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Thread: Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular

  1. #1
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular

    It's like seeing Pink Floyd, including everything except the band!

    https://laserspectacular.com/

  2. #2
    That fingers/eyeball graphic is slightly icky.

  3. #3
    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    When are they going to do one for Yes?

    I agree about the fingers in eyeball thing actually.
    Do not suffer through the game of chance that plays....always doors to lock away your dreams (To Be Over)

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    Member moecurlythanu's Avatar
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    Hell, they were doing Laserium (at the Planetarium) to the music of Pink Floyd back in the 70s! I like the eye/fingers graphic. Saw something very similar in another context very recently, but I don't recall where.

    Edit: They still are!

    http://laserium.com/performances/

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by moecurlythanu View Post
    Hell, they were doing Laserium (at the Planetarium) to the music of Pink Floyd back in the 70s! I like the eye/fingers graphic. Saw something very similar in another context very recently, but I don't recall where.

    Edit: They still are!

    http://laserium.com/performances/
    Yep, I first saw them in NYC sometime around 1980 and was THRILLED to hear them open with Nektar's "Recycle Countdown."
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    Member since March 2004 mozo-pg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ronmac View Post
    Yep, I first saw them in NYC sometime around 1980 and was THRILLED to hear them open with Nektar's "Recycle Countdown."
    I'm off topic but isn't Nektar one of the most underrated bands, ever?
    What can this strange device be? When I touch it, it brings forth a sound (2112)

  7. #7
    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mozo-pg View Post
    I'm off topic but isn't Nektar one of the most underrated bands, ever?
    Well, compared to Pink Floyd they certainly are. In prog circles they are probably in the top ten of the "lesser known bands" at least. I'll never forget when they played Nearfest partly because there must have been about 400 people(if not more) who showed up just to see them. In the larger musical world they are underrated but in the 70's if you were into prog I couldn't see how you wouldn't have at least heard of them. Two of their albums even made it to the top forty album charts in the US. However, the only prog band at the time other than the big five or six to have a gold album though(not counting Rush or Kansas) was Focus(In the US that is).
    Do not suffer through the game of chance that plays....always doors to lock away your dreams (To Be Over)

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Digital_Man View Post
    I'll never forget when they played Nearfest partly because there must have been about 400 people(if not more) who showed up just to see them.
    I was almost one of those -- I was also there to see Hackett. My friend from LA and I flew all the way from San Fran to Philidelphia to see that show. I actually watched all the bands; the only one I left in the middle of was Echolyn, who simply bored me to tears. The big "wow"s for me of the unfamiliar-to-me bands were Miriodor and Caravan. Shortly after returning home I acquired a copy of In the Land of Grey and Pink, and there's been no going back...

    As I said, almost one of those... if the headliners had been Hackett and someone else -- say, Magma or Banco -- I would probably have stayed home; if it had been Nektar and Magma I would have been there like a fly on dog shit. (As it is, I really regret that I couldn't go the following year for Magma, whom I still have never seen live.) I had never seen the original lineup of Nektar -- I saw the Dave Nelson band -- and to see their return to service after so many years was not to be missed. My only regret is that they couldn't play longer; I would have liked a few more tracks from the then-new Prodigal Son.("Salt and Vinegar and Rhythm and Blues" was built to be played live!

    When the hall went dark and the opening notes of "Tab" poured out of the speakers I was in heaven. Peak moment.

    *****

    Meanwhile, back at Pink Floyd and lasers. I saw a Laserium show at the little planetarium at De Anza College back around ... Oh, I guess it was '76 or early '77, based on who I went with. It was entertaining but nothing I would have paid to see again. They did one set of DSotM and one set of various spacy tunes by various acts. I remember hearing something by Yes, but I was a bit buzzed and don't recall what. I should consider going again sometime; I imagine that the technology has progressed somewhat.
    Cobra handling and cocaine use are a bad mix.

