Just wanted to share this cool YouTube video made by a good friend of Gilmourish, Wray Ellis. He actually attended the concert at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Canada July 6 1977! Of course if you now your Pink Floyd history, this was the last show on the Animals tour and the show where Roger Waters spat in the face of a raving fan. The whole incident says to be the happening that inspired Roger to write The Wall.
As Wray mentions in the clip the show was archived on audio bootleg, commonly by the name “Azimuth Coordinator part 2” or “Who Was Trained Not to Spit in the Fan”. I must say that this is one of my favourite Floyd shows ever and in some way the show that finally made me realize that Animals is the greatest album of all time. Exhausted by the tour the band sucks big time but there are some really great moments and I have never heard Floyd that heavy and aggressive. David’s tone is, in my opinion, his best and I have for as long as I’ve been playing in a Floyd tribute tried to copy it. There’s something about that tone and David’s playing that makes me think that he’s pouring his frustration and aggression towards Roger into his guitar playing. I guess either you love or you hate it…
Check out this fantastic clip from Wray, slap on the bootleg if you have it and don’t forget the article about David’s Animals board. There’s also a couple of audio snippets from the show in the article.
Remember the evening well? came from Plattsburgh AFB had all day to lay down a basewhat a wonderful day to end my military career
definitely. I had a couple of listens to the whole showby now. his tone and playing on pigs is mind boggeling, even more so than on shine on. super aggresive. it really feels like he is taking off, his tone is totally saturated in a way. love it. hearing this really lets me into animals even more, suffice to say it def. is my secret favourite, I find it hard to pick out any floyd record as my favourite, but there is something to that era that maybe got too much pushed into a concept with the wall, it was all a little more loose still, despite the obvious tensions that had been going on in and around the band by that time.
what I also find interesting is that in the 3 rd solo on shine on david seems to switch on the mistress which kind of shifts shine on from 1975 right to the dirty dark ugly duckling that was animals in 77. it’s my birthyear by the way, so that era is special for me anyway. love it, love it, love it.
cheerio, b.
I finally managed to download the montreal gig, good lord, what playing, and what a tone, I am listening to SOYCD part1 as I write, the 3rd solo, man he def. puts all into it, incredible; also the section with the spitting incident, it’s rather shocking, isn’t it? I heard this only for the first time. the way roger screams and all, writing the wall must have been excrutiating for him, those screams sound pretty much the same as the “scottish teacher” (what do we actually call him?!) on the wall (which is ofcourse roger…). I am sure this is old news, it just all fell together for me, fascinating (I am raising an eyebrow here hahaha).
cheers,
bernhard
[Yeah, you can really hear a lot of the tension in the script for The Wall at this performance. Like Wray says, when you’re standing in an audience of near 100.000 it’s hard to see everything that’s happening but for those who were standing right in front of the stage it must have been an overwhelming experience. This was 1977… not 2008 where we’ve seen everything. I think David’s playing throughout the show is outstanding. To some it may sound like he’s drunk or whatever but there’s a tension and a feeling there that I’ve never heard before or since. Absolutely amazing! – Bjorn]
A big thank you to Wray Ellis for telling us what happened and how it happened that night.
I had always thought that the “come on kid, all is forgiven” came after the spat incident. This part now takes a new importance. The music also became mad just after that… What a concert !
Hey, just got done listening to the bootleg of that show… It’s AMAZING! Thank you very much Wray Ellis for telling us the exact spot where he spat at the fan. It was hard to tell because I’ve listened to bootlegs of the wall concerts and have heard him sort of shout out like that too (for theatrical reasons) so I wasn’t sure.
I go to this site: http://www.floydpodcast.com This guy has tons of rare floyd bootlegged audio along with the spitting inccident. Not sure if anyone knows of that website but if you don’t then you should totally check it out. also good for listening for certain tones David used during the shows… check it out!!
