Roger Waters 'Us + Them' concert film coming to theaters in October
Roger Waters‘ 2017/2018 world tour is now the subject of a new concert film, Us + Them. The concert film was directed by Sean Evans, who made Roger Waters – The Wall, and will be in theaters worldwide for two nights only: October 2 & 6. Tickets go on sale July 17 and you can sign up for more details and to find out where it’s playing near you.
The Us + Them tour featured a new lineup of Roger’s band who played on his 2017 album Is This the Life You Really Want?, including Joey Waronker, Lucius’ Jessica Wolfe and Holly Laessig, and Jonathan Wilson and here’s a bit of the review from BV’s resident Floyd superfan Klaus Kinski:
Together, this assemblage of musicians might be my favorite Roger Waters live band iteration I’ve seen. Of particular note was their deft and expert handling of the nearly 30-minute one-two punch of “Dogs” and “Pigs (Three Different Ones)” from the 1977 album Animals. It was effortless. Also of note is how incredible the new songs are and how well they co-exist with the classics many in attendance were there to see. The band was completely in the pocket as they transitioned from Wish You Were Here’s “Welcome to the Machine” into a four-song exploration of the new album Is This The Life We Really Want? Roger Waters himself is in absolute top form, capable of still belting out the anguished screams and seething hisses into the mic. A true showman.
As usual, Waters’ immersive visual component to the Us + Them tour is an integral part of the show. The backdrop is a massive, stage wide, floor to ceiling high-resolution LED screen that enveloped the space with jaw-dropping visuals. At one point the arena was bisected lengthwise by a ceiling-suspended wall of projection screens that were illuminated by what appeared to be about 16 high-res video projectors, eight on each side. These screens raised and lowered at various intervals and were just an unbelievable (and unexpected) addition to the visual overload that was already blowing my mind. And it wouldn’t have been a Roger Waters / Pink Floyd show without a graffitied floating pig hovering over the audience.
Roger told us the Us + Them tour was both a greatest hits and narrative of his work since Pink Floyd. “It’s the same man writing the music and thinking the show through and figuring out how to put a show together and all that it was in the ’70s.’
