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The Wall is 40 this week!

16th June 1981, Earls court. So much 'smoke' in the air the stage was half a blur! A good pal bought me and mrs R tickets for a wedding gift. What a pal. Never will forget 'comfortably numb' with waters standing right at the top of the now built wall. Never have found a recording which reproduces it well. Do have the original pressing and a re release. Maybe one day someone will dig out the master tapes and do it well.
 
Friday August 8th,ticket price £8-50,a friend was one of the stage carpenters and managed to get a block booking of tickets,from memory there was a 4 ticket limit.
I have two first issues,but alas no stickers etc.
 
Remember buying this at Virgin Records in Southampton on the day of release. Can't believe it's 40 years ago! Shut myself in my bedsit with my home-built transmission lines, and played it until my housemates couldn't take any more :)
 
The famous Les Adams went and picked up mine and a few others preordered vinyl copies on release day 40 years ago.
Our company was sold a few weeks later to DER Telivision Rentals.
A subsidiary of EMI.
Nat West Bank and a shed load of other companies EMI owned .
Never as big as ITT but still massive enough to rule the late 70s and early 80s
Thing was those in charge never really had a clue.
 
I went up in one of the massive lifts they put cars in at Earls Court from the Brompton Road entrance .
My mate Cliff new one of the guys that worked there.
He let us in and took use up to the first floor and had put 4 chairs in the balcony where the pipes run.
A private box on the left of the stage clear as daylight views of everything.
Still one of the best gigs of my life.
I was in pretty much the same place when I saw Led Zepp do the last Sunday Earls Court Gig May 75 but in proper seats that cost big money £1.50
 
Side 3...
Two years ago I was at Dave Gilmour’s gig in Arc-et-Senans nearby where I live and Comfortably Numb was a truly great, emotional moment.
Much better than Roger Waters’ parts.
 
chartz said:
Side 3...
Two years ago I was at Dave Gilmour’s gig in Arc-et-Senans nearby where I live and Comfortably Numb was a truly great, emotional moment.
Much better than Roger Waters’ parts.
Click to expand...
How the fook can you say that when you've never seen the Floyd or Roger do it live?
 
A great album, listened to it over and over when it came out - not just because of the music but because it made my very modest hifi sound sooo much better than it did playing most other stuff!
Only saw them once at Earl's Court on the 'Pulse' tour - an unforgettable night.
 
Rockmeister said:
16th June 1981, Earls court. So much 'smoke' in the air the stage was half a blur! A good pal bought me and mrs R tickets for a wedding gift. What a pal. Never will forget 'comfortably numb' with waters standing right at the top of the now built wall. Never have found a recording which reproduces it well. Do have the original pressing and a re release. Maybe one day someone will dig out the master tapes and do it well.
Click to expand...

I went to the Wed 17th edition - the last one. Four of us drove down from Manchester for the concert and back the same night - and normal work the next day too. Oh to be young again!
I remember it still as probably the most epic concert of any description I have ever been to.
 
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Saw The Wall live at Earl's Court Tuesday 5th August 1980 - £8.50 including VAT the ticket says which I've just found in my big pile of concert tickets going back to 1978.
I recall quite a bit of that evening, 100 mile journey each way but didn't leave home until 4.30 pm, hot sunny summer's day but still arrived in plenty of time.
I remember the "toy" spitfire coming over the audience's head early on, and the ghostly looking bloke doing the second introduction. And the surrogate band low down on the dark stage at the beginning before the Floyd were revealed higher up by a huge light show. Roger singing "should I trust the government" and a huge shout of "NO" coming from the punters, and Gilmour on top of the wall after the roadies had built it and they then pushed it all over at the end. Serious stuff then but all a bit of a laugh now!
 
DavidS said:
Bloody hippies , wasn't punk supposed to wipe these *********out.

As mentioned PILs metal box , now that's a different story..
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Ah Fodderstompf, a personal favorite. "we only wanted to be loved...". JAh Wobble's awesome dubby bass line. " we only wanted to finish the album with the minimum amount of effort". Lol.

But then I also love P Floyd.
 
My original copy is in excellent condition as I taped it and never played the vinyl until about 5 years ago.
Seen Waters' The Wall twice , the second tour was much better .
 
Fuller said:
Saw The Wall live at Earl's Court Tuesday 5th August 1980 - £8.50 including VAT the ticket says which I've just found in my big pile of concert tickets going back to 1978.
I recall quite a bit of that evening, 100 mile journey each way but didn't leave home until 4.30 pm, hot sunny summer's day but still arrived in plenty of time.
I remember the "toy" spitfire coming over the audience's head early on, and the ghostly looking bloke doing the second introduction. And the surrogate band low down on the dark stage at the beginning before the Floyd were revealed higher up by a huge light show. Roger singing "should I trust the government" and a huge shout of "NO" coming from the punters, and Gilmour on top of the wall after the roadies had built it and they then pushed it all over at the end. Serious stuff then but all a bit of a laugh now!
Click to expand...

My recollection is that the 'plane' was a Stuka dive bomber, complete with the wailing siren!
 
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