Having toured since 2007, The Floyd Effect has become rightly renowned for the remarkable accuracy with which it performs the iconic music of Pink Floyd.
All of the band’s members are top quality musicians with pedigrees that stretch across all manner of musical genres, and they faithfully recreate the music and intensity of a Pink Floyd concert without recourse to backing tracks, racks of computers, or other technological wizardry. Every note that you hear is played and sung by the band, making each concert a genuine ‘live’ experience, powerful, immersive and emotional.
Of course, the music is supported by a dramatic light show that incorporates the iconic circular screen, two sets of projections (incorporating some of Pink Floyd’s own images and some of the band’s own), smoke and lasers.
Now the Floyd effect are set for a number of shows in 2017 including the 1865 in Southampton on 1st April. Take a look at The Floyd Effect performing classic Wish You Were Here.
We managed to catch up keyboardist Gordon Reid as he talked about his proudest moment, upcoming shows, fans and more!
So you guys been around for 10 years now, what has been your most proudest moment to date?
That’s hard to pin down, because there have been so many. For me, I think it was the first time that I felt that we had done justice to Dark Side Of The Moon – the playing, the singing, the mix, the lights, the projections… the complete performance. You’ll probably ask me where and when that was, but I honestly can’t recall. I just remember the ovations for Mark’s solos in Time and Money, for Any Colour You Like, and in particular for the girls’ amazing performances in The Great Gig In The Sky. At the end, the audience was on its feet applauding and cheering even before the heartbeat had faded out, and I remember thinking, “We did it!” To have given the audience that much pleasure is an immense privilege, and it justified all of the time committed over many years, let alone the investment, the carrying of equipment, the driving of trucks… literally, the blood, the sweat and the occasional tears.
You have a fair few shows coming in the coming months, what one are you looking forward to most?
There are some great theatres on this year’s tour – for example, we know the Tivoli in Wimborne Minster and the Palace in Paignton well, and are looking forward to returning there as well as discovering new venues such as the Royal Court Theatre in Bacup and the Majestic in Darlington. Then there are the club gigs and festivals, which have a completely different flavour, and can be special in a very different way. But I think that the one that I like best is the Opera House in Buxton. It’s a fabulous venue and the audience is great. Despite the long drive, I’m really looking forward to that one.
Are you looking forward to playing Southampton’s 1865 on April 1st?
Absolutely! Can you believe that, despite touring for 10 years, we’ve never played in Southampton? I used to travel to watch bands in Southampton when I was young – for example, I saw both both Genesis and Peter Gabriel solo at Southampton Gaumont in the 1970s – so it will be great, not just to go back to the city, but to play in it.
What is your favourite song from Pink Floyd?
I’m sure that every member of the band would give you a different answer – maybe even multiple answers because it’s so hard to pick just one track. When I was in college, I made a cassette of the whole of Shine On You Crazy Diamond as a single track (which I later learned was how David Gilmour had envisioned it) and I still love that. Then there’s Echoes, and I often find myself singing along to shorter tracks like One Slip and See Emily Play. But if I’m allowed only one, it’s probably Dogs from the album ‘Animals’. It’s so bleak – it has a soundscape that is almost unique. My memories of hearing it for the first time in 1977 are very intense.
What member of Pink Floyd each influenced you the most?
As the keyboard player in The Floyd Effect, you would no doubt expect me to say Rick Wright, the keyboard player in Pink Floyd. But it’s actually David Gilmour, the guitarist. I know very few musicians of my generation who haven’t been influenced by him in some way, whether they like Pink Floyd’s music or not. Having said that, it was combination of the members of the band that made the magic possible. Despite some amazing shows by David Gilmour and Roger Waters in recent years, I never felt that they were as strong when writing and recording as individuals.
Have any of the members of the bands noticed you guys before?
We know that the surviving members of Pink Floyd are very supportive of the tribute bands, but I don’t know whether any of them are aware of The Floyd Effect or have come to any of our concerts. I hope that they do; it would be an honour to play for (or even with!) them.
Do you think Pink Floyd will ever reform again with just three members, almost similar to what Queen done?
No, I think that the moment has passed.
How much does your fans mean to you that go and watch you guys?
They mean everything. The Floyd Effect is a ‘live’ band – we don’t record CDs or make DVDs, we believe that this music was meant to be performed live and heard by an audience who are sharing the experience. Without our fans we would cease to exist.
There’s a few Pink Floyd tribute acts, what do you guys do to stand out?
I think that you can divide tribute bands into three types: those with huge funding who work to recreate the stadium-sized events of the original acts; those who play in small venues – pubs and clubs, and so on – who are happy just to play the music; and a small number that lie between these extremes who attempt to recreate the sights and sounds of the original concerts in smaller venues by scaling down the visual aspects. This middle territory is the hardest to occupy – it’s easy to play in a pub, and not much harder to play in a stadium or at a festival where everything is taken care of by scores of crew and organisers. But it’s much harder to recreate everything in a medium venue without losing the impact of the original shows. You can’t have half a laser, half a projection, or half a light show – you have to have everything, but scaled to fit. To be honest, we’re quite proud that we’ve managed to do so, although we’re always striving to do it better!