LYNN — It’s always been a not-so-well-kept secret that the life and struggles of former member Syd Barrett provided much of the impetus behind Pink Floyd’s best work.
That point was driven home Friday night at City Hall when the tribute band Brit Floyd, ostensibly in town to honor the 40th anniversary of “The Wall,” channeled Barrett several times, perhaps most of all when pictures of the founding member flashed on the video screen in the background during the playing of “Wish You Were Here.”
Co-founder Roger Waters has always kept his close friend central to the Pink Floyd story, whether it’s in songs like “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” (also played), or even albums like “The Wall.” It always seems to circle back to Barrett, who was forced to leave the band years ago due to drug and alcohol issues, and who died in 2006.
Pink Floyd has always been unique to the history of rock in that very little of their material celebrates much of anything — not surfing, not fast cars, not women, or even the lighter side of booze and drugs. Mostly, it’s cynicism and satire. However, there was always a cutting-edge aspect about the band in the technology it used in live shows and the studio techniques that punctuated their albums that made it all work. There’s no question the group deserves its status as one of the giants of the genre.
This has to be awfully tough for a tribute band to uphold. Usually, these bands will rip through the material of even groups such as The Beatles, maintaining a good-time vibe to it all. There is no such thing with this material. Three years ago, Brit Floyd came here with what could politely be called a “deep cut” tribute that I didn’t think worked very well. Friday, they were back — and this time what the band presented worked much, much better. The concert was heavy on music — and Pink Floyd’s best music at that (well, minus “Money,” which the Brits somehow forgot to play). In keeping with the occasion, much of “The Wall” found its way into the set, including much of the final side (“The Trial” was done masterfully, and “Outside the Wall” with all the band members lined up in single file with the accompaniment of a small accordian). Very nice touches.
Other highlights: “Mother,” with the female part sung by backup singer Jacqui Williams; “The Great Gig in the Sky,” thanks to another backup singer, Emily Jollands; and “Run Like Hell,” which was the first encore number, and was electrifying.
The group also treated the classic materials such as “Another Brick in the Wall” with great care. “Time” and “Breathe” were done with much reverence, as was “Us and Them,” all from “Dark Side of the Moon.”
The group also mixed the heavy-hitters with the lesser-known cuts from “The Wall” rather well, interspersing other cuts from other albums in among the 1979 masterpiece’s material. Act 1 closed with “Sheep” from “Animals” with a rather menacing video of a flock of ovines being eyed by a wolf off in the distance.
When it came time for the group to play “Comfortably Numb,” one thing became pretty evident right away: David Gilmour, for all his notoriety, is still under-appreciated as a guitarist. It took two guitarists to do on stage what Gilmour did by himself in this magnificent song.
I’m not always a fan of tribute bands. They have to walk a fine line between being entertaining and being too pretentious with the material of the bands to which they are paying homage. It doesn’t always work. But in this case, it did. Quite well.