So, this was the third leg of our concert tour having taken in the Jeff Beck tribute at the Albert Hall two weeks ago, Bruce Springsteen in Murrayfield Edinburgh last week and now back down to London and the O2 to see Roger Waters on his This Is Not a Drill tour. I and two of my carers Jan and Jackie had become seasoned travellers by now. They were used to helping get me off and on trains via a ramp and very helpful passenger assistance staff at the stations and on the train, getting in and out of the side entry black cabs and navigating the hoists and beds in the accessible rooms of Premier Inns. My friend Norm came along to help out in Edinburgh as the room does not have a hoist and I thus needed three carers for safety to get me into my nice soft bed.
The evening at the O2 started with the nice perks of having an O2 phone and O2 priority as a result. And a result it was. We managed to avoid the long queues, joining a very short O2 priority queue which swiftly led us into the O2 Blue Room where we were fed and watered with some lovely pizza and chips for me, burger and chips for the ladies and nice drinks (double Jack Daniels was my choice tipple). Plus 10% discount for using my American Express card.
Then came a little diversion and adventure. To my shame I had somehow purchased ambulant accessible tickets rather than wheelchair tickets. Ambulant accessible tickets are intended for individuals who are able to walk but have other disabilities which require them to need a companion. For example, my daughter Laura who is blind, qualifies for ambulant accessible tickets. However, this meant I did not have a seat in the wheelchair area. Rather, I had a normal seat. Totally my own mistake. I don’t know how I managed to do this. Anyway, after some cajoling and pleading we managed to get my tickets swapped to seats on the wheelchair platform. Thank you so much to the O2 staff who were incredibly helpful. So, Jackie and I took all seats on the wheelchair platform and Jan went up into the upper tier for her seat.
The show opened with the music of “Comfortably Numb” and the several screens rising up towards the ceiling of the venue. This was a very spectacular show with Roger and his band performing in the round, in the central area of the arena floor, surrounded above by a series of screens which displayed images and the band to every corner of the arena. Then came a series of tracks from The Wall including the hit song “Another Brick in the Wall” with the famous hammers video imagery. Roger moved around the stage so that everyone got a chance to see him. The images on the screens alternated between the band and visuals.
To say this show was political is an understatement. Roger displayed a number of anti-war slogans across the screens and images of US presidents each with their “war crimes” displayed across them. The first half of the show closed with some wonderful videos of Syd Barrett as Roger performed “Wish You Were Here” and “Shine on you Crazy Diamond”.
Over the images of Syd, Roger told the story of how the two friends travelled from their home town Cambridge to London in order to see Gene Vincent in concert supported by the Rolling Stones, no less, and vowed to form a band, which of course they did when they returned to London as students a few years later. He then went on to display a story in words of how Syd became unwell (all of which is well documented and involved his descent into schizophrenia as a result of taking too much LSD) and was confused when they were playing in Los Angeles, believing he was in Las Vegas. All very sad and a fitting tribute to the genius who led Pink Floyd in their early days.
At one point Roger went into a long rant concerning how the media and the politicians were trying to “cancel” him as a result of the political elements of the concert and, in particular, the fallout from his recent Berlin show where he was criticised by the authorities for wearing a Nazi like uniform and for the flying pig which they believed contained anti-Semitic imagery.
Indeed, as we entered the O2, we passed a group of protesters with placards and who were asking us not to attend the concert. Roger had a long script for his aforementioned rant; this recent publicity has clearly annoyed the guy. At one point during the show Roger wore the military uniform which is actually not displaying Nazi swastikas, rather these are the hammers from The Wall imagery.
The first half of the show concluded with “Sheep” from the Animals album with a giant sheep slowly flying around the arena. All part of the wonderful spectacle that one has come to expect of a Roger Waters concert. A short interval and another double Jack Daniels later and I settled back into my perch in the wheelchair area.
The second half of the show started with the aforementioned flying pig slowly manoeuvring its way around the arena. The music consisted of Roger Waters solo material and more familiar territory including songs from Dark Side of the Moon including “Money” and “Us and Them” complemented by images from the Dark Side of the Moon era Pink Floyd. Fantastic. Roger concluded the show with himself and the band around a piano while he performed a new song in tribute to his recently passed older brother. The screen displayed images of Roger as a child beside his brother and his parents.
