Sometime in my early teens I was forced to make a particularly difficult decision. It had nothing to do with school, or my part-time job at Del Taco, it didn’t even have a thing to do with a member of the opposite sex. No, my dilemma was of a much more serious nature for it involved live music.
On the one hand I could go see The Cure, Depeche Mode and Nitzer Ebb at Dodger Stadium: a spectacular triple bill for those of us predisposed to aching black depression. Or, on the other hand I could go see legendary psychedelic rockers Pink Floyd who were performing at the Hollywood Bowl. In the end I chose The Cure and company.
As it turned out this was a monumental mistake. Sure the concert was great but the tailgate party in the parking lot after the show was a riot. Literally. A riot broke out, and both groups of friends that I had come to the show with left in their respective cars without me.
I had to call my dad to pick me up. Ouch. It’s not that riots are all that uncommon in L.A. but parents still aren’t used to breaking out the station wagon at 2:30 in the morning to pick up their black-clad snot-nosed kid from the middle of one.
So I guess I should have gone to see Pink Floyd. You probably think so too. I bet if I ever get to meet Robert Smith from the Cure or Martin Gore from Depeche Mode they will look at me kind of funny and ask me what the hell I was thinking.
I’m not sure if Pink Floyd is planning on touring anymore so I may have missed my chance to witness greatness. I do know, however, that the next best thing is currently on the road, stunning audiences night after night with their renditions of classic Floyd gems. Pink Floyd tribute band The Machine will be playing Belly Up Aspen on Thursday, April 3.
The Machine are not your average, half-assed, fly-by-night cover band. You won’t see them at any upcoming weddings, birthdays or mitzvahs, neither bat nor bar. No, The Machine are in the upper echelon of tribute bands. In fact, because of their longevity (they formed in 1988) they might just be the touchstone for what has become a whole sub-genre of modern music.
There is something spooky about The Machine’s ability to so completely become Pink Floyd. It is as if every band member, every instrument, every digital effect, guitar pick, reverberation and nuance of tone is possessed by the same benevolent spirit that has guided each and every Pink Floyd recording.
The genuine article, Pink Floyd, have a musical style all their own. There are subtle aspects to their music such as tone, rhythm and melody that other bands rarely even try to duplicate, usually for fear of being ridiculed for ripping off Pink Floyd. The Machine don’t have that problem. Quite to the contrary they have to “rip off” every tiny detail. They have to get lost in the minutiae.
Take for example, their version of “Echoes” off of Floyd’s 1971 album “Meddle”. There is a moment during the intro where the piano, guitar, drums and organ all come together for the first time to forge a sound that is very nearly the definition of Pink Floyd. There is suspense, drama, beauty and the hint of darker intention. The Machine pick up on all of it and reproduce the outcome with such command it makes you second guess yourself as to which band you’re actually hearing.
Everyone knows that, although the songs are what sell albums, they are only part of the true Pink Floyd experience. The live performance, the spectacle is what really draws the crowd. Here again, The Machine do not disappoint.
Visually, The Machine take all their cues from Pink Floyd shows of the not-so-distant past, if on a smaller scale. Lasers and colorful funnels of light are plentiful, as are fog machines and projected images. Strobe lights swirl and sometimes darkness sets just the right mood.
This band The Machine are ridiculously talented and well-versed in their knowledge of all things Pink Floyd. Not only have they performed the classic album “The Wall” live in front of a giant screen playing the movie “The Wall,” they have played “The Dark Side of the Moon” live while “The Wizard of Oz” played on a movie screen behind them.
In 2004 The Machine released a live concert DVD and CD entitled “Two Nights at the Keswick.” It is an outstanding primer for anyone looking to check them out.
Much more could be said about these Floydophiles from New York but for now consider yourselves welcomed to The Machine.
hood@aspendailynews.com