Spirit of Floyd is reborn

On stage were three guitarists, three chick vocalists of impeccable pedigree, a drummer giving it the old bish-bosh, and a pair of keyboard players making noises. Posing triumphantly above them was the figure of Roger Waters, the man who was once in Pink Floyd and is still an avid guardian of their legacy.

I'll say this for old Rog, he's looking lean and mean in his black ensemble. The years of therapy and fighting with his erstwhile band-mates have kept him trim. But my overwhelming feeling was of déjà-vu. This was a progressive rock band. We don't do progressive rock bands any more.

And this feeling persisted for a good 40 minutes. Rog was determined to take us through what he regards at the best bits of The Wall. This has always seemed, by turns, a sour and preachy record. I was preparing to give this epoch-making In The Flesh world tour the bum's rush when, suddenly, Rog was at the microphone advertising a small surprise and on to the stage bounded Rick Mason, the Pink Floyd drummer.

He took the place of the bish-bosh man, and Rog launched into a version of the old Floyd classic Set The Controls For The Heart of the Sun. It was rather good, and the huge video screen behind the group flickered with images of the good old days.

Following that came Shine On You Crazy Diamond, still the best song the Floyd ever wrote without Syd Barrett. But Syd was what these two highlights have in common. The liquid light show blossomed on the screen, a huge diamond rose from the stage, and the spirit of the man was in the house. Nostalgia is still what it used to be.

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