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Title: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Mike Sokol on April 02, 2017, 04:13:15 PM
I'm looking for anyone who was on the 1973 leg of the Dark Side of the Moon Tour. I'm trying to verify if the Band stopped at the Antietam Battlefield on March 21, 1973 in Sharpsburg, MD for any reason at all. I live a few miles from Sharpsburg and don't remember any concert taking place there. In fact, I've done sound for the Maryland Symphony Orchestra in the battlefield many times on the 4th of July, and we have to bring in EVERYTHING including a portable stage, roof, power, sanitation, etc... I suspect their tour bus might have just stopped there for a break and someone included it as a tour stop. Here's the Widipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Side_of_the_Moon_Tour

So do any of you know anyone who was on that tour?
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Rick Powell on April 10, 2017, 12:06:57 AM
I'm looking for anyone who was on the 1973 leg of the Dark Side of the Moon Tour. I'm trying to verify if the Band stopped at the Antietam Battlefield on March 21, 1973 in Sharpsburg, MD for any reason at all. I live a few miles from Sharpsburg and don't remember any concert taking place there. In fact, I've done sound for the Maryland Symphony Orchestra in the battlefield many times on the 4th of July, and we have to bring in EVERYTHING including a portable stage, roof, power, sanitation, etc... I suspect their tour bus might have just stopped there for a break and someone included it as a tour stop. Here's the Widipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Side_of_the_Moon_Tour

So do any of you know anyone who was on that tour?

http://www.setlist.fm/setlists/pink-floyd-13d6adc5.html?page=49

Setlist FM doesn't have this date on the tour, and yet has a detailed setlist for the bookends around this date. You may be correct, or it was some impromptu acoustic jam or something between gigs.
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Mike Sokol on April 10, 2017, 07:06:05 AM
http://www.setlist.fm/setlists/pink-floyd-13d6adc5.html?page=49

Setlist FM doesn't have this date on the tour, and yet has a detailed setlist for the bookends around this date. You may be correct, or it was some impromptu acoustic jam or something between gigs.

One of my musicians buddies says that Roger Waters is an American History buff and especially interested in the Civil War period. So maybe the tour bus stopped off the visit the Antietam Battlefield which is a big tourist stop. But why would the date and place make it onto their tour schedule. The mystery continues.
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Rick Earl on April 10, 2017, 02:22:33 PM
One of my musicians buddies says that Roger Waters is an American History buff and especially interested in the Civil War period. So maybe the tour bus stopped off the visit the Antietam Battlefield which is a big tourist stop. But why would the date and place make it onto their tour schedule. The mystery continues.

Unless they got the tour schedule from the band/crew one tour books - When I was on tour, our books also had listings for non-performance stops if they were significant, I remember a DC stop in between a Baltimore and Richmond date specifically being in our book so we could make plans.
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Mike Sokol on April 10, 2017, 04:40:59 PM
Unless they got the tour schedule from the band/crew one tour books - When I was on tour, our books also had listings for non-performance stops if they were significant, I remember a DC stop in between a Baltimore and Richmond date specifically being in our book so we could make plans.

That's sort of what we're thinking. My guitar player and I have floated the idea of having a DSOTM party in Surround Sound at Antietam Battlefield next March 21st. Sort of a reunion tour for the gig that didn't happen. I have all the gear and could easily do it, but of course we'll need permission from the Antietam Battlefield management. There's a ton of room out there... when I do the July 4th show with the Maryland Symphony Orchestra we typically get between 25 to 30 thousand attending. Hey, if we got a few dozen of our hard-core friends to help set this up and listen that would be great. I'll even play the tour set list with Echoes, etc... Now if can only get some lasers for a light show.
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Joseph D. Macry on April 11, 2017, 11:38:58 AM
One of my musicians buddies says that Roger Waters is an American History buff and especially interested in the Civil War period. So maybe the tour bus stopped off the visit the Antietam Battlefield which is a big tourist stop. But why would the date and place make it onto their tour schedule. The mystery continues.

