Text by Patricia C. Figueiredo
Roger Waters can easily be described as a controversial artist, mainly because the people who buy tickets to his shows are usually looking for entertainment and not a shock of reality, as his performances often are. During the show at the Arena do Grêmio in Porto Alegre last Wednesday, the 1st, part of the farewell tour called "This Is Not a Drill," it wasn't expected that the stadium wouldn't be full, but even less so that there would be so many empty seats.
Like many works of art, this show evokes different sensations and reactions in the audience. Beyond the expected political activism, the show is not only a revisiting of some of Pink Floyd , but also a brief summary of his career as an artist, bringing intimate accounts and quite moving personal recollections from the musician.
For those who insist that Roger Waters and politics are two things that don't mix, the message at the beginning was quite clear: "If you're one of those who says 'I love Pink Floyd but I can't stand Roger's politics,' get out of here!" The audience's reaction was quite positive, with shouts and applause.
Roger then enters the stage dressed as a doctor, wearing a white coat and a stethoscope around his neck, pushing an empty wheelchair, unlike other shows where he pushed a man who looked quite ill. “Comfortably Numb 2022” kicks off the show. Roger's performance is flawless, even during the chorus he doesn't sing, his sad and melancholic gaze drifting from nothing to the empty chair, as if he had lost his patient.
But a major shift in tone follows with the impactful opening beats of "The Happiest Days of Our Lives." The four giant screens impress with the sayings Pink Floyd has always addressed: "We're good, they're bad" and "Are we good? Are they bad? Who says so? The government. Seriously?" These messages hit us like bombs.
Following the exciting and sing-along sequence of “Another Brick in the Wall” parts 1 and 2, the “protest” continues with “The Powers That Be.” This first part of the show features quite heavy sociopolitical content. On the screen, shocking images of violence by authorities against civilians from various parts of the world are shown, including the recent war in Palestine.
Roger doesn't shy away from challenging major American leaders like Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump , labeling them "war criminals" on the screen. Even Joe Biden was recently added to this list for being "just getting started."
With "Have a Cigar," the musician proposes a journey back to the Pink Floyd era, and with "Wish You Were Here," he pays homage to his old friend and former bandmate, Syd Barrett . It is undoubtedly one of the most emotional moments of the show.
The musician also comments on the moment of his divorce as having been very difficult and that he felt he almost "lost himself" as well, just like Syd Barrett, in a reference to his problems with drugs and his mental state, and then comes the song "Shine On You Crazy Diamond".
To close the first part of the show, we had "Sheep," and amidst the messages of resistance to capitalism and war, the giant inflatable sheep that flew over the audience truly stole the show.
After an intermission of about 25 minutes, we see the wheelchair again, and this time it's Roger who is sitting in it, restrained by a straitjacket, and accompanied by men dressed as doctors, he sings "In The Flesh" and the famous inflatable pig flies over the audience as well.
With “Run Like Hell,” the suggestion is that people just have fun, and the beams of light along with the psychedelic images on the screen seem to turn the show into a rave. But because this is a great track from the album The Wall, George Orwell 's book 1984 .
Another very shocking moment is the grotesque scenes in which soldiers murder innocent civilians in Baghdad in 2007, in images provided by American soldier Chelsea Manning and published by Australian journalist Julian Assange. Despite the shock, both were applauded by the audience. The critique lies in the ballad "Déjà Vu," a moment in which messages about human rights for various social groups such as women, black people, Palestinians, transgender people, and others also appear.
We then entered the final stretch of the show with "Money" and a sequence of songs from Dark Side Of the Moon. "Us and Them," "Any Colour You Like," and "Brain Damage" set the mood and united the voices of fans of this classic album.
Of course, one of the most anticipated moments of the show, if not the most anticipated, is the projection of the prism representing the album cover. It's a feeling quite difficult to describe, a mixture of the impact of the music's melody itself, the beauty of the colors covering the audience, the projected heartbeat line, and something very personal for any Pink Floyd fan, whether it's nostalgia, satisfaction, overcoming adversity, or perhaps all of that together and more.
If the show had ended there, it would have been beautiful, but Roger and the band returned for an encore, with "Two Suns in the Sunset" and the second part of "The Bar," traditionally dedicated to Bob Dylan (from whom Roger borrowed some verses for this song), his wife, and his late brother.
After introducing the entire band, we have "Outside the Wall," and everyone leaves the stage while still playing, and the audience follows them backstage through images on the screen until the song ends. A rather melancholic ending to the show.
It's quite clear that not only Roger Waters' opinions, but also his strong speeches, don't please everyone. However, undeniably, art is his greatest means of protest, and the musician only ends up disappointing those who disagree with the ideals he promotes. Without a doubt, Roger Waters left the audience breathless and speechless with an immersive, subversive, impactful, and dazzling performance.
