On 8 October 2023, Roger Waters will perform his reinterpreted solo version of the album at London’s Palladium Theater for the first time in a concert setting “The Dark Side Of The Moon” present, the eighth studio work by Pink Floyd. Tickets for this show go on sale from Friday 28th July. The singer announced plans for the re-recording of the hit album released in 1973 at the beginning of the year.
Cast in the production and live event of “The Darkside Of The Moon Redux”
Joining Waters at the event are bassist Gus Seyffert, drummer Joey Waronker and guitarist Jonathan Wilson, all of whom contributed to the production of the reinterpreted work.
Additional musicians announced at the live event in October will be Johnny Shepherd on organ, Via Mardot on theremin, Gabe Noel on strings, Jon Carin on keyboards and Robert Walter on piano. Backing vocals are provided by Azniv Korkejian. Longtime Waters creative director Sean Evans curated the show.
Waters co-produced the album with Gus Seyffert.
No overwriting of a classic, but a redefinition
Speaking of his decision to re-record the album 50 years after its original release, the singer said in a statement: “The original ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ album felt like an older being’s lamentation about the human condition. But Dave, Rick, Nick and I were so young when we wrote it and given the world today the message obviously didn’t stick. So I started thinking about what the wisdom of an 80-year-old could bring to a reimagined version.”
Waters goes on to say that the re-recording isn’t meant to overshadow the original: “I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve created: a body of work that can stand proudly alongside the original, hand in hand, even after half a century.”
Updates on Roger Waters
The musician has been part of some fierce controversy for some time. In 2022 he accused NATO of giving Russia no choice but to invade Ukraine. In February of this year, he gave a speech before the United Nations Security Council at the invitation of Russia, in which he called Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “illegal” but also said that the war of aggression was “not unprovoked”.
Most recently, in May 2023, there was a police investigation against Waters after he wore an outfit at a concert in Berlin that was reminiscent of the uniforms of SS soldiers. Now 15 organizations are calling on his label to break with the singer, including the Central Council of the Jewish Community in Germany and the “Anti-Defamation League”.