John Peel once said about Pink Floyd, “They could have joined the audience at one of their own gigs without being recognised”. Is it nice being in a tribute band that doesn’t worry about wigs? “Fortunately for us Pink Floyd were never really about costumes so we don’t have to dress up like Elvis or Kiss,” says guitarist and vocalist Steve Mac from the world’s premier Pink Floyd tribute act as they return to Cardiff. “However, the core of the band wear dark clothing so we don’t distract from the lights, lasers and circular screen. Our primary job is to emulate the sounds of Pink Floyd and provide the best possible soundtrack we can.” The current tour, the Best Side of the Moon Tour features The Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety. Is it hard to play through a whole album? “The challenge is trying to recreate the entire experience from beginning to end without losing the mood or flow of the original album, which requires particular focus for the band and crew. And a healthy bladder! I personally love performing it because it means so much to so many people and we have the privilege of seeing it in the audience’s faces.”
Next year, they’ll be celebrating thirty years together. How has their show changed over the years? “The show has grown immensely over time. It has become far more complex and it now requires a small army of very talented and creative people to ensure we can consistently deliver the best possible show for our audiences. It’s more like a very large family on tour as we’ve worked together for such a long time now. Since we’ve toured every year for 29 years someone suggested we should celebrate by having a year off, but I know we’d all get bored after a while. Next year’s tour theme will revolve around Time. We do have a few special things lined up but we are keeping them to ourselves until next year so watch this space!”
The Australian Pink Floyd, Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, Fri 29 Sept. Tickets: ÂŁ29.50. Info: 029 2022 4488 / www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk
words JOHN-PAUL DAVIES