"Forward! he cried from the rear, and the front rank died..."
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: brian maddox on April 11, 2017, 01:14:42 PM
That's sort of what we're thinking. My guitar player and I have floated the idea of having a DSOTM party in Surround Sound at Antietam Battlefield next March 21st. Sort of a reunion tour for the gig that didn't happen. I have all the gear and could easily do it, but of course we'll need permission from the Antietam Battlefield management. There's a ton of room out there... when I do the July 4th show with the Maryland Symphony Orchestra we typically get between 25 to 30 thousand attending. Hey, if we got a few dozen of our hard-core friends to help set this up and listen that would be great. I'll even play the tour set list with Echoes, etc... Now if can only get some lasers for a light show.

I'm in.  :)
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Scott Holtzman on April 11, 2017, 05:41:06 PM
I'm in.  :)


Yeah me too - The frontman for a great Floyd Tribute band is a good friend of mine:


http://www.floydtribute.com/


They are running the entire Animals in celebration of the 40th anniversary.  It's a great show this year.



Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Mike Sokol on April 11, 2017, 10:22:30 PM

Yeah me too - The frontman for a great Floyd Tribute band is a good friend of mine:


http://www.floydtribute.com/


They are running the entire Animals in celebration of the 40th anniversary.  It's a great show this year.

What would it cost to get them out to the Antietam Battlefield next March 21st? And forward me their production rider, please.
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Scott Holtzman on April 11, 2017, 11:45:54 PM
What would it cost to get them out to the Antietam Battlefield next March 21st? And forward me their production rider, please.


Already reached out to Eroc and asked him how he wants to engage.  This would be amazing, I would not miss and be honored to work the show in any capacity.

Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: William Schnake on April 12, 2017, 07:41:38 AM
I'll even play the tour set list with Echoes, etc... Now if can only get some lasers for a light show.

Ok, but no line-array.  If you are doing an old school show you have to use old school boxes.  Either EAW or Meyer.

Bill
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Riley Casey on April 12, 2017, 09:16:30 AM
1973?  Uhhhh no, you're talking Martin boxes in the UK and Altec A4s maybe JBL4560s with 2350 horns in the US.

Ok, but no line-array.  If you are doing an old school show you have to use old school boxes.  Either EAW or Meyer.

Bill
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Mike Sokol on April 12, 2017, 10:26:33 AM
1973?  Uhhhh no, you're talking Martin boxes in the UK and Altec A4s maybe JBL4560s with 2350 horns in the US.

I'll have to check with MHA Audio in town. I think they still have 40 or so of their original Tannoy M6 cabinets that were used for AC-DC and the B52's for years. They're heavy as all get out (400+ lbs per cabinet) but they actually sound pretty good. I'll see if I can scare up a picture.
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Mike Sokol on April 12, 2017, 12:49:42 PM
I've just confirmed there's a pile (40+) of the original Malcolm Hill M6/Tannoy/RH Cabinets right in Hagerstown, all operational and setup with NL8 Speakon connectors. Their shop guy Bruce said he would like to see 4 boxes per corner, so that's 16 cabinets total. You know I'm mixing this in quad, right? If I ask the shop owner nicely I can probably get it all for free. Of course, we have to lift everything (Ugh).

And if you wanted to go all-in with this, I can probably find a Yamaha PM4000 to mix on. Again, heavy as all crap (1,000 lbs in the case IIRC) but that's "old school" baby.
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: TrevorMilburn on April 12, 2017, 12:50:13 PM
I'll have to check with MHA Audio in town. I think they still have 40 or so of their original Tannoy M6 cabinets that were used for AC-DC and the B52's for years. They're heavy as all get out (400+ lbs per cabinet) but they actually sound pretty good. I'll see if I can scare up a picture.
M6? Never seen that before!
Here is a pic of the Hill M4 cabs (As used at Live Aid).(http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t144/Jazomir/Speakers/HillM4_07speaker.jpg)
and one here of the Hill M3 in use by Saxon:
(http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t144/Jazomir/Speakers/HillM3SaxonBrighton.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Mike Sokol on April 12, 2017, 12:59:18 PM
M6? Never seen that before!

