With thanks to a Brain Damage regular, we have another trip down memory lane for you, taking a look at an earlier, US show on Pink Floyd's 1994 Division Bell tour. Reviews of older concerts are always very well received, particularly by those who by circumstance weren't able to see the band on that particular tour, or indeed, weren't able to ever see them. If you went to any shows in the band's long history on the road, and want to share your recollections with the Floyd community, do please get in touch. We can often supply suitable pictures (tickets, posters and suchlike) to accompany them. And now, over to Terrence and his memories of the time he saw Pink Floyd play in his area...

It is just over 15 years ago since I went to see Pink Floyd on what now turned out to be their final North American and world tour in support of their brilliant album The Division Bell...

15 years later, this show is still the greatest concert I have attended in my 20 years of concert going (which began with The Who's 1989 reunion tour at Foxboro Stadium on July 14, 1989 for me and is coming to an end with Judas Priest in July as I've seen everyone) and the Pink Floyd show I still hold as best concert I went to only Genesis (on their reunion tour with Phil Collins back on vocals and helping on the drums in Boston) rivalled PF (both are my favorite bands).

I had been a Floyd fan since I was in diapers and missed the Momentary Lapse tour as I was 11/12 respectively in 1987/88. Then in January, 1994 (that month I turned 18th on the 24th) I heard on WZLX and WBCN (local rock stations in Massachusetts) that Pink Floyd were touring the States for the first time since 1988. This gave me my chance to see Floyd. Being a senior I was hard pressed on a choice between either tickets for Pink Floyd or going to a lame Senior Prom (the prom was the 20th of May). My exact words were "To Hell with the prom, I want to see PF". Then we made PF a reality.

My dad (along with my older brother and best friend Dennis who got wristbands as guarantee for tickets) drove in a snowstorm to get my tickets for PF (I didn't tag along as Saturdays were visitation days with my mother (who passed away in 2007 and too a Floyd fan and reason why I became one)). I saw the band at the now, long demolished Foxboro Stadium in Foxboro, MA on Thursday May 19, 1994 (a rather cloudy and rainy day but perfect for PF as they are from England and it rained/showered at every US gig in some shape or form).

By the day of the show, I was more than familiar with the band's then current (and now turned out to be PF's final studio) album The Division Bell (was released April 5 in the States) and was anticipating how well the new material would come across live. The night of the show was cloudy, rainy and cool (perfect weather for England but usual unpredictable weather for Massachusetts (my native home)) and I attended the concert with my beloved older brother JJ, his old friend Steve and my best friend Dennis (still are best friends in 2009). In fact, we were four of the very few, and I do mean few, at the show whom were not either on drugs or drinking that night (I don't smoke or drink or do drugs and neither does Dennis though brother and his buddy love their brewskis).

First thing I did when we got to Foxboro Stadium was bought a program (which I still have and in MINT CONDITION as I took care of it) then we went to my seat (55,000 people there that night). I didn't even eat squat as food was too high though I finished off JJ's iced tea as he didn't like it (wasn't Lipton nor Nestea but I love iced tea).

We sat in anticipation hearing the "Cluster One" soundscape noises over the PA to set the tone. Then the houselights at Foxboro went to dark and all 55,000 people started screaming (I couldn't under doctor's orders because I saw Canadian rockers Rush THREE WEEKS earlier at (what was known then as The Providence Civic Center, now Dunkin Donuts Center) and almost damaged my tonsils because I went to show with tonsillitis but in order to save going under a tonsillectomy, I lip-synched all songs and clapped like the pre-DSotM fans would cheer before DSotM changed the fan reaction at shows).

The Setlist was:

Astronomy Domine (awesome version of the Syd Barrett penned track from Piper at the Gates of Dawn, especially seeing the planet swirling projections plus the "Pluto was discovered in 1913" intro and it was just David Gilmour using his candy apple red Fender Stratocaster (he also had a Telecaster plus Gibson acoustic guitars and Jedsen Lap Steel guitars), Nick Mason at his DW drum kit with Paiste cymbals, Rick Wright (God bless his soul) on his keyboards (two Kurzweil synthesizer/work station keyboards and Hammond Organ) Guy Pratt on his bass playing the track with Gilmour, Wright and Pratt on vocal).

Learning to Fly (was next and a stellar version and the rest of the musicians (Tim Renwick (guitars), Gary Wallis (percussion/extra drums), Jon Carin (keyboards/programming/backing vocals) and the backing singers Sam Brown, Durga McBroom and Claudia Fontaine) came out on stage and during the middle section, there were seagulls projected on the stage (and not the guy taking off in plane film as there was no Mr Screen in first half))

Gilmour then said good evening and thanked the crowd and welcomed us to the "second night in Foxboro" joked about the rain saying they were great at bringing the rain with them (LOL) and hoped we were nice and warm.

