Recently mired in controversy for his outspokenness, Roger Waters is at his best when he steps away from the pulpit and plays his music live. Though he doesn’t leave the pulpit far behind. That’s the deal with Roger Waters: Love him or leave him. If you don’t like his politics, you can, as he addresses that specific lot on the levitating screens at the beginning of the show, “Fuck off to the bar.”
And so it went when he traveled to the Czech Republic in 2023 to bring his This Is Not A Drill production to the O2 Arena in Prague. Filmed in 8k, This Is Not A Drill: Live from Prague The Movie brings the night back to life in glorious detail with an enhanced audio mix. It’s no exaggeration to wish you were there as the show comes together with stunning, eye-popping visuals, Waters’ band — Jonathan Wilson, Dave Kilminster, Jon Carin, Gus Seyffert, Joey Waronker, Robert Walter, Shanay Johnson, Amanda Belair and Seamus Blake — and a repertoire of the singer’s solo works alongside a selection of Pink Floyd favorites.
As I stated when the tour came through my town, the staging is in the round with a screen in the shape of a giant “X” suspended above the stage. Before the show began, the X sat on the surface, dividing the stage into four sections. From the minute the lights dropped, and a dark cityscape and moving silhouettes canvased the X, everyone felt a sudden pull into a dystopian head space. A quiet, orchestrated version of “Comfortably Numb” filled the air and the room with a mixed feeling of hopelessness and anticipation for what was coming next.
The rest of the show moved forward as the suspended screens filled up with colors, images, and messages with plenty of f-bombs, many of which were Waters ‘ thoughts on any given topic, be it the call to resist the government, the case of Chelsea Manning, or the old days of Pink Floyd and the group’s founding guitarist Syd Barrett. When your senses are done being assaulted, a floating sheep, pig, and the soothing tones of Waters’ band somewhat counterbalance the intensity. Which isn’t to say heavy doses of The Wall have a calming effect.
Waters’ voice, always a source of speculation, still belongs to so many of those songs, like “Shine On Your Crazy Diamond, “Sheep” and “In The Flesh.” Like Dylan, those rough edges are part of the deal. As for his own stuff, both “Déjà Vu” and the title track from his 2017 studio release Is This The Life We Really Want? left the audience smitten for more, but then The Dark Side Of The Moon intervened to bring the night to a close. You may be able to resist the government, but you can’t resist the lasers and pyramids that transfixed the arena during “Brain Damage” and “Eclipse.”
While guitarist Dave Kilminster nails the Floyd guitar parts and drummer Joey Waronker concisely fills the pockets, Jon Carin has to be hailed as the ensemble’s ace-in-the-hole. After he lays down the elegant electric piano on “Sheep” — a song Pink Floyd stopped playing after Waters left — Carin plays both synthesizer and slide guitar on “Shine On You Crazy Diamond.” No wonder he’s the only musician to have worked with Pink Floyd after Waters left before joining Waters’ solo band. No conflict of interest there.
As part of what Waters called his “first ever Farewell Tour” and dedicated to “our brothers and sisters all over the world who are engaged in the existential battle for the soul of humanity,” This Is Not A Drill: Live From Prague The Movie is yet another cinematic and sonically charged statement from an old guard who refuses to compromise, even when it comes to delivering a memorable performance. If you missed it in IMAX, the Blu-ray is the next best way to experience the full force of Roger Waters, love him or leave him.
~ Shawn Perry
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This Is Not A Drill: Live From Prague The Movie
