger Waters in Ottawa June 6, 2007

Personnel 2006-2007

• Roger Waters – Vocals, bass guitar and acoustic guitar
• Andy Fairweather-Low – Guitar, bass and backing vocals (has toured and recorded with George Harrison, The Who, Who member Pete Townshend, and Eric Clapton).
• Snowy White – Guitar (former member of Thin Lizzy, played with Pink Floyd in 1977 and 1980).
• Dave Kilminster – Guitar, vocals and additional bass (has toured with Keith Emerson and Spinal Tap).
• Jon Carin – Synthesizer, guitar, lap steel guitar and vocals (has toured with Waters in the past, as well as with the post-Waters Pink Floyd, Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, and The Who).
• Harry Waters – Hammond organ, synthesizer (Roger Waters' son).
• Ian Ritchie – Saxophone, EWI and additional bass
• Graham Broad – Drums and percussion (part of former Rolling Stones member Bill Wyman's band The Rhythm Kings).
• Katie Kissoon - Backing vocals (backed the likes of Elton John, Clapton, Van Morrison, and many others).
• P. P. Arnold - Backing vocals (former backing band member for Ike and Tina Turner.)
• Carol Kenyon – Backing vocals (session singer who has recorded for Van Morrison and Tears for Fears).

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 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 The 12 May London, Earls Court Nick was introduced on stage to play set two, the whole of The Dark Side of the Moon and the encores by Waters.

Personnel 2008

A small personnel change has been made due to two of the band members having already booked April and May 2008. Chester Kamen will replace Andy Fairweather-Low on guitars. Chester toured with Waters in 2002 during the 3rd year of the In The Flesh tour, back then replacing Doyle Bramhall II. He is the brother of pop singer Nick Kamen. Sylvia Mason-James will replace Katie Kissoon on backing vocals. Sylvia is also touring with Pet Shop Boys. This is the first time Roger toured without Fairweather-Low since 1984 before he replaced Tim Renwick, and the first ever that he toured without Kissoon.

Set list

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. A power outage at the June 29, 2006 show forced an early intermission, and so the second set featured "Leaving Beirut" and "Sheep" before The Dark Side of the Moon.

Set one

Roger Waters and band play Pink Floyd's "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun"

1. In the Flesh
2. Mother
3. Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
4. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts II - V) (abridged)
5. Have a Cigar
6. Wish You Were Here
7. Southampton Dock
8. The Fletcher Memorial Home
9. Amused to Death
10. Leaving Beirut
11. Sheep

Set two - (The Dark Side of the Moon)

Roger Waters performing Dark Side of the Moon Live in 2007

1. Speak to Me / Breathe
2. On the Run
3. Time / Breathe (Reprise)
4. The Great Gig in the Sky
5. Money
6. Us and Them
7. Any Colour You Like
8. Brain Damage
9. Eclipse

Encore

1. The Happiest Days of Our Lives
2. Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)
3. Vera
4. Bring the Boys Back Home
5. Comfortably Numb

Backing track

There has been some controversy and debate among fans concerning the integrity of Waters' live vocals. Some online concert reviewers noted unnatural variances between his timing and the sound heard by the audience during the songs "Have a Cigar", "Sheep", and "The Fletcher Memorial Home", among others, indicating that the show contained at least some pre-recorded lead vocals. Others disputed such discrepancies.

There are at least two video clips posted on YouTube, from a televised broadcast of his Rock in Rio performance, that seem to confirm that Waters had in fact used pre-recorded vocal tracks on at least some of the songs on this tour. On the last verse of "The Gunner's Dream", he misses his cue and the vocal track begins to play while he is still looking down at his guitar. Quickly realizing his mistake, he looks up and begins singing along mid-verse. In the broadcast of "Have a Cigar", the pre-recorded track, meant to all but obscure the live vocal, is mixed too low and can only faintly be heard in the background. Waters' live vocal, left unadorned, barely rises above a pained rasp.

Moreover, by playing any two bootlegs simultaneously posted on YouTube for several songs including "Sheep", "Have a Cigar", and "The Fletcher Memorial Home", the vocals can be perfectly synched up while the instruments cannot. Further evidence suggests the use of backing tracks by the seemingly impossible consistency of Roger's vocal performance on every date throughout this tour:

"Have a Cigar"- distinct pause before the word "sincerely" absolutely consistent in every performance while singing the line "well I've always had a deep respect, and I mean that most sincerely".

"Sheep"- distinct way he sings "the dogs are dead". The distinct way he screams "no" in the line "no this is not a bad dream".

