Roger Waters’ Pre-Show Message May Piss Off Some Fans

Roger Waters kicked off his “This Is Not A Drill” tour last night (July 6) in Pittsburgh, and before the show, Waters opened with a message for the audience that may upset some.

In the fan-shot video below, Waters addresses the crowd in a pre-recorded message that also shows up closed-captioned style on his massive stage screen. His message is as follows:

“Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. The show is about to begin. Before it does, two public announcements: Firstly, out of consideration for your fellow patrons, please turn off your cell phones. And secondly, if you’re one of those ‘I love Pink Floyd, but I can’t stand Roger’s politics’ people, you might do well to f— off to the bar right now. Thank you. Please sit back and enjoy the show.”

While the cell phone part was greeted by boos, the politics part received a lot of cheers in the video below.

The next stop on the “This Is Not A Drill” tour is tomorrow (July 8) in Toronto. A full list of tour dates can be found at RogerWaters.com.

(WARNING: NSFW language ahead.)

5 Takeaways from Listening to 'Dark Side of the Moon' High for the First Time

• 1. The channel switching on the album is mental.

  There are a number of instances on Dark Side of the Moon where audio moves from the right channel/speaker to the left and back again. The most dizzying example comes courtesy of “On the Run,” which is rather intense sober, but when you’re high, I could feel the sensations of the audio move from the right and left sides of my body.

• 2. Glad I invested in good headphones.

  Dark Side of the Moon is an album to be experienced with a quality pair of headphones. It enhances the aforementioned channel transitions immensely. Before listening to the LP high for the first time, I coincidently purchased a pair of Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones. They retail at $148, but fortunately, Amazon offered (and as of publishing, continues to offer) an option to split the cost of the headphones into three monthly payments of $49.34, which I was able to financially handle. (For those interested, you can check out the listing for those headphones here.)

• 3. Clare Torry's vocals nearly moved me to tears.

  Singer Clare Torry is the force behind the acrobatic vocals on “The Great Gig in the Sky.” They remain some of the most stunning vocals in recorded rock history, and even though I enjoyed the track before, it felt like I was hearing them for the first time. What an incredible achievement this song is on an LP already filled with incredible moments.

• 4. I can't believe the groove on the verses of 'Time' hasn't been ripped off more

  Let’s just put it out there: “Time” is a bit of a downer of a song. However, that underlying grove that bursts through with the first verse (“Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day”) just SLAPS! It’s uniquely seductive, and it’s amazing it’s not ripped off more. It’s probably due to very few, if any, having the hubris to out-Pink Floyd the actual Pink Floyd.

• 5. 'Money' might be overplayed on classic rock radio, but it truly is money

  Could I get into trouble for saying “Money” is overplayed on classic rock radio? Yes, but this whole article may get me into trouble, so what’s the sense in stopping now? Anyway, while I wish more Pink Floyd tunes would get airplay, I have a new understanding and appreciation for “Money” after listening to the classic track high for the first time. Perhaps, it’s the alternating time signatures from 7/8 to 4/4, back to 7/8 and then back to 4/4 again. Maybe my own disdain for the super-wealthy is enhanced whist high. Either way, I get it now, and I’ll try my best to refrain from playing “armchair radio program director.”