Roger Waters says goodbye: apocalypse, denunciation and music to tear down walls

Roger Waters is not just any guy and neither is his farewell concert in Barcelona. The legendary leader of Pink Floyd released the full force of his music on Tuesday (March 21) at the Palau Sant Jordi, in an impressive visual show, in which he underlined the political message of which he stands as the standard bearer.

The 79-year-old singer’s latest world tour, This is not a practice ride, It does not want to be, as the name indicates, the simulation of a show, but a show in grand style, nor the simulation of a call to attention on the situation of the planet, but a real political rally.

In its first stop in Spain, the impressive assembly ran like clockwork, the sound was impeccable and the 18,000 people who filled the venue, mostly born in the 60s and 70s, were able to rediscover the sensations of their youth without losing contact with current events, constantly present in the denunciation messages on the giant screens.

With a stage in the shape of a cross placed in the center of the dance floor, the concert began divided by four walls which blocked the view of the entire band and onto which apocalyptic images were projected as they played. Comfortably Numbgreat song from an album that made history, The wall.

The moment Pink Floyd’s famous flying pig appeared in the gray sky of the screen, the noise of a menacing helicopter froze the blood of those present and the four screen-walls were raised, allowing the formation to be seen in full, with nine musicians and Roger Waters at the helm.

Ten masters who flew over gigantic screens throughout the concert, in which visual art shone with its own light, without trampling on the music and without allowing itself to be devoured by it.

classics of classics

Waters is generous with the number of Pink Floyd songs included in the repertoire and legends like another Brick in the Wall, sheep, Us and them, wish you were here, have a cigarette AND Money.

The last song of Water’s long solo career, The barcomposed during the pandemic and which defends the bar as “a place where one can talk without fear”, as he said before playing it.

This sentence was the preamble to the two moments in which the strength of rock and images rested to allow Waters to sit down at the piano and chat with his audience.

Some speeches that were unevenly received by the spectators, who applauded and booed.

“The concert was very nice, but he’s a bit flat,” commented one attendee, expressing the feelings of the audience, who are more interested in Waters’ music than his political speeches.

The war and the Ukrainian whistles

But the real cause of the coy boos that was heard was that Waters raised the issue of the war in Ukraine, and although he reflected against the war and pointed out that many people are dying on both sides, his controversial words are well-known at the UN, where he was invited by the Russian ambassador and affirmed that the war “did not come without provocation”.

The public was more unanimous on the messages on the screens, applauded on more than one occasion, such as when they denounced anti-Semitism, a gesture particularly appreciated by the public after the cancellation of the concert in Frankfurt (Germany) for some of his statements in favor of Palestine and against the Israeli government, interpreted as anti-Semitic.

“If you are one of those who like Pink Floyd but can’t stand the political role of Roger Waters, you can go to the bar,” the screens warned before the concert began, although if anyone did, missed the first in Spain of a big tour that will continue in Madrid, with two dates at the WiZink Center, and then travel throughout Europe.