I've used them for years on the Maryland Symphony at the Antietam Battlefield, so they would be right at home there. Gotta bring in a big genny to power them, but I know a guy....
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Matthew Knischewsky on April 12, 2017, 01:57:47 PM
I've just confirmed there's a pile (40+) of the original Malcolm Hill M6/Tannoy/RH Cabinets right in Hagerstown, all operational and setup with NL8 Speakon connectors. Their shop guy Bruce said he would like to see 4 boxes per corner, so that's 16 cabinets total. You know I'm mixing this in quad, right? If I ask the shop owner nicely I can probably get it all for free. Of course, we have to lift everything (Ugh).

And if you wanted to go all-in with this, I can probably find a Yamaha PM4000 to mix on. Again, heavy as all crap (1,000 lbs in the case IIRC) but that's "old school" baby.

If you want to keep it all Hill I'll bring a Concept console for FOH and a Datum monitor console with 12 mixes of TX1000 amplifiers and wedges.

 Though a closer period console would be the Midas PR03 I've been working on.
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Mike Sokol on April 12, 2017, 02:06:47 PM
If you want to keep it all Hill I'll bring a Concept console for FOH and a Datum monitor console with 12 mixes of TX1000 amplifiers and wedges.

 Though a closer period console would be the Midas PR03 I've been working on.

Aren't you in Canada? Would you drive it to this event?
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Matthew Knischewsky on April 12, 2017, 02:39:35 PM
Aren't you in Canada? Would you drive it to this event?

Getting across the border could be a little interesting. But it's been done before. Could be a fun road trip!

Haha maybe bringing an entire monitor rig would be overkill :) But a console would be more realistic.

Every time I think everyone else must have finally scrapped the Hill gear someone makes a post like yours, that there's a pile of it ready to go out gigging. It's a love/hate relationship I have with it.
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Mike Sokol on April 12, 2017, 03:31:25 PM
Getting across the border could be a little interesting. But it's been done before. Could be a fun road trip!

Haha maybe bringing an entire monitor rig would be overkill :) But a console would be more realistic.

Every time I think everyone else must have finally scrapped the Hill gear someone makes a post like yours, that there's a pile of it ready to go out gigging. It's a love/hate relationship I have with it.

The warehouse with all this Hill gear is a 15 minute drive from my shop and I've worked for the owner Mike Scarfe for the last 25 years or so. And the Antietam Battlefield is only a 20 minute drive from my shop. So if you REALLY NEEDED them there tomorrow morning and had a budget, I could make it happen.  ;)

But I'm being realistic and can probably get permission for use of the field, and maybe a sponsor or two pay incidental costs like the genny and a few hotel rooms for the out-of-town folks. I can bring old-school speakers and amps and mixers and mics. I just need to know what the PF cover band would need to play through, etc...
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Scott Holtzman on April 12, 2017, 04:46:56 PM
The warehouse with all this Hill gear is a 15 minute drive from my shop and I've worked for the owner Mike Scarfe for the last 25 years or so. And the Antietam Battlefield is only a 20 minute drive from my shop. So if you REALLY NEEDED them there tomorrow morning and had a budget, I could make it happen.  ;)

But I'm being realistic and can probably get permission for use of the field, and maybe a sponsor or two pay incidental costs like the genny and a few hotel rooms for the out-of-town folks. I can bring old-school speakers and amps and mixers and mics. I just need to know what the PF cover band would need to play through, etc...


I would bring a motor home to stay in could sleep 6 comfortably.  Also have access to a bunk house toy hauler that would sleep another 8. 



Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: brian maddox on April 12, 2017, 08:56:12 PM

I would bring a motor home to stay in could sleep 6 comfortably.  Also have access to a bunk house toy hauler that would sleep another 8.

