Rain, Brit Floyd, and Aussie Floyd Live

As Rush fans come to terms with with the end of an era. All of us who experienced Rush live witnessed the complexity of live to the nth degree. There may be shows on the road with twice the light show and massive risers and flame throwers and everything including the kitchen sink, but in the end, there's far too much flash and cash with very little substance as many of these high dollar acts go through the motions. The shows are enjoyable, but ultimately there is always a level of disappointment - always something missing.

Prior to Covid-19 I went to more live shows in the two years prior than I may have collectively seen my entire life. That's probably an exaggeration, but it also provides perspective.

There were three acts I saw twice during that time and each on separate tours; Brit Floyd, Aussie Floyd, and Rain. I believe they are all going to be touring again and tickets may already be on sale for a venue in your area.

I saw Beatlemania when they toured in the early 1980's, they were fantastic and as far as I knew they would be the last word on the great Beatles tributes, but I was wrong. Rain is a wonderful experience. I was lucky enough to attend the 50th anniversary of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" show and their Tribute show to "Abbey Road." These shows were so much fun and the beauty of it is they will be playing live again at a venue near you. Go see them! Nothing is ever going to fill the void that Rush left, but with Rain I was able so suspend belief and watch the Beatles live, and I loved it.

I was lucky enough to see Pink Floyd twice on their last tour. It could be said Roger Waters is the keeper of the Pink Floyd live experience these days. His shows are stunning, and if you can catch him live. The synergy Rush fans thrive for from a live performance is dominating in a Roger Waters concert. His shows are not cheap. I think they are almost twice as much as what Rush sold their ticket for on their final tour. I know I paid a mint for mine and I was in the nose bleed section, but the acoustics were spot on. Roger Waters is the real deal.

Then there is Brit and Aussie Floyd. They are both Pink Floyd Tribute acts and if you bank in early enough you can pick seats anywhere in the venue for no more than $200 up near the the front row, and maybe $80 floor center. The pandemic may inflate prices in the coming performance, but in the past I went to four shows, twice for each of that acts and I don't believe I paid more than $80 on average a seat. The fist two shows I was near the font, the last two shows I got seats on the floor about 20 rows back in the center. Both of these shows are pure extravaganza and celebration of the music Pink Floyd. The light and laser shows are out of this world. So don't make the mistake I made the first two show and sit too close to the front. Again the beauty of this and the whole reason I am writing this article is they will at some point in the near future be at a venue near you. Both Brit and Aussie Floyd are a must see for any Rush fan.

I hope in some small way this article puts a little magic back into the music. Rush fans owe it to themselves to see these acts, and in closing. Look to your smaller venues, some of our vintage and legendary rockers are out doing smaller and intimate shows. What is so wonderful about these types of shows is you're always going to run into and spark up a conversation with a fellow fan. The last show at a small venue I attended before the pandemic was British Lion and yes indeed between sets we were all sharing our thoughts on Neil.