Roger Waters

Roger Waters: Us + Them

This was one of the most spectacular concert experiences of my life, and I have seen hundreds of shows. I was blown away a few years ago by Roger's The Wall tour and really did not know what to expect from Us + Them.

When I saw the tour was kicking off close to my home I immediately got online to buy a ticket, took the day off from work, and drove to Kansas City to see the opening show of the tour. It was unbelievable and exceeded my expectations. I thought it would just be a singular concert limited to Roger's new album, "Is This the Life We Really Want?", which would have been just fine with me, but it was so much more. If you loved or even just liked The Wall tour you will be equally impressed by Us + Them. I do not make that comparison lightly. The Wall is the gold standard of rock shows in my opinion.

There was so much going on as far as music, videos, and props it is hard to believe that any one person could possibly take it all in. The images were so vivid and carefully constructed it was almost impossible to keep from being overwhelmed by the impact on the audience.

As with much of Pink Floyd music there was a multitude of political statements, mostly critical of Trump and the shameful things going on in the United States today.

The music was a mixture of Roger's solo and Pink Floyd tunes, borrowing heavily from Darkside of the Moon, The Wall, and Animals. You don't have to be a Pink Floyd fan or a Roger Waters fan to love this show. It comes easily if you go by nothing more than spectacle. If you are a Pink Floyd fan you will look at the music in a whole new way. If that's even possible over all these years.

I highly recommend this show to anyone who loves rock 'n' roll, statement theatre, and high production values. The use of stadium sized HD video screens, and the pig and moon drones, followed by the laser pyramid at the end..., you have no idea what you are in for.

The Sprint Center was filled to near capacity with absolutely thrilled fans. There was no barring of video or photography, and there is no way that any one person could take all of the imagery in.

I think if you review setlist.com and look at YouTube videos of the show it will make you want to see the show more and not feel like you've already seen it. Video and photographs do not do justice to everything that was going on nor do they capture the scope and scale.

While watching, I thought of all my friends and family who would enjoy the show, and wish they could've been there with me to experience the sheer joy of this production.

I must also point out how genuinely appreciative and blown away Roger was by the positive response from the audience during his stage interactions. He was clearly pleased with his creation and it's effect on everyone present. As usual he delivers his message in a spot-on manner and clearly connects with what people are feeling in the age of Trump. It is impossible to comment on all the messages and imagery employed during Roger's commentary. Suffice to say that Roger is a master wordsmith and musician and proves it again with Us + Them. He is truly a treasure to be savored. I cannot wait to see him again. His polish, professionalism, and production values blow 99% of other rock acts completely out of the water. What an experience! I highly recommend this show.

I saw the man, (the "legend"!), on his 2010 "The Wall" tour, at the Staples Center here in Los Angeles. I also went to see the "Pros and Cons.." & "Radio Kaos" tours, years back. I expected a lot from "Roger Waters' - The Wall", I have to admit; for I'd read & heard reviews, & knew that Roger was quite proud of the show. I've listened to the original "The Wall" album maybe a thousand or more times since it came out in 1980,(no exaggeration, either), for I truly do love the album. I know it word for word, & note for note. What I got to witness at this concert, though, even exceeded my expectations! It was far and away the best rock concert I've ever experienced 'in my life' - & I say this, after going to maybe 70 major rock concerts over the last 40 years. The sound was amazing, the visuals were mind-boggling, & Roger still sings and plays so incredibly well. Outside of his music, I see Mr. Waters (the man) as a pretty awesome person, too. A creative genius, a true humanitarian who 'cares' about others, & I very much relate to his political views. Just,.. if there is any 'one person' that I consider a "hero" of mine, I suppose it would have to be Roger Waters. In concert, there just is no better, (well, except for maybe Led Zeppelin)LoL; so, in a word, "GO!" (You won't be sorry.)

Roger Waters is an English musician, singer, songwriter and composer best known as the bassist and vocalist with Pink Floyd. However, as a solo artist, he still puts on great concerts. Waters has had a solo career for about thirty years and has come to recent prominence with his anti-war sentiment. During the United States invasion of Iraq led to two new tracks on the Internet: "To Kill the Child", inspired by the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and "Leaving Beirut", an anti-war song inspired by his travels in the Middle East.

