When Brit Floyd returns to the stage at the Mayo Clinic Health Systems Event Center Saturday, the audience will be transported into the world of Pink Floyd through the hard work and passion of the band’s talented musicians and crew.
As the renowned tribute group continues its North American tour celebrating the 50th anniversary of “The Dark Side of the Moon,” there’s a lot more happening behind the scenes than most fans realize.
Having a conversation with Andy Robbins is like both chatting with a longtime fan of the band and getting a brief master class in putting on an international tour.
Robbins, a musician in his own right, is the CEO of Palladium Entertainment and manages Brit Floyd as they bring their production to fans throughout North America and Europe. Coordinating everything is surely a Herculean task, yet he gives all credit to the many others involved.
“As we’re going into our 13th year celebrating the music of Pink Floyd with this amazing ensemble, our musical director and co-creator of the show, Damian Darlington, has enlisted some of the best creatives in the world to assist him in putting the show together,” Robbins says.
Many tribute bands focus solely on nailing the music itself. But Brit Floyd prides itself on authentically re-creating the full Pink Floyd arena-tour experience — sonically and visually.
“We see it as an honor and a privilege to keep Pink Floyd’s music alive for generations. The key to our longevity is having every aspect of the show represented the way that the musicians themselves — Roger, Dave, Nick and Rick — had envisioned it,” he says. “This includes the visual, auditory, and in some cases, the kinesthetic experiences that you would expect at a Pink Floyd show.”
To achieve that mission, the band relies on a dedicated technical crew operating state-of-the-art lighting, lasers, projection and sound systems that bring the progressive rock spectacle to life. Months before tour, lighting designer Mark Jacobson leads the effort to program and choreograph each lighting sequence and visual effect to sync with the musical arrangements.
An extensive laser show by award-winning laser technician Tyler Le Dent complements both classic favorites and deep cuts with surgical precision, while “magic circle” video projections like those seen at Pink Floyd concerts are painstakingly created by media director Bryan Kolupski.
The live sound engineering is likewise meticulous to faithfully re-create Pink Floyd’s lush studio production in a concert setting.
“We’re both blessed and fortunate to have Gareth Darlington (Damian’s brother) as our sound engineer,” Robbins says. “For the past 25 years, Gareth and Damian have worked on more than 2,500 shows to perfect re-creating the sounds and the spectacle that are Pink Floyd.”
Perfecting the show is truly a team effort. Damian, whose front-and-center guitar and vocals during the show belie his surprisingly unassuming off-stage personality, chimes in about his bandmates and crew: “They bring us decades of experience, knowledge of the latest technology, to not only keep this show relevant and competitive with other shows but to keep it cost-effective and to keep ticket prices affordable for our fans.”
The musicians’ talent seems bottomless, and singling out any particular band member for attention could be seen as a disservice to the rest, who are all phenomenal artists in their own rights. However, it’s impossible to write about the band without mentioning Eva Avila, a double-platinum recording artist and actress whose credentials include winning season four of “Canadian Idol.” Her impeccable backing vocals quite literally come into the spotlight with her pitch-perfect rendition of “The Great Gig in the Sky.”
Clare Torry’s vocals in the original 1973 recording seem impossible to do justice, let alone equal, yet Avila brings down the house with standing ovations night after night. Her performance is one of the highlights of any Brit Floyd show and, according to many fans, worth the price of admission. But then, so are many other moments throughout the show that just need to be experienced in person.
Equally integral are the road crew members responsible for the grueling logistics of transporting the massive production from venue to venue as they crisscross the country.
Driver Bryan Wyatt describes it as akin to moving a small city night after night.
“Brit Floyd leases two of the entertainment transportation industry’s largest trailers. The show is so massive that we bring in 15 additional stage hands and crew to assist with that process, either through local unions or the local venues. Then we do it all again the next night.”
After the final chord fades, the crew strikes the elaborate stage set and loads out onto a fleet of trucks heading to the next tour stop — often just hours later.
For Brit Floyd, world-class production value goes hand in hand with world-class musicianship. Together, this remarkable team has crafted the most authentic Pink Floyd experience imaginable. It’s an honor they don’t take lightly.
As Brit Floyd travels the country to bring audiences on a euphoric audiovisual journey through The Dark Side of the Moon, they stand on the shoulders of a crew that makes it possible. For any music lover, it’s a concert like no other.
Brent Rossow lives in the Mankato area and has been a Brit Floyd fan for years.