A great concert, with a rich mix of old, new, spectacle and politics. But then I guess this is what we have come to expect from Roger Waters, now 79, still looking well and performing world-class music from throughout his career. On our way back to our hotel I managed to give my head a nasty clash. I misjudged the height of the side entrance to a black cab as I manoeuvred up the ramp. Perhaps the two double Jack Daniels didn’t help. I was soon back in my bed, my head still a little sore. However, by the morning I was okay and we made our way home to rest after our two weeks of adventures.
Thanks to Jackie for taking the pictures.
Setlist: Set 1: Comfortably Numb; The Happiest Days of Our Lives; Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2; Another Brick in the Wall, Part 3; The Powers That Be; The Bravery of Being Out of Range; The Bar; Have a Cigar; Wish You Were Here; Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts VI-VII, V); Sheep.
Set 2: In the Flesh; Run Like Hell; Déjà Vu; Déjà Vu (Reprise); Is This the Life We Really Want?; Money; Us and Them; Any Colour You Like; Brain Damage; Eclipse; Two Suns in the Sunset; The Bar (Reprise); Outside the Wall.
Vintagerock's Weblog. 
Posted by Martin Kulkarni on June 10, 2023 at 3:05 pm
I saw Roger in Birmingham on 31.05.23. Third time I have attended his concerts, and this one had a slightly different feel, coming from the man himself.
I think he is feeling a little insecure and beaten down (he’ll never be totally beaten down), with all of the unjust criticism coming his way from all corners. He is that much older now, and it seems to me he just needs support, more than ever! He will always have my full support, musically, and especially politically! Oh, and by the way, him and his band were terrific!
Posted by vintagerock on June 10, 2023 at 3:33 pm
Well said Martin best wishes Peter
Posted by Bryan on June 10, 2023 at 3:06 pm
Sad to see Roger having to constantly defend himself from the cancel culture mob. He is totally misunderstood & deserves better.
Keep rocking & enjoying those roadtrips Peter. We’ll all have plenty of time for sleeping one day.
Posted by vintagerock on June 10, 2023 at 3:31 pm
Very true Bryan. Happy days and thank you Peter
Posted by TerriersFan on June 11, 2023 at 8:48 am
Sadly I don’t think that I would go and see Roger Waters perform even if he played upstairs in my house. It’s not that I don’t like his material, because I very much do – and therein lies my issue with him.
The way that he constantly derides the contributions of other members of the band – Syd aside – really grinds my gears. To say that the rest of the band contributed nothing to albums like ‘Dark Side…’, ‘The Wall’ and ‘Animals’ and the fact that he feels the need to re-record them in his own way says it all; his ego has gone through the roof.
And, as for the non-swastika symbols, red armbands, and non-Nazi uniforms, goose-stepping, etc., yes, we know that Roger’s versions aren’t Nazi symbols, but we all know what they are analogies of. And yes, I know that he is not advocating Nazi politics but, come on Roger, wake up man – you can’t go around wearing stuff like that these days no matter what point you’re trying to put across. You’re just asking for trouble.
Rant over.
Roger 🤟
Posted by vintagerock on June 11, 2023 at 9:19 am
Hi Roger I fully understand your concerns and issues and indeed share some of them. However, my love of Pink Floyd and their music overrides any concerns that I personally hold. So I take any opportunity I can to see any of the remaining members while I can and while they are still around to play for us. Cheers Peter
Posted by TerriersFan on June 11, 2023 at 9:20 am
I don’t blame you at all, Peter. 👍🎵🎶
Posted by vintagerock on June 11, 2023 at 9:25 am
Good man my friend Roger Cheers Peter
Posted by David on June 13, 2023 at 7:36 pm
As always, great review of the Wheelchair road trip. It’s never just about the show.
Posted by vintagerock on June 14, 2023 at 12:06 pm
It certainly isn’t David. It starts for me when I hear about the concert, then I buy tickets and it continues on in my memories after the show happy days Peter