Brit Floyd
Support: Alan Parsons Project
The Greek Theater – Los Angeles, CA
Friday, July 11th, 2025
Review/Pics: Manuel Gay
This year marks the 50th anniversary of one of the absolute best albums of all time. The stunning Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd. Beyond the obvious beauty and perfection of the record itself, on a personal level it brings back memories of playing the album in the family living room and listening to it religiously with my father. Very few things remind me of him more than Pink Floyd. It was his favorite album, and it became mine too.
What better way to celebrate half a century of Wish You Were Here, than spending it at The Greek Theater with Brit Floyd. Let the record reflect that I have nothing against cover bands, but I’ve never been one to really care to go see a band live. After all, why bother if it’s not the actual band, right? Well, this evening of July 11 opened my eyes and mind to new horizons. This might not have been Roger Waters and David Gilmour on stage, but when I closed my eyes, I honestly couldn’t tell the difference. And I was transported back to the family living room, spinning these records with my old man. The cherry on the top, was legendary musician and producer Alan Parsons opening for them. The fact that the man responsible for engineering and producing Dark Side Of The Moon was opening for them said a lot about how seriously Brit Floyd should be taken.
Alan Parsons – A Living Legend
The Alan Parsons Project disbanded decades ago, but Mr. Parsons has carried on performing the duo’s catalog and it sure felt like an honor to be there. He was actually accompanied on stage by the Brit Floyd band musicians who were all incredible and did great justice to his compositions. They played a variety of songs from multiple albums for about an hour, with no down time. The ensemble kicked the party off with a “Maybe A Price To Pay / Standing On Higher Ground” medley. Alan sat at the center back of the stage, on a highchair, overlooking the musicians like a conductor.
I loved the live rendition of one of my favorites “I Wouldn’t Want To Be Like You”. The audience got very animated when the logo of the 1982 album Eye In The Sky appeared on the giant screen at the back of the stage, before playing “Sirius” and “Eye In The Sky”.
Throughout the set Alan Parsons jumped on vocals for some songs, but singer PJ Olson who often tours with him took on the lead vocal duties most of the time. Before leaving, Alan asked us if we wanted “one more?”. As if anyone would say no to a last treat from the maestro. “Games People Play” was the closer and a great end to a great set.
SETLIST:
The musicians announced a short break before the main attraction of the evening. While everyone was getting situated in the amphitheater, I noticed Josh Freese and Billy Howerdel in the crowd, evidently plotting a Pink Floyd cover album for A Perfect Circle. After twenty minutes or so and as the sun was finally going down behind the Hollywood hills, the musicians came back. This time, as Brit Floyd.
Brit Floyd – The Ultimate Pink Floyd Tribute Band
Brit Floyd opened with “Signs Of Life” and “Learning To Fly” from A Momentary Lapse Of Reason, the first post-Roger Waters album. Overall, the setlist was pretty diverse and touched on close to ten Pink Floyd albums. The lights and artwork on the back screen were gorgeous throughout the night and created an immersive experience for the crowd. Damian Darlington (guitar) and Ian Cattell (bass) alternated lead vocals, switching from one song to the next.
A laser hit the Dark Side Of The Moon logo at the back of the screen and a prismatic laser came out of it, which wowed the whole audience. The band proceeded to play a few songs from the classic album, including a mind-blowing rendition of “The Great Gig In The Sky”. Kudos to vocalist Eva Avila whose performance was breathtaking and received a well-deserved standing ovation. Time came for the “Wish You Were Here” moment and we were not disappointed as they simply performed the full album front-to-back. The thirteen-minutes long “Shine On You Crazy Diamonds, Pt. 1-5” which is a serious contender to being my favorite songs of all time, was incredible.
Although some deep cuts were included in the setlist like “One Of These Days”, we also were treated to a couple of hits such as “Another Brick In The Wall Pt.2” and “Run Like Hell” which was the closer for the night.
SETLIST:
I will not hesitate for a second next time Brit Floyd comes back in town, and neither should you. These brits put on a great show that goes beyond covering a great band, it elevates the tribute band to an art form.
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Brit Floyd
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