What Do You Want From Me (was first song from The Division Bell played next and an excellent version, David's solos were phenomenal here)

On the Turning Away (first surprise of the night and crowd went crazy and the version was superior to DSoThunder version and they had dropped "Lost For Words" for this track, good move)

Take it Back (the current single from TDB at the time followed and was an excellent rendition)

Poles Apart (this was the second surprise (and my second favorite off of The Division Bell) was next and was awesome live and best version of track live and the GOLD lasers during the middle section when it reflected against the clouds to create some cool effects was awesome and before the ending, David switched from acoustic to electric for the final solo and was the best version (better than version on PULSE DVD))

Sorrow (stellar version of the Momentary Lapse closing track, lasers here were unreal, DG's guitar work and singing was on fire and the band's playing was unbelievable)

Keep Talking (from The Division Bell followed and was an excellent reading and Gilmour changed a lyric from "my words won't come out right" to "my words were not so bright" and DG and Rick played their solos in middle slightly different to versions on either TDB or PULSE albums as they improvised and DG's voice box solo at the end was phenomenal)

One of These Days (from 1971's Meddle was a way to finish the first set off and the warthog/pigs popping from towers was unreal and the pyro, well worth price of admission and DG used the red lap steel for the first time all show)

Gilmour and then Mason thanked the crowd and announced a 20 minute intermission is next.

Intermission came and I used the time to buy a T-shirt which was black with the UK album cover art (metal heads with lights between the two heads as pictured) and US tour dates on back (which I still have in excellent condition but don't wear to preserve posterity and keep condition as excellent as possible).

The second set:

Shine On You Crazy Diamond Parts 1-5 (from Wish You Were Here started the second half and was first appearance of Mr Screen and everyone was on stage (including Tim Renwick and Gary Wallis (unlike on PULSE DVD) and Dick Parry's first appearance of the night on baritone and tenor saxophones)

Breathe (excellent version of The Dark Side of the Moon track with Tim Renwick playing the slide guitar parts)

Time (with Breathe Reprise) (both from Dark Side and same effects happened here like on PULSE DVD with computer animation of inside the clock animation)

High Hopes (awesome version of The Division Bell's closing track and they showed the awesome Storm Thorgerson backdrop film. DG's Chet Atkins model classical guitar and lap steel solos were incredible and the ending of High Hopes differed to that on PULSE as the band did a "cold" ending with a long drawn out C Minor chord)

The Great Gig in the Sky (back to Dark Side we went and a great version it was and Mr Parry added some nice sax to intro and Sam Brown, Durga McBroom and Claudia Fontaine did a great job with their rendition)

Wish You Were Here (from album of same name with original album intro including acoustic guitar part before Tim Renwick started on 12 string) (excellent version and whilst most of crowd sang, I had to mime under doctor's orders from almost ruining throat at Rush three weeks earlier)

Us and Them (from Dark Side was an excellent version and ended like the version on DSoThunder ended)

Money (from Dark Side with alien film intro (a bonus feature on PULSE DVD)) (stellar version with a cool breakdown section which DG did some cool guitar solos and ending differed to the one on PULSE)

Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2) (from The Wall similar to version on PULSE but a stellar version and extra lights from Mr Screen)

Gilmour thanked the crowd and hoped we enjoyed ourselves despite the rain, cold and wind (which ALL 55,000 of us in attendance did) and had room for one more which was

Comfortably Numb (from The Wall and the crowd went nuts and was just awesome, DG's ending Stratocaster solo was just jawdropping and the mirrorball rose from the stadium floor and up into the sky and shot beams of light when ball opened which got many cheers)

Gilmour thanked the crowd and said "Good night". I then uttered without screaming "DG is God of the Strat, there is none higher" and JJ said "DG is a porno star" and I said (years before the wrestler The Rock became a reality) "how dare you insult the great one".

encore:

Hey You (superb version and excellent usage of lights onstage and a stellar version)

Run Like Hell (was awesome with pyro and lights swirling (Guy Pratt switched a lyric singing "they're gonna send you back to Boston in a cardboard box" instead of mother on that show) and what a closer with a fireworks display that makes 4th of July celebrations look silly)

We did leave midway through RLH as Dennis and I had to take our English final the next morning at school at 8 am as we were seniors in High School at the time (Dennis would get an F whilst I settled for D- but didn't matter as I passed for year anyway). As we were walking out and we stopped to see fireworks and last explosion happened we ran for car for hour long drive back to Whitman, MA. We then went to 7-11 and had a dinner which was a bottle of Cherry Coke, a 16 oz bag of Pretzels, a 4 pack of Twinkies and a king size Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Crunchy with nuts.

Sadly, in the wake of keyboard player Rick Wright's death last year and David having three more kids in last 15 years, Pink Floyd would not ever tour again (and Wright's death ended PF). However my memories of the show will last forever and am playing the Pigs Over Beantown bootleg CD which I got for my 19th birthday the following year to remember this great show.

Bumper sticker sold at show:

T Shirt I got at show (and still have to this day and in excellent condition I must add as I don't wear it but have as a trophy of seeing PF):

Back of T-shirt I got:

Program that was sold at show and I still have in NEAR MINT CONDITION:

Look back at a phenomenal night and only time I saw Floyd also BEST SHOW I EVER WENT TO!