The Australian Pink Floyd Show
allow a little while for this pictorial site to load, thanks: best in Netscape
the finest tribute band in the world.........probably!
asks you to:
Save an Orphan Kangaroo
"SOS"
"Save our Skippy"
and enjoy classic live Pink Floyd played to perfection at the same time
a supporters/non-official web page from Steve Johnson "Cyberheritage"
G`day, or Gd`ay or whatever it is those Aussies say. Many of us in Pomme land see Australia and Aussie life through TV soaps such as Neighbours or Home and Away. Indeed I am one of those sad people and I suspect that there is a a very good chance too that you are as well!
However for some of us, those with good musical sense and taste have these last few years had our eyes and ears opened to a rather special bit of Aussie culture by a talented group of young Australian blokes....strangely all called Bruce!!..who form that tremendous rock tribute band called The Australian Pink Floyd. To many of us Brits they may well have been "first contact" with a live Aussie!
This web page is about two things. One just how good they are as a Pink Floyd tribute band, two, their efforts to help save orphan kangaroos. The kangaroo is a symbol of the band and a symbol and icon of Australia. They have their own web page which is about who they are, gig dates, photos etc, follow this link to it. Or if you like you can e-mail them at apfs@eyesee.co.uk. Their snail mail postal address is : Australian Pink Floyd Show, 29, Frances Street, Crewe, Cheshire, CW2 6HF. This little bit of cyberspace is a little different....what more do you need to know....they`re all called Bruce and they`re damn good, close your eyes, open your eyes and you are in Earl`s Court with the REAL Floyd...( my 1973 concert photo site ) except this lot are a quarter of the price, in your home town, buy Fosters in the bar next to you, and are on a regular timetable......Floyd bliss.
The Australian Pink Floyd Show....in concert at Lanterns, Ashburton, Devon, September 25 1998
A Friday night in the sleepy southern Dartmoor town of Ashburton is at first glance not too promising in the rock stakes, yet alone in the spacey world of Floydian tunes. However first appearances can be deceptive and recently the isolated venue "Lanterns" huddled in deep leafy Devon lanes, has recently built a much deserved reputation as a live music centre.
For me the evening started badly...parking, or lack of it, or too many cars....hang on, we are in the middle of the sticks here, with cows, sheep and manure thick in the damp air. The place was packed, jam packed. The word had got out that something really good was on offer.
There were so many people that I found it hard to see the stage, going to the loo was a field trip and a visit to the bar could see one growing old before being served. About normal for a rock gig.
The Bruces` all came on stage to a tape effect of a medley of "Waltzing Matilda" played on a harmonica mixed in skilfully with an excerpt from the Wall:
"so you...thought you might like to go to the show.....to feel the warm thrill of confusion.....that space cadet glow......tell me is something hiding you sunshine.......is this not what you expected to see........if you`d like to find out what`s behind these cold eyes.........you`ll just have to claw your way through the disguise...." (from in the Flesh)
Then it was straight into "Breathe" from Dark Side of the Moon, and then on to a golden oldie "Astronomy Domine." This was superb, thumping drums, guitar on peddle and that whole spacey sound that is so Floydian. "Sorrow" came next, note perfect with that sole guitar intro that sounds like a deranged buzz saw slicing through the air. Folks, believe me, this is not:...like Floyd..it is the same as Floyd.
On now to a track from The Wall "Empty Spaces" followed by "Young Lust" also from The Wall. Next is a time travel experience back to the heady days of "Careful with that Axe, Eugene." Unfortunately the ignoramuses at the bar seemed to take advantage of the quiet start of this song to scream and engage in shouted comments....now I understand why Roger Waters used to get so p****d off by crowd noise. A visit to the album Meddle was next with "One of these Days." Now, not many of you will know this but the beat of the local Torpoint chain ferry here in Plymouth has a clankety-clank just like the beat to this track. If you are ever on this ferry, get out of the car and listen!! Tonight we were treated to a superb stereo swing from left to right during this number.