Okay this really is getting real.  😀

I'm local, so barring me being out of town I'll be all over this.

And doesn't Scarfe still have his XL4?  At least that'd be from the right side of the pond.

All these sound guys in one place. Gonna be fighting over faders.... 
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Mike Sokol on April 12, 2017, 10:38:12 PM
Okay this really is getting real.  😀

I'm local, so barring me being out of town I'll be all over this.

And doesn't Scarfe still have his XL4?  At least that'd be from the right side of the pond.

All these sound guys in one place. Gonna be fighting over faders....

First I need to contact the Park Service to see what sort of application needs to be made for usage of the property. And since Mike Scarfe has done the sound at the Antietam Battlefield for the MSO on July 4th over the last 25 years or so, I should be able to find the right person to talk to.

And I really do want to mix this in quad. Hey, I was on a discussion panel with Alan Parsons years ago discussing his quad mix of DSOTM. I would really dig sitting in the middle of the battlefield with speaker stacks on all four corners.

Does anyone have a laser light show to bring to the party?
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Scott Holtzman on April 12, 2017, 10:59:13 PM
First I need to contact the Park Service to see what sort of application needs to be made for usage of the property. And since Mike Scarfe has done the sound at the Antietam Battlefield for the MSO on July 4th over the last 25 years or so, I should be able to find the right person to talk to.

And I really do want to mix this in quad. Hey, I was on a discussion panel with Alan Parsons years ago discussing his quad mix of DSOTM. I would really dig sitting in the middle of the battlefield with speaker stacks on all four corners.

Does anyone have a laser light show to bring to the party?


The keyboard player for WYWH still travels with a real Moog.  I don't know enough what model but it has hard patches.


They take a few modern conveniences, the clocks on Time are sampled but the congos are done live.  They are at the HOB on 3/29 you should make the drive to Cleveland and join me, I could introduce you to the guys.
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Mike Sokol on April 13, 2017, 10:12:48 AM
They take a few modern conveniences, the clocks on Time are sampled but the congos are done live.  They are at the HOB on 3/29 you should make the drive to Cleveland and join me, I could introduce you to the guys.

I'll be in Paris, France that week, so that's too long of a drive back. ;)  But we should discuss this soon on the phone.
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Riley Casey on April 13, 2017, 11:34:50 AM
Snort!  Old school, I got your old school baby. 

... I can probably find a Yamaha PM4000 to mix on. Again, heavy as all crap (1,000 lbs in the case IIRC) but that's "old school" baby.
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Mike Sokol on April 13, 2017, 11:36:13 AM
So according to my guitar player Karl, here is the route their tour bus would have taken for this leg of the tour. All completely doable.

Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Mike Sokol on April 13, 2017, 11:37:27 AM
Snort!  Old school, I got your old school baby.

That's some heavy metal...
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: DavidTurner on April 15, 2017, 02:04:19 PM
Snort!  Old school, I got your old school baby.

WOW PM2000! Haven't seen one in decades!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Scott Holtzman on April 15, 2017, 03:29:36 PM
WOW PM2000! Haven't seen one in decades!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Just looking at it makes me want to mix.

Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Joseph D. Macry on April 17, 2017, 11:18:12 AM
They take a few modern conveniences, the clocks on Time are sampled but the congos are done live. 

Just to be pedantic: The real PF used two banks of Roto-Toms (with lighted drumsticks!), not congas, during the intro to "Time".
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Mike Sokol on April 17, 2017, 12:35:16 PM
Just to be pedantic: The real PF used two banks of Roto-Toms (with lighted drumsticks!), not congas, during the intro to "Time".

Do I need to contact Remo to see if I can get a set of RotoToms?  ;)
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Mike Sokol on April 17, 2017, 12:42:45 PM
Just to be pedantic: The real PF used two banks of Roto-Toms (with lighted drumsticks!), not congas, during the intro to "Time".