Hi Bjorn – thank you for the article on Montreal 1977. I have heard clips from Oakland, CA (May 9th 1977) which is from the same tour and I have to agree that Gulmour’s playing was definitely the best of all time. Having seen them in later years there’s definitely a backlash against Waters. His playing was very dark and moody, especially on Pigs III Different Ones and also Have A Cigar which is heavier sounding than the original. In later years on the Momentary Lapse of Reason tour he seemed to be more at home and relaxed, away from Waters. Thanks for the excellent website and keep up the good work!
[Definitely agree! Both Oakland and Montreal are among my all time favourite shows. – Bjorn]
how do i ot about getting a recording of this show?
i’ve never heard any live floyd prior to pulse.
cheers
Jason
[Try here. – Bjorn]
On Monday 22nd September 2008, to coincide with the Live In GdaÅ„sk album, FENDER will launch the David Gilmour Signature ‘Black Strat’ model.
“The ‘Black Strat’ comes in a hard case (by G&G) stuffed with extras: Phil Taylor’s ‘Black Strat’ book, a set of GHS David Gilmour Boomer strings, a copy of the 3-disc version of Live In GdaÅ„sk, a cable by Evidence Audio, a deluxe Fender leather strap, and a David Gilmour plectrum. The interior of the case is a plush green, including embroidered David Gilmour and Fender Custom Shop logos”.
They say that the price will be affordable! Cheers!
On monday 22nd September 2008 to coincide with the LIVE IN GDANSK
David’s black strat will come out on Sept 22
The David Gilmour Stratocaster is here!. Check the David’s website. There will be two versions, a Relic and a NOS, being the second less expensive, nevertheless no price has been announced.
I found a video on youtube with a demo of the YAMAHA RA-200 leslie speaker
Hi Bjorn, thank you for your suggestion…I sent an email to Allparts asking for availability of a “11holes” of the 1 ply black pickguard, and they told me there’s only a “8 holes” version, so I’ve to use the one I bought…with the white edge painted in black ;)
Snowy played the solo on Have a Cigar.
Please tell me where I can find that article on Yeeshkul…
Very nice clip. I appreciate Wray sharing his memories and showing us the cool stuff.
I am almost certain though that the jamming on SOYCD 6-9 was Snowy White….as was the solo on Pigs on the Wing, part 2, and Have A Cigar. I only saw “Pink Floyd” in ’87 though, so I have to go by what I read on Yeeshkul…can anyone else out there verify/refute this?
[Both Snowy and David is jamming on Shine On 6-9. David starts off after the verse and then there a kind of a duel between him and Snowy. They sometimes also played the very last bit on guitars instead of or in addititon to the synth solo. – Bjorn]
Bjorn your right about David playing his Tele on Dogs and the black Strat on Shine On I looked in my copy of Inside Out a Personal History Of Pink Floyd by Nick Mason and Nick said that David used the Tele on Dogs and the black Strat on the rest of the show and that Roger also had brought a ’70’s model black Strat with a maple neck and white pickguard to play.
You are correct – DG used his black Strat in Shine On. It was Dogs where he used his Tele. That mini-review from 2004 was never meant to be anything more than a photographic stroll down memory lane. I dug out some photos and wrote a very quick companion piece off the top of my head. (In fact, my first contact with Bjorn was through an e-mail where he correctly pointed out that it was Snowy and not Roger who played bass on Sheep.) So yes, there are some inaccurracies.
The thing is, for many, many years, that show was impossible for me to listen to. Emotionally, it’s extremely draining to relive. There was a point at the beginning of Sheep when the crowd surged forward and pinned me against that steel fence. This happened a few times. There was a lot more going on at this show than you can gather from the recording – certainly more than I indicated in that first piece. Some of my memories from the turbulent first set were a little tainted.