It was during this number that I began suffering from eye strain as a young woman in tight white jeans continually gyrated in front of me; the rear view getting a little much.....could not take my eyes of her as she was a dead ringer for "Rachel" in the TV soap "Emmerdale."
Superb slide peddle guitar followed in "High Hopes" from The Division Bell album. Then "Any Colour you Like", "Brain Damage" and "Eclipse" all note perfect perfection and all taken from Dark Side.
INTERVAL TIME
The second half kicked off with "Shine On" leading next to a superb "Learning to Fly" with amazing drumming from new Bruce "Paul Bonney"only on his 6th. gig. Indeed many of the audience close to me commented on this newcomers fine performance. Backs to The Wall again with "The Happiest Days of our Lives" followed close by with "Another Brick in The Wall", with great funky keyboard work, then "Mother." What a show! Still more to come. Now its a trip to the funny farm for a track from Animals and it`s "Sheep."...Ba, ba. "Wish you were here" ensures a fine audience sing along that brings us back to The Wall again with "In the Flesh" medley with a reprise of "Shine On"
That`s it, home time, we are told that`s it and all the band are introduced individually as Bruce. Encores are "On the run" from Dark Side and a storming "Run like Hell" from The Wall. A show of over 2 hours of pure perfect live Pink Floyd.
The stage is left deserted and the whole place starts to empty to the strains of:
"Skippy, skippy,skippy the bush kangaroo, ....skippy, skippy, skippy our friend ever true......."
...except it is an instrumental version of the theme from the 1960`s childrens TV programme.
The Australian Pink Floyd Show bits and pieces
They did 80,000 miles in their van in 3 years!
Played over 1000gigs!
Download a scan of a 1996 concert ticket: Ticket 1, ...2
The Australian Pink Floyd have produced a fine "brochure", here it is, or at least the front cover. The cente fold was rather good, look...1.....2....
The "true to Floyd live" sound is gained by careful listening to live ROIO recordings.
When the band is living in the UK they are based in Nottingham, Cheshire, and Scunthorpe.
The band has written original material inspired by Pink Floyd which they may release on CD.
Download a 1:1 scan of these fine artworked tour fly sheets from recent tours; note kangaroo!
They have a GL 4000 Dual Functioning Audio Mixing Console. Gareth Darlington, brother of lead guitar player Damien Darlington is their new sound engineer and has taken over from Matt Miller seen here next to Gareth on the left.
Gareth, above, with Matt on his left.
Now the Kangaroo bit: Please look at this and see if you can help
Colin Wilson (l) and Jason Sawford (r) talk about:
Save an Orphan Kangaroo
"SOS"
"Save our Skippy"
The Australian Pink Floyd Show is aiming to raise at least £1,000 to help support a sanctuary for orphan kangaroos that have lost their parents due to car accidents...these poor little "Joeys" have no support from the state. Aussies are brought up to stop if they see a dead kangaroo by the roadside and to "feel" the pouch for a "Joey" that may still be alive. This shelter, or sanctuary has 50 to 60 residents at any one time. They need feeding, veterinary care and love...it all costs.
While band members were on holiday in Australia in 1998, they came across the shelter at Willaroo. It is run by Helen and John Inkster and is near Adelaide, South Australia, where many of the band originally came from. As a kangaroo features as one of the bands logos they just had to help. At the moment this consists of selling raffle tickets ( for free tickets and T shirts) and also raising public awareness over here in the UK about the work being done in Oz.
The main public point of contact with this is via 31 yr old Wendy Hassall who sells various souvenirs of the gig and band such as rather good T shirts. As concert goers peruse her stall, she takes time out to explain to us Pommes about the project. Wendy is a Pomme herself, hailing from Cheshire, and met her boyfriend of 3 years plus, Colin Wilson (Bass) while taking concert photos....ok...she just wanted free tickets you say! Anyway as the public face of the Australian Pink Floyd Show she does a fine job.For those of you into rock trivia, she has a cat called Buxton.
The project is at:
P.O.BOX 1135, Alding Beach, 5173, Adelaide, South Australia
Contact: Helen and John Inkster
Wendy at her stall, raffle book at the ready....and explains the project to a concert goer.
