Capacity: 20,000
Concert starts: 8pm

Address of venue: 1111 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015-1300. MAP

Website: www.staplescenter.com

COMMENTS

Just a few more shows to go on the 2010 leg of Roger's tour of The Wall. Following the performances at this venue, there's a rest before the show in San Jose, California. The concert advert shown to the right (click thumbnail) comes courtesy of BD's own Elliot Tayman.

The RogerWaters.com presales began starting Wednesday, May 5th. Starting May 3rd, American Express Cardmembers could get advance tickets, with seating available to Gold Card, Platinum Card and Centurion members. US fans could also get early access to tickets via iTunes beginning Thursday, May 6th, by purchasing the 1982 film The Wall from iTunes by April 26th. For both the American Express and iTunes presales, please note that the presale offers were available in select markets and ticket quantities were limited.

General sale tickets went on sale on Monday, May 10, via Ticketmaster.com and LiveNation.com. The public sale also saw a limited number of VIP packages made available for each show on the tour. Use of our links to Ticketmaster gives much needed assistance with site hosting costs without any additional cost to yourself - and we appreciate it!

WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD!

Do not read on if you don't want surprises to be spoilt, regarding what the band played, and what happened as the night unfolded!

Night fortyfour of the tour, and the first of eight shows in California. Present at the event were a number of celebrities, including Slash, Orlando Bloom, and Miranda Kerr. If you went to this show in LA, please let us know what you thought of the event, and if anything interesting or different happened if you've been to previous shows and can compare.

The Spinner Music website was there, and noted the significance of the venue in The Wall's history. "Thirty years ago, this is where I began my journey away from isolation," Roger told the packed arena as the two-set, full-album show ended. In a moment of confession, the normally reserved Waters continued by saying how grateful he was to feel the love from the audience.

"Still, it's pretty much a given that the fans would be in awe of the spectacle. 'The Wall' is one of the best-selling albums in rock history, and this type of massive production is rarely seen anymore. The show combines elements of a traditional concert, a Broadway show and a movie with CGI-quality effects. Commercially, this is a can't-miss proposition, but artistically, it's a riskier endeavor, what with the new players and nostalgia involved. The 1980 tour of 'The Wall' was only done 31 times, putting it amont the most mythical treks in rock history.

"A lot of artists might have played it safe and gone strictly the nostalgia route, but give Waters credit as he wasn't afraid to mess with the memories and the results made this into a show that completely stands on its own merits, and not only those of history.

"Of course, many of the trademark features were still in place, including the inflated flying pig, puppet headmasters and the massive Wall itself, which was built across the stage only to be torn down at the end of the two-hour show. the puppets.

"Overall, the show is a great testament to Waters' enduring talent. Amid one of the biggest productions the rock world has seen in years, the music and its message were so clearly and profoundly heard. As an artist of integrity, one likes to believe that Waters wouldn't have done this tour if that wasn't the case."

The San Diego Examiner were also there, and noted that 'the phrase "visually stunning" is often overused in show business, but a more appropriate description for the incredible performance put on by former Pink Floyd bassist Roger Waters on Monday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles is not to be had. Visually stunning indeed.

'More akin to a rock opera, Waters' opus The Wall was a mind-blowing mix of progressive rock, pyrotechnics, theatrics, high-tech video displays and a deeply moving (if somewhat disturbing) storyline. What started as an autobiographical tale of introspection and self-isolation brought on by Waters' frustration with the growing detachment between the band and the over-large stadium audiences, The Wall evolved into the tale of the fictional "Pink", a rock star dealing with drug abuse and a failing marriage reflecting on his troubled youth. Though the story still mirrored many aspects of Waters life, the using of Pink as the central character rather than Waters himself enabled guitarist David Gilmour and co-producer Bob Ezrin to expand on Waters' basic story.'

The LA Weekly were there, and they've posted a great, 41-picture gallery which you can see here.

CONCERT COMMENTS and PICTURES by BD CONTRIBUTOR, A. Christian Puzder

The show was amazing. I have been listening to that album for 20 years. I know it inside and out the story and all. Live is a completely different perspective.

CONCERT REVIEW by BD CONTRIBUTOR, Paul Warren

This is a difficult review to write without sounding like just another gushing fan. I have been going to PF/RW/DG concerts since 1970, including 3 of the original Nassau Colliseum shows of "The Wall". I haven't missed a US tour, usually several nights of each. As such I am accustomed to Roger Waters' dedication to quality sound, high impact visuals and great musicanship and musicality. Once again my expectations were surpassed.

This was supposed to be my second show of three on this tour, but unfortunately wound up being the first. The ticket was a gift from my "boss", and I was surprised that a pre-sale seat was pretty far back...all the way across the arena in the first level above the floor, so I was a bit disappointed since (despite the theme of the show) I crave the connection of being able to see the band's facial expresssions, guitar technique etc. Given the location and, of course, no projections of the band itself, I took the opportunity to focus on the "big picture", and an amazing picture it was.

It is unfair, of course, to even try and compare this tour with 1980. The technology is so far beyond then, the times are different, I'm different, intoxicants are no longer a part of my concert going experience and of course Roger and the band are different. That said, despite the tendency for memory to embellish major events in the past, I'll be unfair and say this show is vastly superior to 1980. You got the sense in 1980 that the band was fighting the technology...that Roger wanted to do so much more with The Wall than he was able to accomplish. That combined with the tensions in the band at the time distracted and detracted from the music. The challenge on this tour was to not let the technology overpower the music, and despite a couple of the more tentative reviews in the press, I think that was accomplished...no small feat given the enormity of the production.

