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
|