Spinner

Roger Waters to Take 'The Wall' Back on the Road in 2010

Roger WatersIt's been 30 years since Pink Floyd released 'The Wall' and founding member Roger Waters has performed it 31 times since then. He's looking to more than double that number this year as he celebrates the album's big anniversary by launching a massive North American tour, during which he'll perform 'The Wall' in its entirety, backed by a full band and state-of-the-art production that's suitable for, well, Pink Floyd.

"30 Years ago when I wrote 'The Wall' I was a frightened young man," Waters tells Spinner. "Well, not that young -- I was 36 years old. It took me a long time to get over my fears. Anyway, in the intervening years it has occurred to me that maybe the story of my fear and loss with it's concomitant inevitable residue of ridicule, shame and punishment, provides an allegory for broader concerns: Nationalism, racism, sexism, religion, whatever! All these issues and 'isms are driven by the same fears that drove my young life."

"This new production of 'The Wall' is an attempt to draw some comparisons, to illuminate our current predicament, and is dedicated to all the innocent lost in the intervening years."

The album's principal songwriter, Waters first took the rock opera on the road for Pink Floyd's 1980-1981 tour in support of its release. Nearly a decade later, in July of 1990, Waters staged a moving and meaningful solo performance of 'The Wall,' to celebrate the actual fall of the Berlin Wall. Nearly half a million fans showed up for that one.

The album itself remains one of the Top 5 best selling albums of all time in the U.S. -- discovering it, along with the movie of the same name, has become something of a rite of passage for American teenagers, year after year. That's not going to change ... even after they find out that their parents scored tickets for this but hired the babysitter for the night.

Waters will be touring across North America, kicking things off in Toronto on Sept. 15. Tickets go on sale May 10. Check out the complete list of tour dates here.

Roger Waters Dates
on TourTracker.com

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Harout Wazirkajoyan

Should be a great concert.

May 10 2010 at 6:23 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Terri

I saw the original 'The Wall' in Los Angeles decades ago (I'm 55). I was blown away that they actually built that huge wall and made it tumble down at the end. Quite an engineering feat back then. Paid $45/ticket which was a lot of money back then.

I'm selected for pre-sale tickets, 2 for $500, in Boston so it will easily cost $1000 with travel/lodging for the evening (I live near NYC)and I'm trying to figure out whether it will be worth it, does it sound like it will be a life changing event? Anybody have any inside info?

Thanks.

May 06 2010 at 12:56 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Avi Goldstein

I would love to see Roger perform The Wall. Here is why I won't. When I saw him at Madison Square Garden a few years ago, he turned the concert into a quasi-political event, mostly again then-President Bush and against the State of Israel. He absurdly compared the Berlin Wall to the defensive wall Israel was forced to build to protect itself from terrorists. And he equated the murderous Hamas organization with Israelis who don't agree to all the Arab demands that have been put forth in negotiations. So sadly I shall pass on this one.

April 19 2010 at 8:52 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Kevin

Yeah, man....

April 15 2010 at 4:31 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Russell

I will be there in Tacoma!!! Roger Waters is f@#$ing awsome!!!! Kon, he will announce European and world dates for next year later on.

April 15 2010 at 2:25 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
brad

Don't get your hopes up for a Floyd tour. Since Rick Wright passed away David Gilmour says he's reluctant to perform without him as it would not be the same. He was okay to work under the Floyd moniker without Roger Waters, but not without his other bandmates. Bob Geldoff was the only person with enough stroke to get them to put aside differences. Waters said it all when he was quoted in an interview,"... my lyrics, ... their lasers and dry ice."

April 15 2010 at 12:33 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jim

Robert
at 4-13-2010I saw Waters a couple of years ago. And he performed some Floyd as well as solo stuff. But the second half of the show was Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety. I too was skeptic. I saw "waterless Floyd" in concert. But, Mr. Waters pulled it off. One of the best concerts i ever say.
I wish he would "Animal" in its entirety. NOW THAT WOULD BE EXCELLENT.

I agree, Robert! "Animals" is probably the most under rated album they ever did. It was even better when they did it live on the 1977 tour, I have the bootleg and they really jammed on some cuts. That whole tour, as bad as Waters regards it, really deserved some kind of official live album since they did all of Animals and Wish You Were Here, plus cuts from Dark Side and even pulled out "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" as an encore.

April 13 2010 at 5:52 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
zuk

OK..So this person is saying so and so did this and that person says so and so did something else. Now what I ask is, does it really matter? If you like the music, then go to the show. If you don't, then don't. I'm a long time fan, and I've seen the Floyd with Gilmour and Waters, and without Waters. I've also seen Waters on solo tours. The bottom line is that if you like the album and want to see a fantastic show, go to it.

April 13 2010 at 9:15 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jack

No David Gilmore, No Go

April 13 2010 at 9:08 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Bob

Having been a Pink Floyd fan, I can understand the enthusiasm of wanting to see it done live...but Roger waters was the Writer of The Wall and PART of Pink Floyd...The album was, in my humble opinion, just as much carried by the OTHER artists, namely, (of course) David Gilmoure's Vocals and nearly flawless mastery of the lead solo performances. (Comfortably Numb is damned near Impossible to mimic) The last "reunion" should have been proof enough that Waters has Nothing left in him...his vocals were embarassing. Boxers need to know when to quit, and they dont...Obviously, psychologically tortured geniuses dont either.

April 13 2010 at 12:15 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply