Waters: "You were a magnificent audience"
Pink Floyd's frontman thanked the city at the end of "The Wall" concert, part of the tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of the album of the same name; more than 40 people attended; he paid tribute to Jean Charles, killed by British police in 2005; sang with students from the Rocinha music school; and made history again.
247_ Former Pink Floyd bassist Roger Waters drew over 40 people to the Engenhão stadium in the Rio suburbs. The show, part of The Wall tour which is touring the world, also had a social message in the Rio performance on Thursday night (29). He paid tribute to Brazilian Jean Charles, killed by London police in 2005 when he was mistaken for a terrorist; he also sang with children from the Rocinha community, who formed a choir with the artist in the song "Another brick in the wall, pt. 2"; trained at the Rocinha Music School, the boys and girls wore t-shirts with the message "fear builds walls", in English.
A technological spectacle, combined with the unmistakable voice of the global legend, further illuminated the mix of generations that spilled beyond the stadium stands. Parents over 40 years old brought their children, now 20 or younger, to see the show.
A wall made of white bricks formed the backdrop for the presentation of 26 songs, almost all composed by Water; the structure featured images of Jean Charles and others with social content. The show was divided into two parts, separated by a 20-minute intermission. "The wall" isn't about me, but about Jean and all of us," the musician said in good Portuguese. He further stated that "The wall of misinformation is the most negative force."
The show opened with sounds of explosions and bursts of machine gun fire; fireworks and inflatable figures provided a kind of home theater effect that echoed the show's message.
The second part featured songs with emotional content and was more theatrical. It brought the audience to tears with the songs "Hey You," when the wall was already fully erected, and "Vera," illustrated by moving images of reunions.
The show closed with "Outside the Wall," performed with ukulele, banjo, accordion, guitar, and trumpet. "Thank you, Rio. You were a magnificent audience," said Waters, who will be performing at Morumbi Stadium in São Paulo on April 1st and 3rd.
The show has already taken place in Santiago, Chile, and in Porto Alegre, last Sunday (25); in all of them Jean Charles was honored.