REVIEW: The Australian Pink Floyd Show, Southampton Guildhall (From Daily Echo)

REVIEW: The Australian Pink Floyd Show, Southampton Guildhall

12:26pm Thursday 15th March 2012 in Music Reviews By John Hoskins, Court Reporter

SO sorry, Mr Benjamin Franklin, but you’re wrong. Out of date perhaps with your definition about life. But time is not on your side, so the excuse is understandable.

It was back in the 18th century that the founding father of the United States coined his rather fatalistic and sardonic view that only two things – death and taxes – were certainties in everyone’s existence.

Let him reappear in modern society and then he would revise that opinion.

The third assurance is that Oz Floyd concerts are superb entertainment and any replica band paying tribute to the musical pathfinders will always finish their set with Comfortably Numb.

It was 23 years ago that these antipodean artists formed and over the years they have gradually and deservedly enhanced their reputation as the best tribute band in the world.

Their 2012 tour, which drew a near-capacity audience, is acknowledged as their biggest and best, performed with their traditionally brilliant laser show and quadrophonic sound.

Such is their quality, you can close your eyes and feel you are listening to the real thing. So good that drummer Nick Mason once quipped: “They probably do Floyd better than us.”

Keep Talking, Another Brick in the Wall, Us and Them, Great Gig in the Sky and Wish You Were Here – yes, they were all featured and the seldom played Take it Back and High Hopes were given rare outings.

The joy of Pink Floyd is that their music is contemporary, though written in yesteryear.

Though most of the audience was of the grey beard vintage, students in front of me certainly could relate to it.

Now the group face only one problem – how do you improve on brilliant? Nice problem to have…