However, for this new piece, I did my research. I studied my photos and original negatives. I created some new digital enlargements and made a pretty cool panarama shot of the stadium. But what was most valuable was this: I immersed myself in the recording. Numerous times, I relived the entire show via headphones in a darkened room. It was extremely effective in triggering memories and stirring up dormant feelings. Going back to relive the show was difficult, but the result is, I think, an extremely candid and accurate reflection of the evening’s events as I saw them. Hope that helps. Wray
[Thanks for clearing that up Wray. As I said you can hear him using the tremolo arm and you can see the Black Strat on Shine On on the 8mm that cisculates. – Bjorn]
Bjorn, I need your help. Few weeks ago I’ve bought a black left handed pickguard for my Strat, without realize it’s different buying a 3 ply (what I actually bought) and a 1 ply (what normally it’s needed for create a Black Strat’s copy). I know, the mistake is quite big, but I did not know there was a difference between these two kind of pickguards..
So now I’ve got this 3ply pickguard with that horrible white edge on the contour, which absolutely does not look like the one it should be installed. Can you tell me who could sell a 1 ply left handed black pickguard? Or do you think I can use the one I bought the same, maybe with some modifications (like painting the white edge or whatever) ? Thank you so much!!!
Rick
[I know some people has used a black marker pen on the white lining with great success. Check out Allparts.Com for left handed pickguards. – Bjorn]
Hey Bjorn,
I think this will interest you. I love this show, Davids tone is out this world. Ever since the first time I landed on Gilmourish, I was enthralled with the “Animals” effects board article. At the time I knew nothing of what he used. also at the time I was obsessed with Animals. I didn’t have any bootlegs, all I had was the Animals cd and “Dogs” mp3 from Animal Instincts. So listening to the clips on the article was all I had, but I enjoyed and savored every taste. I fell in love with his tone from the “Animals” tour. The clip I loved so much was “Shine On (pts. 1-5)” from the Montreal show. It sound so beautiful and raw, how I would described it was, that it sounded like a transformer blew. I’ve always looked for that tone. Finally noticed it sounded different from other shows ofthe tour. I finally got a copy on Yeeshkul just called “Pink Floyd Montreal 1977”. It’s a nice copy with photos from the show and a concert goer’s telling his experience of the show song by song. This dude knows his shit, as he was discussing “Sheep” he says “Gilmour strapped on a Pre-71, all black strat with white knobs and two white pickups. ( a blck pickup was installed in the bridge position).” And of course about Roger’s spitting incident During “Pigs”, so he obviously had a good view at the stage and performers. Which brings me to my point, as I was reading about “Shine On (pts. 1-5)”, He says and I quote “This is my favorite tune of theirs so I was taking pictures like crazy here.
David was playing a Tobacco Burst Telecaster.” Yes a Telecaster.
I thought to myself that makes since why it sounded different from other shows. I always thought he used the black strat on it.It blew my mind, but in a good way. So I thought you would like to know. I have tried to email you the photo with text but I have had problems sending it. If there is way I can send it to you please tell. I might have been sended it to the wrong address. Anyway I’m sorry this is such a long post, but I hope this helps to contribute to the site. Thanks Bjorn!
[The rewiew you’re referring to is written by Wray and posted on the Brain Damage site. I doubt that he used the Telecaster on Shine On. It was used on Dogs and you can hear him using the tremolo arm on all the solos on Shine On 1-5. Maybe Wray can shed some light on this. – Bjorn]
Bjorn,
in his review of the show, on the Brain Damage site, Wray says that David used the Telecaster on Shine On Pts. 1-5.
Is that correct? I’ve never heard on him using the Tele on this song.
Great video and review, anyway.
Cheers,
Luciano.
