PINK FLOYD HOOSIERDOME – Indianapolis, Indiana 6-14-94

I was sooo excited for this trip. This was only my second or third concert ever, the other two being Survivor and ZZ top earlier that year. I was going to see Pink Floyd! I was going there with my cousin Scott and another good friend Jake. Scott told me how he had heard Floyd's shows were unlike any other, and that during their shows you were supposed to remain quiet during the songs. That thought intrigued me. I had no idea what to expect except seeing the Delicate Sound Of Thunder video and the tiny picture of the new stage on the Take It Back single. I had maybe half to three fourths of Floyd's cds at the time and was deeply ensconced in their music. So on we rode in a tiny pickup, the three of us packed like sardines in 90+ degree heat with no air conditioner. Once we finally got to Indianapolis it was like a huge street party. For about a ten-block radius around the Hoosier Dome there were people everywhere. The gates didn't open for at least an hour, so we headed off for food. Along the way I was stopped numerous times by all kinds of people. Some were fans eager to see the show, some were selling tickets, and some were trying to sell acid. Funny enough someone asked me if I was interested in buying some "Kool-aid", to which I cracked up laughing much to the person's dismay. An hour later, we walked up the giant steps to go into the dome. They made me take off my hat to check if I was hiding taping equipment, to which I again laughed pretty hard.

So here we were inside the huge magnificent Hoosier Dome. We chatted a bit with fans, took the place in, and started towards our seats. Now I had terrible "limited view" seats to this show (thanks to a record store owner telling me the wrong time to buy tickets), which I knew were getting worse as we walked further and further around the building into no-man's land. But on our way I got to peek through an open area at the empty stage. "WOWWWW!!!" I said, never having seen anything like it. A huge half- dome that took up the width of the football field! So we carried on till we finally found the door, then we proceeded up lots and lots of stairs to almost the top far left of the audience. From here we could only see the side of the stage. Immediately my heart sunk. "What a gyp!" "We'll never see anything here!". But we waited and waited..as more and more people began to fill up this enormous place. As the crowd noise got a bit louder we started to hear strange noises, like birds chirping. Then what sounded like a lawn mower bouncing around the speakers, to which the crowd let out a huge cheer. This continued for a good 20 minutes. We were getting impatient because the band was late according to the ticket, we didn't know until afterward that this was to allow the sun to set (though we were inside – the Hoosierdome has a clear covering over the top of it).

Then suddenly the lights went black. A thundering roar came from the crowd, myself included. And music roared up above the crowd noise. It took me a second to recognize that it was "Astronomy Domine". I recognized this one from owning the Take It Back single. The lighting seemed to dance over the stage front where I could make out Dave and Tim Renwick..but that was it. The room was awash with blue light. If only I had seen the blob art that I later saw on the Pulse video. The night was off to a great start. What would they play next?

As Astronomy came to a roaring close, the opening Delicate Sound drums to "Learning To Fly"! I could see the backup singers now also..and what an amazing guitar performance. I think this song was about that year being a starting point for me for many things..and in many ways it was. I was completely lost in this song as well as the excitement of the crowd. The mid-section seemed to drift about the crowd as if the music itself were flying. The song ended and Dave mumbled something we couldn't understand..and then the new stuff.

"What Do You Want From Me" kicked off, setting a bluesy tone for the newer songs that I had hoped to hear tonight. The song had a slightly different feel from the album version..maybe a bit darker and murkier. In any case I liked it. When the song finished it started into a song I was growing to love.. "On The Turning Away". This version didn't have the long intro of Delicate Sound. The lyrics of this one seemed to hit especially hard to me that night. At this point I think I realized the beginning would be mostly newer Floyd. However many fans were getting restless and going for beers. Sad for them to have missed it. But so far there was not too much going on lighting-wise. Mostly just colorful shadows around the stage. The sound was magnificent though. Even in our "nose-bleed" seats the sound was crisp and came to life.

Next came the jangle of guitar from "Take It Back". At this point little twinkly lights were all over the stage. I swear to this day that intro reminds me of U2. So I immediately recognized it. The middle section of the song was especially good. Next was the song I couldn't recall right off hand. "A Great Day For Freedom". I liked the lyrics to this song, but it has taken time to grow on me. At this point I think a good section of the audience was out getting drunk for later. I just sat and took it in. As the song ended an ominous chord got louder and louder, and I saw the first of the lasers. From my vantage point, they seemed to be spinning patterns on the ceiling (remember I was sideway to the stage). Then after a minute I realized this was "Sorrow". I didn't yet know this song very well. Very dark and the lasers went very well with the song – cast out across the huge crowd. As the song finally ended came a favorite of mine – "Keep Talking". The stage was lit up with projections of hieroglyphics crossing by each other and onto the walls behind the stage as well. Then the bottom front of the stage lit up with similar symbols. The lasers lit up the air and danced back and forth like stereo decibel meter needles. The end of this song was amazing, as Dave played a "tube solo" that added a lot of depth to the ending of the original version.