And these LED drumsticks change color every time you hit a drum. I want a pair of them just for myself (and I'm not a drummer). Too trippy? I'm not responsible if any of you start having flashbacks....  ;D
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Mike Sokol on April 17, 2017, 12:44:50 PM
Just thinking.... I have an original Rhodes 73 piano that plays great. I think that's required for Time..
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Tim McCulloch on April 17, 2017, 01:19:15 PM
Do I need to contact Remo to see if I can get a set of RotoToms?  ;)

They are still in production.
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Mike Sokol on April 17, 2017, 01:29:25 PM
They are still in production.

Remo marketing just contacted me back. Yippiee!!!!
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Chris Hindle on April 17, 2017, 08:54:20 PM
Do I need to contact Remo to see if I can get a set of RotoToms?  ;)

naw. I know a semi-retired "source" that won't miss them for a week or three.......
Knowing it's for Floyd doesn't hurt. May have to pay his way too.......

edit: Reading further, i see you have a source lined up.
The Don probably wouldn't let us in anyway.
Fukin hippies from the north !
 ;D ;D ;D ;D
Chris.
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Jean-Pierre Coetzee on May 03, 2017, 01:44:12 AM
Do I need to contact Remo to see if I can get a set of RotoToms?  ;)

I'm pretty sure that I have a set, I'm a bit far though...
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Dan Mortensen on April 10, 2018, 04:25:53 AM
So whatever happened to this project?

BTW, I wasn't on the 1973 tour, but did run a follow spot at the September 29, 1972 stop in Seattle at Hec Edmundson Pavilion on the University of Washington campus.

They had the circular projection screen with lights and fireworks around its perimeter. That's almost all I remember of the gear.

That was also the first time I'd ever seen a mixing console "explode" upon plug-in. We were on headset talking to the sound guy for some reason as he'd be the one calling spot cues. Don't ask me how this could have been, but I definitely remember being on headset talking to someone on their crew when the AC was connected to the console and there was a big explosion and burst of smoke. He was not fazed at all and said that he and the pyro guys played jokes on each other and they were getting back at him.

Could it have been Tycobrahe Sound and one of their consoles? I wasn't into sound as much and didn't really recognize the gear. They did come through a couple times.

I don't know how it sounded because the headsets used there at that time used omni mics and had either no way to mute or no way to easily unmute when you needed to talk to the cue-caller, so you listened to six or eight open mics spread out over a 9,000 seat room with terrible acoustics anyway. We couldn't aurally pick out solos or anything, we relied entirely on the person calling cues to tell us where to point the follows. We saw the shows but didn't really hear them.
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Ron Hebbard on April 10, 2018, 06:06:04 AM
So whatever happened to this project?

BTW, I wasn't on the 1973 tour, but did run a follow spot at the September 29, 1972 stop in Seattle at Hec Edmundson Pavilion on the University of Washington campus.

They had the circular projection screen with lights and fireworks around its perimeter. That's almost all I remember of the gear.

That was also the first time I'd ever seen a mixing console "explode" upon plug-in. We were on headset talking to the sound guy for some reason as he'd be the one calling spot cues. Don't ask me how this could have been, but I definitely remember being on headset talking to someone on their crew when the AC was connected to the console and there was a big explosion and burst of smoke. He was not fazed at all and said that he and the pyro guys played jokes on each other and they were getting back at him.

Could it have been Tycobrahe Sound and one of their consoles? I wasn't into sound as much and didn't really recognize the gear. They did come through a couple times.