[I think David used the Black Strat. He always did and the Tele was only used on Dogs. – Bjorn]
First of all thanks to Wray for sharing this with all of us, and thanks to you Bjørn for all the work you do to keep all us nutters busy…
Have seen Wrays pictures on the “Brain Damage” website and of course in the Comfortably Numb book. They are great, and as Wray says there has not been many pictures from that show. I’m one of those people that think that Animals is the best record ever and are trying to collect anything connected to the record and also the 77 tour. First of all the vinyl (all releases from all over the world), different formats like CD versions, 8 track etc, but also newspaper clips, live recordings and so on. So I guess it will be a lifetime project :-)
The Montreal show will always be a favourite, as Bjørn says, the aggression and frustration is so evident. I would have loved to have been there, so getting the stories told from those who had the opportunity to experience it first hand is always great. Keep the stories comming Wray! Thanks again!
Regarding the spitting incident being the inspiration for Roger to write The Wall it was probably the trigger, but I think the idea of building a wall between the band and the audience is older than that. I’m sure I have heard or read interviews from before the incident where the idea is mentioned… (might have been mentioned already in 75 or early on the tour in 77 – read/seen too many interviews to remember exactly).
Anyway, there is no doubt that the Montreal show in July 77 is a significant part of the Floyd history.
Cheers!
JT
Your new project sounds like it will be very interesting. I can’t wait! I’ll have to dig out my copy of this show.
I heard a Pink FLoyd tour rumour today it said its up to David if so i hope he accepts it because a Pink Floyd tour would be awesome with the classic lineup
I remember that night when I first saw david gilmour in 06….OMG i was so exicited……
I remember thinking to myself WOW I finally got to see him in person.
I even recall my pants vibrating due to gilmours bass notes during Time….
Hopefully I will see him once more!!!…….
I’m very happy you enjoyed it…but that was just a taste.
Since doing this video, I have been completely overwhelmed by the interest shown in my story. It seems to have raised more questions than it answered. So, I have recently completed an extensive concert review of that show complete with a song by song photo essay. From pre-show audience shots to photos of the dreary blues piece performed as the riggers and roadies were striking the stage – I’ve tried to relay sheer intensity of that historic night in Montreal. It was a staggering piece to compose but I think you’ll find it chronicals the show’s events much better than I ever could – just talking off the top of my head. (It goes perfectly with the live show playing in the background!) Gilmourish will be alerted as soon as it goes on-line. Then, I’ll be eager to read the feedback from the people for which it was written: you, Pink Floyd’s greatest fans. Cheers. Wray
This show is also a favorite of mine. It is definitely very dark, almost evil sounding. Pigs is downright scary. But very cool. Thank you Mr. Ellis for sharing your memories with us. It is greatly appreciated.
I envey you all I’m too young to have seen the Floyd live (I was 3 when The Divison Bell came out in ’94). I’ve read that David played the main concert but did not play the encores.
[He did Money and Us and Them but went off the stage during the very last song, which was a long blues jam. Snowy played guitar. You can hear on the bootleg that the roadies are beginning to rig down the equipment. – Bjorn]
great article , thanks for sharing , that is why i have been asking you to do the last solo of this great song i think is absolutely one the greatest of david gilmour live improvisation please post it on you tube thanks
[Yeah, David’s playing and his tone on Pigs is really out of this world. I’m always amazed by the sheer aggression in his playing on this one. – Bjorn]
Hey Bjorn – I agree. David’s tone IS incredible for this show. (Imagine being so close you could hear his stage amps!) I think Shine On You Crazy Diamond parts 5-9 offer some of his most amazing live moments ever recorded. You’ve described the show perfectly and I hope your readers find some tidbit of interest in my memories. Thanks for sharing it with them. Wray
[Thank you Wray for sharing! I sure would like to have experienced a show from this tour but I was only 4 months old in July ’77 :) I had two close encounters in 2006 (well 4 actually, two nights in Amsterdam and two in London) where I was leaning up against the stage during Comf Numb. Being able to hear his tone up close was one of the greatest experiences in my life… one that nearly blew my head off LOL! I can’t even begin to imagine how it was attending this huge event in Montreal. Cheers! – Bjorn]