However, in other performance videos, such as "Wish You Were Here", he appears to be singing completely live.

In keeping with the original arrangement of "Sheep", Waters's vocal lines end on a sustained note (the first E above Middle C) which gradually crossfades into a synthesizer note of similar timbre. On at least one occasion, Waters's singing was slightly flat, resulting a noticeable shift in pitch when the crossfade occurred and the synthesizer took over. This would suggest that these vocals were not prerecorded.

However, others will note many factors including recording devices, position, volume, and venue can have a profound effect on pitch.

Former band member Norbert Stachel confirmed that some prerecorded vocals were used on the 2002 leg of the In the Flesh tour.. This is most noticeable on the bridge to "Every Stranger's Eyes", which feature some very high notes for a male singer, such as the first C above Middle C.

Tour dates

2006 tour dates

Leg 1: 2006 European tour dates

Roger Waters live at Wuhlheide, Berlin, Germany on June 8, 2006

Roger Waters live at Norwegian Wood festival on June 14, 2006

• 02 June Rock In Rio Festival, Lisbon, Portugal
• 04 June Anfiteatro Arena di Verona, Italy
• 05 June Anfiteatro Arena di Verona, Italy
• 08 June Wuhlheide, Berlin, Germany
• 10 June Arrow Rock Festival, Lichtenvoorde, Netherlands
• 12 June Egilshöll Arena, Reykjavik, Iceland (with Nick Mason)
• 14 June Norwegian Wood Festival, Oslo, Norway
• 16 June Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy
• 18 June Terra Vibe Park, Athens, Greece (see also [1])
• 20 June Kurucesme Arena, Istanbul, Turkey
• 22 June Neve Shalom, Israel (see also [2])
• 24 June Vassilyevskiy Spusk, Red Square, Moscow, Russia
• 26 June Viking Stadium, Stavanger, Norway
• 29 June Marquee Festival, Cork, Ireland (with Nick Mason)
• 01 July Hyde Park Calling Festival, London, UK (with Nick Mason)
• 02 July Roskilde Festival, Denmark
• 07 July Ahoy, Rotterdam, Netherlands
• 10 July Luxol Fields, Swieqi, Malta
• 12 July Piazza Napoleone, Lucca, Italy (with Nick Mason)
• 14 July Magny-Cours F1 Race Circuit, Nevers, France (with Nick Mason)
• 16 July Moon and Stars Festival, Locarno, Switzerland

Leg 2: 2006 North American tour dates

"Eclipse" live at Hollywood Bowl on October 5, 2006

• 06 Sept PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ, USA
• 08 Sept Tweeter Center, Mansfield, Mass, USA
• 09 Sept Tweeter Center, Mansfield, Mass, USA
• 12 Sept Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY, USA (with Nick Mason)
• 13 Sept Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY, USA (with Nick Mason)
• 15 Sept Jones Beach, Wantagh, NY, USA
• 16 Sept Tweeter Center, Camden, NJ, USA
• 18 Sept The Palace, Detroit, MI, USA
• 20 Sept Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada
• 21 Sept Bell Centre, Montreal, Canada
• 23 Sept Nissan Pavilion, Bristow, VA, USA
• 24 Sept Post Gazette Pavilion, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
• 27 Sept Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH, USA
• 29 Sept First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre, Tinley Park, IL, USA
• 30 Sept Verizon Wireless, Indianapolis, IN, USA
• 03 Oct Cricket Pavilion, Phoenix, AZ, USA
• 05 Oct Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA, USA (with Nick Mason)
• 06 Oct Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA, USA (with Nick Mason)
• 08 Oct Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA, USA (with Nick Mason)
• 10 Oct Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA, USA
• 12 Oct Key Arena, Seattle, WA, USA

2007 tour dates

Waters announced to fans that he would be performing 62 more dates worldwide in 2007. The tour resumed in late January and February with shows in Australia, New Zealand, India, Hong Kong, and China. More shows in South America and Europe, including the UK, followed, with 27 US and Canadian dates in June and July.