Waters puts on a good show that is pretty simple in nature. The focus is on him on the stage as he generally is in skinny tattered jeans and a grungy t-shirt with just him, his guitar, and a microphone. He is still an amazing performer and fills the room with his powerful voice and lyrics. I've seen him play a stadium and he still managed to wow the whole place and it was impossible to stay seated. I wasn't the only one - everyone was standing up and singing along. The epic guitar riffs backed up by drums, keys and a light show and set that was just as epic, making it one scorcher of a concert.

You would be hard pressed to find another show that captures an amazing sound, displays some of the most cutting-edge theatrics, and packs a more powerful message all in one show.

If you are a fan of Pink Floyd, DO NOT MISS THIS SHOW!!! If you are a casual fan, I suspect you would still enjoy this show immensely, though anyone who is an actual fan of the band/Roger knows he wears his political views on his sleeves. If you are completely oblivious to this you are either not a huge fan, or just don't care about politics anyway. It would be like me going to see Ted Nugent and expecting him to say something I wouldn't find repellent- that would be on me.

So, to summarize, if you love the work of Pink Floyd & specifically much of what Roger wrote, plus you are either left-leaning politically (or couldn't be bothered), them go. Otherwise, stay home so actual fans don't have to hear inane chit-chat behind us while trying to enjoy the show.

The music was excellent.
Every Pink Floyd song was spot on.
The sound system sounded great even in the cheap seats. The show was nearly, if not completely sold out and I saw no empty seats. The crowd was well behaved while security was thorough they were not obnoxious.
The only negative was the overbearing Anti-Trump rhetoric with a continuous "F" Trump message splashed across the big screen during many songs. The obligatory flying pig even had Anti-Trump slogans! It was sad that musical performances and artist feel they need to push a political agenda! I felt the whole time this was displayed that if identical slurs had been made against our previous President, the media would have a melt down! CNN, ABC, CBS, MSNBC would have been proud!

WOW! That is all one can truly say about this performance! The theatrics were incredible, the band was top-notch, and Waters himself, hasn't lost a thing, and obviously was deeply moved-by, and appreciative-of his fans. I was pleased to see a sold-out arena for the evening, composed of all age-groups and backgrounds. Personally, my favorite portion, or aspect, of the experience was the political critiques being cast through the imagery and music, with a nice-touch of synchronized youth from the Philadelphia area during 'Another Brick Part 2'. Very dark and thought provoking, as Floyd has been for me through my life. Please return next year! I can-not wait to see The Wall! Thank you for your work to assist in raising awareness! RESIST.

The show was spectacular a real treat for the ears and eyes, I have seen Pink Floyd live (1980, The Wall) David Gilmour live (2016, Royal Albert Hall) and now Roger Waters. All were superb.
What was amazing was the near 10 minute standing ovation near the end of the show - even Roger was somewhat taken aback.
A big age range was in the audience I saw one woman must be near 80 right down to kids around the 10 year old mark.
Sitting beside me was a girl around the 20 mark, who clearly knew all the lyrics and had never seen any Pink Floyd stuff done live before - she was in tears for about half the show, she enjoyed it that much.
Excellent show, pass it on to Roger and his superb band.

Most recent time I have seen Roger Waters was in Birmingham as part of the Us & Them tour. I expected something spectacular and it certainly was visually amazing, and musically excellent with some very good musicians and singers aswell. There was quite a lot of politics, most of which was very relevant, and the audience was very supportive.

If you are expecting more from Roger Waters than merely going through Pink Floyd songs then I definitely recommend seeing him. This show was excellent and definitely not boring - in fact on the 3 occasions I have seen him he has held my interest throughout.

Absolutely stunning! Roger once again managed to completely blow my mind. It was not the show I was expecting but in fact it surpassed my expectations - just the right balance of Floyd with his new material although I would have welcomed a track or two from his first three albums.

I discovered new meaning in all of the Floyd material which is a true testament to the magnitude of their greatness. Was wonderful hearing Roger call out Trump, Putin, et al but also hold the audience accountable - he owned us in the best way possible.

Worth every penny!

All I can say is AWESOME!!! Just what I expected! I can't get one of the new songs he played out of my head and I dreamed about it that night. VERY powerful! David Kilminster played all the Pink Floyd stuff spot on!!! The singers Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig helped make it an amazing show as well but all the people on stage did! Out show was in Vancouver and he got local kids up and singing for "Another Brick in the Wall" which also was spot on. Loved and agreed with all his comments to the audience.