The legendary Wall concerts in 1980 and 1981 stuck pretty rigidly to the album, due to the constraints of the theatrical experience involved. With a number of stage staff progressively building the wall in front of the performers, it was vital that things ran to time. It is therefore very difficult to tell the difference between the shows, all of which have been available on unofficial records, tapes, CDs, and even the odd video.

The following guide identifies the differences between each show - chiefly Roger's dialogue before the song Run Like Hell. This article was written and researched by Paul Houlston and Ian Russell, and originally appeared in Brain Damage Magazine.

REHEARSALS

• Friday 1st February 1980
  The Paramount Studios in Los Angeles was the place where the Wall Shows rehearsals took place. Photos of the rehearsals appear in Roger Waters 1987 KAOS tour programme. Remarkably, the tape of the performance was correctly identified by an advert for a TV show playing on the television in the background, by Jon Rosenberg.
   
  A run through from "The Thin Ice" to "The Show Must Go On" reveals many technical mistakes; Roger giving the crew, roadies, lighting engineers, computer programmers and even fellow band members a bad time.

The Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California

• Thursday 7th February 1980
  The first and major way to identify this is the fire on stage during "Empty Spaces" caused by rogue pyrotechnics. The show resumes once it is extinguished. Roger: "Good evening. Do you like our pig? This next song is a little song for all you paranoics in the audience. I'm sure there's a lot of you out there; it's called Run Like Hell. Piggy go home!"
• Friday 8th February 1980
  The first clue to this is the extended instrumental passage just prior to "Goodbye Cruel World" known on ROIOs as "Almost Gone". Basically a filler to buy some time for technical problems. Roger: "Thank you. This next song is a song for all you paranoics in the audience. I expect there's a few of you out there; it's called Run Like Hell. Piggy home! Do you like our pig? This is it...ugh...ooh!" This show is the source of the ROIO "Little Black Book With My Poems In" and the incomplete "KOBE".
• Saturday 9th February 1980
  Roger: Do you like our pig? Go home pig. Go on, off you go. This next tune is... one for all the paranoids in the audience; I'm sure there's a few out there. It's called Run Like Hell."
• Sunday 10th February 1980
  Roger: "Thank you. Do you like my swine? He doesn't like you very much. This next tune is for all the paranoids in the audience; I expect there's quite a few. It's called Run Like Hell... Swine home, go, ooh, disco... um... um..."
• Monday 11th February 1980
  No tape of this concert appears to be in circulation; please can you contact us if you have this show (please ensure you check the recording against this guide to make sure it is not another date...).
• Tuesday 12th February 1980
  Roger: "Thank you. Does anybody here like my pig? He'll be glad about that, because he's not a very secure pig. A pig that's not secure. This next song is for the piggy who's not very secure, and for all his fellow paranoids in the audience tonight, it's called Run Like Hell."
• Wednesday 13th February 1980
  Roger: "Thank you. You like our pig? He's not a very good pig, but he's a BIG pig. We're gonna play a tune for you now that I'd like to dedicate to all the paranoids in the audience, of which I'm sure there are many: Let's hear it for all the paranoids - called Run Like Fuck. Home piggy home!"

The Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, Long Island, New York

• Sunday 24th February 1980
  Roger: "Do you like my piggy? He's not too keen on some of you. This next tune is dedicated to all the paranoids in the audience. I'm sure there are a few of you out there, and it's called Run Like Hell. Piggy home... ooh... ooh."
• Monday 25th February 1980
  Roger: "Thank you. Do you like our pig? He's not a very nice pig, but he's a big pig? This next tune I would like to dedicate to all the paranoids in the audience - I'm sure there's a few in the house - it's called Run Like Hell. Byeee piggy [guitar starts] ooh, ooh, ooh disco!" At the beginning of the show, the stage announcer, Jim Ladd, mentions gettings telegrams from President Carter, Matt Dillon and Neil Young.
• Tuesday 26th February 1980
  Roger: "Thank you. Do you like our pig? We like him; he hasn't got a lot of class but there's a lot of him. This next song is for all the paranoids in the audience, and it's called Run Like Hell. Home piggy, go home [slips into German accent] raus, get out - schnell!" This is the source of the ROIO "The Call Comes Alive".
• Wednesday 27th February 1980
  Roger: "Thank you. Do you like our pig? He's not a very nice pig, but he's a BIG pig! There's more to our pig than meets the eye. So home pig, go on, fuck off! Puffed up, overblown, pork eyed garlic fat thing, go on, go. This tune I'd like to dedicate to all the paranoid folk in the audience tonight, of whom I'm sure there are many. It's called Run Like Hell."
• Thursday 28th February 1980
  Roger: Do you like our pig? He's not a very nice pig, but he's a BIG pig. This song is a song for all the paranoids in the audience; it's called Run Like Hell. Home piggy home." This is the source of the ROIOs "And The Walls Came Down" and "Pink Floyd The Wall" 3LP set.

Earl's Court Exhibition Hall, London

• Monday 4th August 1980
  Roger: "This next tune is one for all the paranoids in the audience. It's called Run Like Hell. It's quite complicated, so you'll have to listen carefully. [guitar starts] Home piggy!"
• Tuesday 5th August 1980
  Roger: "Thank you. Do you like our pig? We don't like him very much. Right that's enough fun; home piggy. This next one is for all you disco fans - got a nice bouncy beat - it's called Run Like Hell."
• Wednesday 6th August 1980
  Roger: "Thank you. Home piggy. This is for all the pig lovers in the audience; and disco freaks; for all the paranoids and psychopaths - it's called Run Like Fuck!" This is the source of the ROIO "The Wall... Performed Live".
• Thursday 7th August 1980
  Roger: "Do you like our pig? Seems to be back in tune. We're going to play something for all you disco fans, something you can all clap your hands to. Home piggy home. Here we go, together we can conquer the world. It's for all you paranoids and psychopaths here tonight. It's called Run Like Hell."
• Friday 8th August 1980
  Roger: "You get that pig out of here! Have you all seen enough of the pig? Home piggy, go on. Gonna do a song in a minute for all the disco freaks in the audience; also for the paranoids and psychopaths; also for Alan Jones of the Melody Maker... you stupid shit - winner of the small brain contest 1980. It's called Run Like Fuck."
• Saturday 9th August 1980
  Roger: "You still like the pig? He's an old pig, but he's still a big pig. This next tune is for all the paranoids in the audience; it's called Run Like Hell..."