I don't know how it sounded because the headsets used there at that time used omni mics and had either no way to mute or no way to easily un-mute when you needed to talk to the cue-caller, so you listened to six or eight open mics spread out over a 9,000 seat room with terrible acoustics anyway. We couldn't aurally pick out solos or anything, we relied entirely on the person calling cues to tell us where to point the follows. We saw the shows but didn't really hear them.
  Are you speaking of the tour using a 35 mm projector loaded with 35 mm sprocketed film on the front and 35 mm sprocketed 8 track audio on the back?  I remember using two chain hoists to lift the projector into its position to project onto the round screen from the rear.  This was the tour which played outdoor arenas in quad and waited for the sun to set prior to rolling the rear projection.  Hamilton, Ontario was the last stop in Canada before they were heading back across the border into the U.S.  The pyro dude took all of his remaining charges and set them in one heap against a corrugated steel retaining wall at the rear of the east end seating immediately below the 'Black Cat' cigarettes scoreboard.  Sometime prior to sunrise he used one electric match to explode ALL of his remaining charges in one shot.  At the instant, I was a local hand disassembling the rear quad stack and amps at the same elevation of the west end seating.  The concussive wave pummeled our ears and bodies.  I remember the flash and smoke and I especially recall the large plastic face of the internally illuminated 'Black Cat' sign shattering and falling into the growing cloud.  By the time the cloud cleared there was a hole about four to six feet in diameter blown through the corrugated galvanized steel retaining wall.  This was in the older Ivor Wynne Stadium in the midst of residential Hamilton.  Windows were shattered in neighboring homes for several blocks to the east of the stadium.  It was the first concert of its type in the stadium.  To phrase it politely, 'the city was not amused.'  I ran one of two arc Supers on the stage left side.  This was the tour where a plane was released from the upper level of a press box above and behind me and slid down a slack wire to vanish just below the round RP screen in sync with the explosion.  "Money" was the big song of the tour. 
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Dan Mortensen on April 10, 2018, 03:40:00 PM
  Are you speaking of the tour using a 35 mm projector loaded with 35 mm sprocketed film on the front and 35 mm sprocketed 8 track audio on the back? ....

I don't think so; I don't recall a plane or wire, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen. The pyro sounds just as professional, though.
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Ron Hebbard on April 11, 2018, 11:16:17 AM
I don't think so; I don't recall a plane or wire, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen. The pyro' sounds just as professional, though.
Hamilton, Ontario is only ~40 miles down the highway from Toronto.  After the Toronto event was totally sold out, Hamilton was permitted to add a last minute, one performance, stop before the tour headed back into the U.S.  I recall many of us from IA 129 working more than 36 hours straight from in, through setup, a small amount of tech time to work out some timing finesse (for things like how long it took the plane to traverse its trip down the slack line, and then some of us tried to catch a little sleep next to our arc Supers and attempted to keep them dry while a little light rain fell.  As soon as it was dark enough, they rotated the circular screen (pivoted as if on a BBQ spit) and cued the projector.  This took place in the older Ivor Wynne Stadium with the four story press box on the south side of the field and the stage in the east end zone.  For the performance I was one of two spot ops at the top of the stage left seating with the four story press box towering up immediately behind me.  The top floor of the press box had been designed for television cameras and featured glass the full width of the fourth floor which could be slid open in sections or removed totally.  This was the floor where the tour anchored one end of their slack line with the stage end tethered to clear just below their circular screen when it was rotated on its BBQ spit into its viewing position.  The plane had a wingspan of approximately four to six feet and was preset in the top floor of the four story press box where it was to be clipped on to their slack line with a rescue pulley and released at just the right moment to traverse the line and disappear from view below the screen as best as they could synch' this with their projected imagery. 
Getting back to the various intercom systems, items being consumed by various members of the touring staff, and the hazy mental state of a least two of their staff members.
There we were mid performance attempting to stay dry, keep our arcs dry, and straining to hear our cues with one of the quad side stacks right behind us.  At some point their production manager attempted to ask his guy who's supposed to be up in one of the fourth floor booths if he's ready to clip the plane onto the line. 
This is when things got EVEN SILLIER.  The barely understandable voice announced he had decided to hang on to the plane's wings and ride it all the way down the slack line over two spots, the patrons in the south stands and the band.  The production manager was bellowing at him not to do it and the stoned voice kept saying he was sure he could hold his legs up high enough to clear the band. 
The line was not constructed to support this additional weight.  Neither was the plane.  They'd timed the plane's descent a couple of times prior to opening the field to the patrons but no one had any notion of how long the plane would take to traverse the  slack line which was now wet and already drooping lower with the extra weight of the water. 
Things got even sillier again with the production crew on their radios, the park's maintenance and security staff on their radios and the City of Hamilton Police and Paramedics all on their own radios but none able to communicate with anyone other than their own immediate comrades.  It rapidly became the Three Stooges meet Abbott and Costello as security gained access to the lower level of the press box at the top of the south stands and galloped up the stairs to the fourth floor whereupon none of them knew which of the half dozen rooms the guy was in and (of course) he'd locked all the doors.  Chaos reigned supreme on everyone's various radios.  My spot-mate and I were simultaneously attempting to run our spots, hear our cues, keep dry, keep my eye-glasses clear of drizzle AND watch what was going on four floors over our heads behind us.  I remember catching a glimpse of the fellow who was supposed to release the plane on cue hanging out the window gripping the plane with one leg out in front of him.  In the nick of time someone smashed through the door to his room and grabbed him before he launched himself.  I can't recall the precise details of the plane's descent but I think I'm recalling it travelling slower than rehearsed likely due to the slack line being water-soaked.  I clearly remember the unexpected concussive shock wave and its effect on my hearing and vision when it pummeled my chest around 4:00 a.m. during the out.  I was the full length of the stadium away at the same elevation disassembling the rear quad stack when the pyro was set off below the score board in the stadium's east end.  It was a very long day and definitely memorable.  Ivor Wynne Stadium was eventually totally demolished several decades later and rebuilt from the foundations up rotated ninety degrees on the site so that the stands are now on the east and west sides with the end zones on the north and south.  I've never visited the current site. 
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Dan Mortensen on April 11, 2018, 02:46:27 PM
Hamilton, Ontario is only ~40 miles down the highway from Toronto. 

