A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing Pink Talking Fish bassist Eric Gould. Even then, Gould was getting excited just talking about his band’s upcoming performance of Dark Side Of The Moon at The Cutting Room on October 18th. In the interview, Gould explained that the show would weave Phish and Talking Heads songs within Pink Floyd’s classic album. The idea was tantalizing; how would it hold up in a live setting?
The subtle sound of a heartbeat echoed through the Cutting Room PA system. Here we go. The beat crescendos, adding sound effects and dialogue and a scream, transitioning into the live music from Pink Talking Fish. The slow-motion “Speak To Me/Breathe” is the natural opening of this album, really setting the tone for the psychedelic, spiritual experience that is Dark Side of the Moon.
This building song traditionally segues into the synthesizer composition, “On The Run,” however, this is no Pink Floyd show. Instead, we’re treated to the opening chords of the Phish classic, “Bathtub Gin.” Executed perfectly, with an extended improvisational section, this was the first moment where the band distinguished their concept. In the throes of performing one of the most successful LPs of all time, Pink Talking Fish drops into “Bathtub Gin.” Move over DSOTM, this is PTFOTM.
After “Gin,” the band brings the show back to Dark Side with “On The Run,” and the synth-heavy piece grooves straight into Talking Heads’ “Life During Wartime.” Gould himself takes the vocals, leading the Talking Heads classic into the tolling bells of Pink Floyd’s “Time.” Weaving in and out of Dark Side, playing so many fan-favorite tunes; the crowd is immersed.
A “Sky” medley follows, with “Divided Sky” segueing into “The Great Gig In The Sky,” back into “Divided Sky.” The performance of “Great Gig” is notably championed by vocalist Aly Paige, who absolutely destroys the song’s intense vocal section. A seriously powerful moment.
The next section of the show featured saxophone work from Matt Wayne, as the band played “Money,” the Talking Heads’ song “Swamp,” and “Us And Them.” Pink Talking Fish then dropped a “Tweezer,” whirling the crowd along for another improvisational-heavy moment in the performance. After settling into “Any Colour You Like,” PTF played the Talking Heads classic, “Psycho Killer.” A funky-fan-favorite, “Psycho Killer” never fails to deliver.
Drawing towards the end of Dark Side, PTF unleashed their mash-up of “Makisupa Policeman” and “Brain Damage,” which played into “Burning Down The House.” Finally, the band brought Aly Paige back for the final two numbers of the set, “Eclipse,” and “Tweezer Reprise.” Her powerful vocals drove home what was an outstanding first set, and an outstanding interpretation of Dark Side of the Moon. Kudos.
The band finished their show with an extended encore, mixing and matching from all three bands by playing tunes like Talking Heads’ “Crosseyed and Painless,” Pink Floyd’s “Echoes,” and Phish’s “Ghost,” to name a few. The full set list is below, courtesy of Pink Talking Fish’s Facebook, masterminded by none other than Gould himself: a self-described set list junkie. No wonder he loves PTF, as putting music together from these three incredible bands makes for some truly fun live music. One just has to wonder, if the band decides to tackle another album, which one will they choose next?
Be sure to check out the full setlist and photos below!
-David Melamed (@DMelamz)
A Hybrid Tribute Fusion portrayal of Dark Side Of The Moon
October 18th, 2014
The Cutting Room
New York, NY
Setlist:
Speak To Me>
Breathe>
Bathtub Gin>
On The Run>
Life During Wartime
Time>
Breathe Reprise>
Divided Sky>
Great Gig In The Sky*>
Divided Sky
Money**>
Swamp**>
Money**>
Us And Them**>
Tweezer>
Any Colour You Like>
Psycho Killer>
Makisupa Policeman/Brain Damage Mashup>
Burning Down The House>
Eclipse*>
Tweezer Reprise*
E:
Crosseyed And Painless>
Echoes>
Catapult>
2001>
Moon Rocks**>
Ghost>
Echoes>
Crosseyed And Painless
*w/ Aly Paige on vocals
**w/ Matt Wayne on sax
[Photos courtesy of Rich Davis]