Westfalenhalle, Dortmund

• Friday 13th February 1981
  Roger: "Thank you very much. Are you having a good time? Do you like our pig? Yeah, we like him. Go away pig, we've seen enough of you. We're gonna play a song soon for all the clappers in the audience; now you can all have a jolly good clap to this one, and it's called Run Like Hell."
• Saturday 14th February 1981
  Roger: "You leave our pig alone. [German accent] We have ways of making you clap and this is one of them - called Run Like Hell".
• Sunday 15th February 1981
  Roger: "Thank you very much. Yeah, wow, wow, get down. Do you like our pig? Home piggy. This next tune is one to clap your hands to, and it's called Run Like Hell."
• Monday 16th February 1981
  Roger: "Thank you very much. Welcome to the Westhalenhalle. Do you like our pig? Oh God it's big; he's going... going away, bye bye piggy. Say bye bye to the piggy. Bye bye piggy. We usually have a song sheet for this next one so you can sing along, but unfortunately the mechanism has broken tonight, so only the ones in the audience who know the words will be able to join in - the rest can clap. It's called Run Like Hell. Wait for it... wait for it... wait for it..."
• Tuesday 17th February 1981
  Roger: "Thank you. Do you like our pig? Oi! Leave him alone. Now you shouldn't have waved at him, it excites him. Home piggy. All right, all right wait for it, we ain't started yet. I see you know when a clapping number comes, and this one's for all the androids in the audience, 'cause there must be quite a few of you out there tonight. It's called Run Like Hell. You can all have a jolly good clap."
• Wednesday 18th February 1981
  Roger: ""Thank you, thank you. Do you like our pig? He doesn't seem to like you very much. Come on piss off pig. We're not very keen on animals... the only good animal is a dead animal. In a minute we're gonna play a number for all you asteroids in the audience. It's called Run Like Hell, and we can all clap our hands - it's gonna be fun."
• Thursday 19th February 1981
  Roger: "Thank you. Please don't try and touch the pig. He's dangerous to some. Do you like our pig? Right that's enough of piggy. This next song is to fathom out all the hecklers, not that there seem to be many here this evening. It's called Run Like Hell. You can all clap along, as soon as Dave is ready; we can all have a damn good clap. Wow, get down, disco, wow, clap, clap."
• Friday 20th February 1981
  Roger: "Thank you, thank you very much, you're too kind. Do you like our pig? He doesn't seem to like some of you very much, but he's a funny pig. You know he's funny that way. He likes some people and he doesn't like others. Home piggy. This is a little disco tune we can all clap our hands to and whistle. Hey, it's fun time, any day now, it's called Run Like Hell and let's enjoy ourselves; get down mmmm." This is the source of the ROIO Vinyl (NB - not the CD) "Wallive".

Earl's Court Exhibition Hall, London

• Saturday 13th June 1981
  Roger: "Good evening. Do you like our pig? Home piggy. This next tune is for all the paranoids in the audience; I'm sure there are many. It's called Run Like Hell. You can all clap your hands to this one. [German accent] Zis is a disco number. Jah, that's right. Together we can take over the world."
• Sunday 14th June 1981
  Roger: "Thank you very much. I wish I could say we're sorry for the delay, but we're not that sort of a group. Go home piggy. Do you like our pig? This next tune is one you can all clap your hands to [rest of sentence drowned out by guitar] ...is for you and it's called Run Like Hell."
• Monday 15th June 1981
  Roger: "Thank you very much. Do you like our pig? He obviously doesn't like some one out there, so in an audience this size there are bound to be a few outsiders. Are there any paranoids in the audience tonight? Is there anyone who worries about things? Pathetic! If we spend too much time worrying about things, we won't get on. Together we can rule Earl's Court. Anyway, for those of you undiscovered here, this one's called Run Like Hell; this one we can all clap our hands to. Not yet - wait for it [starts ranting]"
• Tuesday 16th June 1981
  Roger: "Thank you all very much. This next song's for all the whistlers in the audience. Are there any whistlers in the audience? Let's all have a fucking good whistle. Christ I must learn to do that, it sounds such fun. This is called Run Like Hell. I'd like to see you all getting your hands together and having a good time. Mmmm, disco! Get down!"
• Wednesday 17th June 1981
  Roger:"Thank you, welcome. Are you gonna have a good time? Does anyone here like pigs? This one is for all you weak people in the audience. Is there anyone here who's weak? This is for you; it's called Run Like Hell. Let's have a clap." Also, just before Young Lust: "Well, at least Neil Diamond's not here tonight. That's something isn't it? This is called Young Lust. Sorry Neil, only joking." This is the source of the ROIO CD (NB - not the vinyl) "Wallive". This is the last time that Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright played a complete live show together (getting back together for a few songs at the Live 8 concert in July 2005, some 24 years later).

Wall trivia...

The announcers at The Wall shows were as follows:

7, 9, 12, 13 February 1980 - Cynthia Fox
10 February 1980 - Jim Ladd
24-28 February 1980 - Gary Yudman
4-9 August 1980 - Gary Yudman
13-20 February 1981 - Wili Tomsik
13-17 July 1981 - Gary Yudman