Thanks for writing all that, Ron.

That was indeed a memorable day (or series of days).

You made me laugh. Repeatedly.
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: John L Nobile on April 11, 2018, 03:11:28 PM
Great story Ron. And thanks for clearing up the facts for me. I remember wanting to go to that concert but had a gig that night. The way I heard the story was that the plane exploded on it's way to the stage. You've put the plane and the explosion in the right order and places for me.

Strange how stories get changed as they get retold.
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Ron Hebbard on April 11, 2018, 08:36:06 PM
Great story Ron. And thanks for clearing up the facts for me. I remember wanting to go to that concert but had a gig that night. The way I heard the story was that the plane exploded on it's way to the stage. You've put the plane and the explosion in the right order and places for me.

Strange how stories get changed as they get re-told.
There were of course zero explosives in the plane or press box.  The plane was purely a model weighted heavy enough to traverse the slack line by gravity alone and balanced to maintain a relatively sensible angle of descent while supported from its points on the single rescue pulley.  The plane was carried manually up to the highest level of the south stand, through the locked doors and up the four flights of stairs to the top level of the four story press box two or three times to finesse its timing prior to the patrons being allowed in.  All pyro' was on stage a safe distance from all patrons.  Captain pyro's rationale for his four a.m. detonation and demolition of the galvanized corrugated steel retaining wall was he wanted to avoid the hassle of declaring his surplus pyro' back through U.S. customs.  I don't believe he anticipated blowing the four to six foot diameter jagged hole through the retaining wall.  Neither do I think he anticipated being detained by the City of Hamilton constabulary.  He definitely startled neighbors who'd finally fallen asleep after the concert. 
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.
Title: Re: Anyone on the 1973 Pink Floyd Tour?
Post by: Mike Christy on April 12, 2018, 05:54:26 AM
Snort!  Old school, I got your old school baby.

Riley's PM2000 photo.. "We're Not Happy Unless You're Not Happy"..?? LOL! I need one of those...