Now came a familiar "THUD!"…. "One of These Days"!! I have loved this one since I first ever heard it. The air lit up with all kinds of amazing lighting and lasers that danced across the clouds of smoke. Very mind-bending! I kind of kept my eyes peeled for a pig – I had known about that from the video. But after the trippy "choppy" bass part and the drum hits.. I look up and lo and behold – THAT's what those towers were for! Two huge pigs! One was on each side of the stage lurching out as if ready to leap into the audience and devour them. Some poor sap a few rows down was losing his mind and looked like he was about to die - the same guy who tried to sell me acid before the show…I almost felt sorry for him. As the phenomenal slide solo came to a roaring close..the pigs launched out of their towers into the front row. "Oh my god was that on purpose?" I thought out loud. At that point Dave announced a 20 minute break (to clean up the fallen pigs I presumed). I raced to the restroom and then raced back and stayed glued to my seat for what seemed like forever. Then the lights went out again..20 minutes exactly.

After an intermission in which I did not want to move from my seat, and seemed to take forever, the lights slowly dimmed and the music came up. And it was the opening strains of Shine On. Now since we had poor seats, I was only able to focus on the music, not the wonderful Storm video I would later see when I saw a video later of the tour. The song was beautiful. Then the final strains from the awesome sax solo by Dick Parry, and alarms!! At this point many in the audience woke up and started cheering wildly. The intro was very cool and the song as well. Then from the end of Time, the tolling bell led into High Hopes. This was a song I was really awaiting. Some of the crowd appeared bored and went for beer again, but many of us were really taken in by this song, HH led to Great Gig. At the time this was a song my cousin didn't care for, so he was cringing as it started but he watched attentively anyway. I thought it was pretty good, but like the version on the album vocal-wise much better... then the song ended and I heard familiar radio tuning sounds. I got very excited as did much of the audience that already knew. The intro to WYWH. After the first few notes most people started cheering. As the first verse started, lighter after lighter lit up. Soon the thousands of people audience were a mass of light...it was just beautiful, as was the massive sing along of the crowd, which really made the song feel special. It was either this song or Another Brick that made Dave respond "I don't know who's louder, you or us!". After the spine tingle of Wish You Were Here ended then came Us n Them. Even though we couldn't see video...the "black...and blue" part was memorable as during "black" the lights went off completely...maybe considered a cheesy effect but very powerful I thought. Then came Money and was not a song I was looking forward to. Especially since I had not long before seen Delicate Sound Of Thunder and couldn't stand the woo-woo parts of the new version. In this version it seemed the woo-woos were much lower in the mix and much less annoying. The solos were just awesome, so I enjoyed it after all.

Then after the song faded, I'm wondering "well where in the hell are all the Wall songs?". I heard familiar helicopters. The helicopters got louder and searchlights started circling all over the audience. This was where the adrenaline kicked in. David starts with the opening notes of Another Brick...part1?? Would he sing it? Well he didn't, but the intro was very cool, and then once it started the "ahhh-ahhh" intro everyone was pretty much up and ready to sing along. It was crazy. For a second it felt like the crowd was thousands of school children all singing along like in the movie. The song was outstanding, especially for a song people knock for being in every show. You had to be there I guess. Then as the song ends, we heard David say something hard to understand, and then a pause...and I'm hoping...and it happens..YES! Comfortably Numb! And even as it started I was expecting the overblown vocals of the DSOT album, but no! I could hear Rick! Wow! And so started the long long LONG version of Comfortably Numb to my happiness. When the chords of the second solo started it was one long continuous high for me. And along with the lasers, which really accented the notes, halfway through the solo, out of the middle of the crowd a huge burst of light! It was like millions of stars bathing the audience in light from the largest mirror ball I've ever seen. And just when it was as great as it could get...the solo starts taking amazing turns and morphs into a siren, accented by the mirror ball splitting and making these creepy shadows of light dancing to the music. The solo could have gone on forever and it would have been great. When the song ended I was exhausted from the ride. I was cheering so hard I could barely talk. Then the band came back and said goodnight. Well..what could possibly follow that??

A few minutes later, massive cheers again and of course I'm hoping for more Wall. And I was answered with Hey You. Very beautiful calming music to bring me down a bit from CN, until of course that solo...when the 3d effects made it sound like the entire audience was squirming with electronic worms. Amazing! Then HY dies out, and here it is..I knew it was coming...the sketchy flicking of a harsh guitar, and tons of lasers perfectly in time...then nothing. Huh? What happened? Then it starts again...lasers bouning all over to the guitar, then nothing. Then it starts and launches into this little improv thing and back down to "dum-duhduhduhm-duhduhduhm" and Run Like Hell! I have never seen so much light. Every friggin' effect they had and then some. The mid section was crazy...then right before the last refrain...BOOM!!! Towers of fire, along with lasers, smoke, the sun itself, Mr Screen doing flippy things....I didn't want it to end but knew it had to. It was sad and euphoric at the same time. The song hit its last chords, the audience, including me, cheered forever. We didn't want it to end. Dave comes back out and says "thank you very much..good night to you" and the lights came on. On the way out..all I could say was "DAMN!" I was just speechless. The streets outside were still like one big party, and we eventually found the place we parked blocks away and made our way home listening to floyd tapes all the way. That night will be etched in my memory forever.

Robert