“Youts” from now on, if I’m ribbing V.

I first saw Live at Pompeii at a midnight movie, and, like you was watching for peoples stoned reactions to “Careful with that Axe.” Nothing as memorable as your experience, though, but still amusing.

I watched it recently. Brilliant. Also caught a very nice history of the Floyd from just a couple of years ago, before Richard died. I’ll see if I have a link laying around. If you haven’t seen it, I’m pretty sure you’d like it.

Another diversion of late is watching reaction videos. Some young person (Ute) will film themselves watching and listening to 70′s classics for the first time. My favorites are reactions to “Great Gig in the Sky.” Often the Ute is brought to tears by the end. I’ll have to search for “Eugene.”

Pink Floyd came to Tampa in the early 70s, during the UMMAGUMMA tour, and played at a small hall, the Armory, that held only about 5K fans. An intimate venue suitable for the band…

Even in those days, the Floyd put on a spectacular show, by the standards of the time. I was impressed by the competence and creativity of the production crew; pyrotechnics, lights, music and sound effects were coordinated by a small army of longhairs roaming around with clipboards and stopwatches and walky-talkies, cueing lights and so forth. It was choreographed like a commando operation, and the musicians did not drop a note or miss a beat. It was impressive.

But I’m getting ahead of myself, the show started with “Careful With That Axe, Eugene”, and you will recall that it begins very slowly and quietly, and only gradually builds up to the crescendo, punctuated by that hideous scream. The stage was in total darkness, but I could see from the monitor and amp lights and by the combined glow of 5000 glowing joints. As the music progressed, I could just make out a huge metal scaffolding studded with Kleig lights gradually rising behind the band, and a mirrored spinning disco ball was slowly being lowered from the ceiling on a cable.

The Tampa audience was completely unfamiliar with the band, but I had a friend who had gone to school at Columbia and was hip to the latest music and he had turned me on to the album; so I was prepared for what was coming. One freak sitting on the floor in front of me obviously wasn’t. He was sitting cross-legged in lotus position, middle fingers to thumbs, head bowed in profound meditation.

When the music reached the resolving note, that heart-stopping electronic scream blasted out, a dozen spots illuminated the ball, spraying the audience with multicolored phaser fire, the lights
on the scaffolding erupted into a blaze of chromatic beams, and rotating police lights scattered about the hall started flashing, again, in a variety of colors. Four pillars of fire and sparks erupted from the stage and sprayed like volcanoes to the ceiling. It was timed and coordinated to the microsecond. Simultaneously, the scream was unleashed on the audience by tall speakers, previously unused, placed like Stonehenge dolmens in a big circle around the hall.

Yoga Dude looked like he was hit by a cosmic hammer. His body, still rigidly in the seated position, fell backwards onto the floor, but his legs were still crossed, locked together, and his arms were still outstretched at his side, fingers still in small O’s. He was lying on his back on the floor, rigid, still in the exact body position he had held while seated. The only term that came to mind was “blown away”. The scream continued over and over and over. It was wonderful.

The boys put on a terrific show, and for an encore after a night of sophisticated acid rock, they came out and played the Blues, straight Delta Blues for about ten minutes straight. They did the material with respect and sensitivity and consummate musicianship.

Tampa’s program of rural electrification had gotten off to a great start.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMpGdG27K9o&feature=kp
(From “Live at Pompeii”.)

Late 60s Brit acid rock–the root of all wisdom

A movement is accomplished in six stages
And the seventh brings return
The seven is the number of the young light
It forms when darkness is increased by one
Change returns success
Going and coming without error
Action brings good fortune
Sunset
The time is with the month of winter solstice
When the change is due to come
Thunder in the other course of heaven
Things cannot be destroyed once and for all
Change returns success
Going and coming without error
Action brings good fortune
Sunset, sunrise
A movement is accomplished in six stages
And the seventh brings return
The seven is the number of the young light
It forms when darkness is increased by one
Change returns success
Going and coming without error
Action brings good fortune
Sunset, sunrise, sunrise, sunset