Chicago: Auditorium Theatre

Faced with a three-day gap between the two mammoth concerts at the United Center, David Gilmour suggested bridging it with a concert at the city’s historic Auditorium Theatre. This meant that the magnificent crew, led by Phil Taylor and Roger Searle, had to load out of the United Center and somehow make all the gear fit into the small theatre and then return it to the arena for Friday’s concert: the screen alone weighs six tons.

David last played this small 3,800-seater with Pink Floyd in April 1972, 44 years ago, but he wasn’t the only one returning to an old haunt, as bandmate Phil Manzanera played there with Roxy Music in 1975.

This architectural gem of a theatre was completed in 1889 and became the tallest building in the city and the largest in the US; today it is on the National Register of Historic Places. The ambition was to make it the world’s grandest theatre to rival the Met in New York. Arriving for soundcheck, the beauty and elegance of the ‘golden’ auditorium was enchanting to behold, with its four ellipse-shaped arches directing sound outward to the audience.

The opulence of the surroundings seemed to affect the audience, almost as much as what they were witnessing on stage; they were still, caught in the moment, watching David and the band perform and then, after each song, roar into life. It was another great performance, with the fans enjoying the Rattle That Lock songs as well as the Pink Floyd favourites. The songs from The Division Bell album were cheered enthusiastically, with High Hopes and Coming Back To Life. During the barnstorming Run Like Hell, Guy Pratt showed that he can still run as fast as when he first performed the song aged 25.

Throughout the concert the sound was crystal clear, a combination of Colin Norfield’s brilliance as a sound mixer and the wonderful acoustics of this fine building. The concert of course was David’s triumph but perhaps the venue shone just as brightly.

Last night’s setlist was…

First Set: 5 A.M.; Rattle That Lock; Faces Of Stone; Wish You Were Here; What Do You Want From Me; A Boat Lies Waiting; The Blue; Money; Us And Them; In Any Tongue; High Hopes.

Second Set: Astronomy Domine; Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 1-5); Fat Old Sun; Coming Back To Life; The Girl In The Yellow Dress; Today; Sorrow; Run Like Hell.

Encores: Time/Breathe (reprise); Comfortably Numb.