Dave Kilminster's guitar was outstanding all night, with "Run Like Hell" being the highlight for me. I thought he was able to stray from the David Gilmour charts more on that tune than any other and his cacophonous/distonal guitar toward the end of the song fit the theme perfectly. He was competing with a lot of versions of "Comfortably Numb" including DG's original and my personal favorite of Doyle Bramhall and Snowy White trading licks in 2000. Returning to the original single soloist could have been disappointing, but far from it, with all the power and emotion of one of rock's greatest songs coming through.

I thought Snowy might have been a little off, with his solo on ABITW(Part II) a bit restrained, and I wish he had more room during the show to display his incredible tone. GE Smith blended well...maybe too well...not really free to display how good he really can be. I really liked the kids. I havent watched any of the posted videos of other cities, but I thought they brought a lot of energy and enthusiasm to their dancing.

I didn't think the music was overly loud (even given my loss of hearing from some very bad listening habits in the 60s!). The stands were at near earthquake level from the bass, particularly the songs right after the intermission, but I love that! And of course the instruments and singing were crystal clear. Roger's voice only gets better with age, imo, and Robbie Wyckoff's range was impressive.

So, all in all, a show that exceeded my extremely high expectations. Front row seats (in front of Dave Kilminster) for Anaheim on the 13th will give me a different perspective and that "connection" with the band that I was missing last night. If you're there, look for the Jerry Garcia lookalike (as in "Shades of Grey" days!) and say hi!

CONCERT REVIEW by BD CONTRIBUTOR, Duff Moses

I have seen this show twice now. This Monday my family and I sat in the upper extreme left loge at Staples center and I have to say they were about the worst seats imaginable. This mammoth show with it's lavish presentations projected across the width of Waters' wall were almost impossible to appreciate at such an oblique angle and much of the show was obstructed by the rigging and speakers hung above the stage. A really terrible angle; one is left feeling slightly ripped off. The music was great, of course.

Tuesday night I went with my wife and sat 8th row center, on the floor, with tickets procured through Water's own site. Giant, towering character puppets played against a giant towering wall under construction while powerful and sometimes disturbing graphics and animations projected on it's surface assaulted the viewer while the band's crunching, loud, clear and faithful recital of Pink Floyd's opus pounded through one's solar plexus and raised hairs on the back of the neck. Ultimately, the wall fell down and seemed it might crush us all in the first rows. I got to sit so close to my hero, Roger Waters, I could practically count the wrinkles and white hairs on his wonderful head. It was as perfect a concert experience as I will hope to see.

The difference between the two shows was like witnessing a plane crash from the vip lounge in the airport as opposed to having it explode on the road infront of your bicycle.

CONCERT REVIEW by BD CONTRIBUTOR, Kelly Cozy

The following is an extract from a longer, complete posting on Kelly's Blog, but she wanted to share her views with the BD community. Go to her blog for the whole article.

I confess I felt trepidation when I heard that Waters would be taking The Wall on tour, despite (or because of) thirty years of wishing I'd been there. I was not encouraged by the fact that Waters hasn't done any new material of note since 1992; his tours in the late 90s and early 00s have been rehashes of past glories. His Dark Side of the Moon tour in 2006-2007 was enjoyable but not earthshaking. And I was skeptical of any changes he might make to The Wall in its new incarnation. I had no desire to see Waters' version of "Greedo shot first".

But the new Wall tour is proof that going back to the well can be a positive thing. While the music and the staging concept remain unchanged, advances in technology have enhanced the performance in a multitude of ways. And there are other, more meaningful changes as well.

During the Wall's construction the band's famous circular film screen (known as "Mr. Screen" to the fans) is in place, and post-construction the wall itself serves as a projection area. Such has always been the case with Wall concerts dating back to the originals, but new technology allows for precise animation onto individual bricks, or across the width of the wall itself. Waters uses this technology to often-stunning, occasionally heartbreaking effect, from the creepily lascivious flowers to simple photos and descriptions of those who've died in wars. The animation present throughout the show is a mix of cartoonist Gerald Scarfe's original sequences (save for "Goodbye Blue Sky", the absence of which is my only complaint about the show) along with newer animation, as well as use of newsreel and television footage.

But perhaps the greatest enhancement to The Wall is the shift in the work's themes. The overall theme remains the same: rock musician has crappy life (father killed in World War 2, overattentive mother, soul-crushing educational experience, marriage gone bad), reacts to crappy life by alienating himself, unleashes his inner fascist, puts himself on trial, tears down the wall, and learns the true meaning of Christmas. But the intervening three decades between the work's conception and its newest incarnation have, thankfully, given Waters some perspective and allowed him to imbue the work with greater maturity and universality.

One of my favorite improvements is a subtle one. At the close of the show's first half, during "Goodbye Cruel World" the final brick is put into place. In past stagings, the placement of the brick has always been the job of a stagehand. But now Waters puts the brick in place himself. It may only be improved brick technology that allows this, but there is also the implication that we are the ones that build these walls. We do it to ourselves, it is not done to us. We are the ones responsible for what happens when we cut ourselves off emotionally and spiritually. And we are the ones who need to tear down the walls, no matter how painful or difficult that may be.

Overall, the evening was one of the best concerts I've ever attended. An added thrill was that everyone around me seemed to get what was going on, and enjoying not just another show but a blend of spectacle and meaning, sight and sound.

I waited thirty years for this. It was worth it.

CONCERT REVIEWS and PICTURES by other BD CONTRIBUTORS

We welcome all contributions!

YOUR HELP NEEDED! We want to cover Roger's concerts the best we can, to share the experience with everyone, especially those who won't be able to attend the shows. We'd love to see ANY pictures, tickets scans, reviews, newspaper reports, and anything else you come across for this show - we look forward to hearing from you!