Leg 3: 2007 Australia, New Zealand & Asian tour dates

• 25 Jan Acer Arena, Sydney, Australia
• 27 Jan AMI Stadium, Christchurch, New Zealand
• 29 Jan North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
• 01 Feb Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
• 02 Feb Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
• 05 Feb Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Australia
• 07 Feb Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Australia
• 09 Feb Members Equity Stadium, Perth, Australia
• 12 Feb Grand Stage, Shanghai, China
• 15 Feb Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong SAR
• 18 Feb MMRDA Grounds, Mumbai, India
• 21 Feb Media City, Dubai, UAE

Leg 4: 2007 Latin American tour dates

Roger Waters. Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, on 21st April 2007

• 02 Mar Estadio Universitario, Monterrey, Mexico
• 04 Mar Estadio Tres de Marzo, Guadalajara, Mexico
• 06 Mar Foro Sol, Mexico City, Mexico
• 09 Mar Parque Metropolitano Simón Bolívar, Bogotá, Colombia
• 12 Mar Estadio Monumental, Lima, Perú
• 14 Mar Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile
• 17 Mar Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti, Buenos Aires, Argentina
• 18 Mar Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti, Buenos Aires, Argentina
• 23 Mar Praça da Apoteose, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• 24 Mar Estádio do Morumbi, São Paulo, Brazil

Leg 5: 2007 European tour dates

File:R Waters(nec).jpg

Roger Waters at the NEC Arena, England on 8 May 2007

• 11 Apr Hallenstadion, Zürich, Switzerland
• 13 Apr Sazka Arena, Prague, Czech Republic
• 14 Apr Papp Laszlo Arena, Budapest, Hungary
• 16 Apr Cologne Arena, Germany
• 18 Apr Leipzig Arena, Germany
• 19 Apr Colour Line Arena, Hamburg, Germany
• 21 Apr Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain
• 23 Apr Datchforum, Milan, Italy
• 25 Apr Sportpaleis Merksem, Antwerp, Belgium
• 27 Apr Globen, Stockholm, Sweden
• 29 Apr Vestlandshallen, Bergen, Norway
• 01 May Augustenborg, Soenderborg, Denmark
• 03 May Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
• 05 May Gelredome, Arnhem, Netherlands
• 07 May MEN Arena, Manchester, UK
• 08 May NEC Arena, Birmingham, UK
• 11 May Earls Court, London, UK
• 12 May Earls Court, London, UK (With Nick Mason)
• 14 May The Point Theatre, Dublin, Éire

Leg 6: 2007 North American tour dates

• 18 May Sound Advice Amphitheatre, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA
• 19 May Ford Amphitheater, Tampa, Florida, USA
• 22 May Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
• 24 May Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA
• 30 May Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, USA
• 01 June Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
• 02 June Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
• 04 June Colisée Pepsi Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
• 06 June Scotiabank Place, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
• 07 June Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• 09 June United Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
• 13 June Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, California, USA
• 15 June Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Irvine, California, USA
• 16 June MGM Grand Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
• 19 June Oracle Arena, Oakland, California, USA
• 21 June GM Place, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
• 23 June Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
• 24 June Rexall Place, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
• 27 June MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
• 29 June Qwest Center Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
• 30 June Xcel Center, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
• 02 July Marcus Amphitheater, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
• 07 July Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA (as a part of the New York leg of Live Earth)
• 09 July TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
• 10 July The Meadows, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
• 12 July Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, Darien, New York, USA
• 14 July Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

2008 tour dates

On December 17 2007 it was announced that Roger Waters will play a single one off show in Odense, Denmark May 13 2008., but on December 19, only two days later than the first announcement, it was announced he will also play at the Pinkpop Festival in The Netherlands May 11 2008. (Note: it will be on the same location as, but not during, the 2008 Pinkpop Festival) In January 21 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, April 27, as the final night's headliner.

On February 3 it was announced that Waters will also play in Denver, Colorado, on April 30, almost 8 years since he last played there, on July 3 2000, during the In The Flesh tour.. Two more US dates were confirmed, Dallas on May 2 and Houston on May 4, both in the state of Texas, again almost 8 years since he has played in the area. On February 20, another European date was announced, this time in Granada, Spain, May 9.

On February 26, what are supposed to be the last dates of the tour as confirmed by Roger Waters' manager, was announced, two concerts in England, May 15th in Liverpool and May 18th in London. Finally, on March 5 a second London show was announced.

Leg 7: 2008 North American & European tour dates

• 27 April Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Indio, California, USA
• 30 April Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado, USA
• 02 May SuperPages.com Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
• 04 May Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, Texas, USA
• 09 May Campo de Futbol de Atarfe, Granada, Spain
• 11 May Megaland, Landgraaf, The Netherlands
• 13 May Fionia Park, Odense, Denmark
• 15 May Liverpool Echo Arena, Liverpool, England
• 18 May O2 Arena, London, England
• 19 May O2 Arena, London, England
• 06 June The Palace Square, Saint Petersburg, Russia