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    I went to a Pink Floyd laserium show in summer 1980 in Central Park while on vacation in NYC. There were several people walking next to the line of folks waiting to get in the planetarium, saying "Acid? Last chance!" and other exhortations for us to buy something illegal. Coming from Texas, we were shocked at how casual these people were about selling illicit drugs in public. Of course, who knows what they were actually selling... Best part of that weeklong vacation was seeing The Tubes and Todd Rundgren in Central Park. Todd had just produced their "Remote Control" album, which has some great tracks on it IMO.

  10. #10
    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    the only one I left in the middle of was Echolyn, who simply bored me to tears.

    I believe Echolyn mainly just did their 49 minute "mei" track at that show and so I can understand why they may have bored you. They really are a great band though and so I hope you have since rediscovered them or at least gave them another chance at some point.


    Anyway, back to the Floyd laser discussion.
    Do not suffer through the game of chance that plays....always doors to lock away your dreams (To Be Over)

  11. #11
    I'm here for the moosic NogbadTheBad's Avatar
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    It needs a band
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  12. #12
    I've never actually been to one of these (days), but would go in a heartbeat. (pun intended)
    'The smell of strange colours are heard everywhere'- Threshold

  13. #13
    Make me think of the episode of Freaks And Geeks where the "freaks" go to see "Laser Floyd" at the planetarium, only they go the wrong weekend and they end up seeing "Southern rock night" instead.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Digital_Man View Post
    the only one I left in the middle of was Echolyn, who simply bored me to tears.

    I believe Echolyn mainly just did their 49 minute "mei" track at that show and so I can understand why they may have bored you. They really are a great band though and so I hope you have since rediscovered them or at least gave them another chance at some point.
    I remember they actually played a songs from their earlier albums first, then ended the set with Mei (and then I think there was an encore). The thing I remember was, just before Mei started, i realized I had to use (Mickey Dolenz mode) the john...eh, comfort room (Mickey Dolenz mode off). So I thought, "I'll wait until this next number is over". Smooth move, Ex-Lax! So they're playing this big piece, and I'm like, ya know, "holding it". Then I remember at one point they hit this big dramatic climax, this big crescendo thing, and I'm thinking, "OK, this is almost over...". And the climax ends and this auxiliary musician starts strumming away on acoustic guitar, and I remember actually saying, "Oh, for the love of GOD!", and the guy in front of me turns around, and says "They've been going on like this for 20 minutes". So I finally said, "Frell it!" and got up and headed for the facilities. I saw the guy who was in front as I was coming out, and I said, "I just remembered, their new album is one big piece of music, and I guess they're playing the whole thing". I didn't go back in after the bathroom break.

    One thing, I wish I had a better memory of Isildur's Bane, because I remember literally nothing from their set. I remember very little of Miriodor also, though I've gotten into them more extensively since then, I have most of their albums.

  15. #15
    Member Lopez's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by moecurlythanu View Post
    Hell, they were doing Laserium (at the Planetarium) to the music of Pink Floyd back in the 70s! I like the eye/fingers graphic. Saw something very similar in another context very recently, but I don't recall where.

    Edit: They still are!

    http://laserium.com/performances/
    I went to one of those at the planetarium at the Boston Museum of Science in 1977 or so. Very cool.
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  16. #16
    They used to do them back in the early 80s in London UK, at the Planetarium inside Madame Tussauds.

    Pretty sure there was Floyd one, but I do remember seeing a Jean Michel Jarre one.

    They were pretty good for the time, lasers were still fairly new and unique. They were just starting to be used in concerts, Blue Oyster Cult was one of the first. But sadly local councils intervened citing health and safety regulations, so they were only allowed to use a fraction of their laser show.

  17. #17
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    I went to see one of these many years ago. It was pretty cool. I am sure today technology has advanced a lot and the show is more visually spectacular.

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rogue Mail View Post
    They used to do them back in the early 80s in London UK, at the Planetarium inside Madame Tussauds.
    I remember going to one of these but cannot recall who the band was - some synth-based outfit. The laser show was good but there were many tourists in the crowd (I will not identify nationalities) who insisted on taking photographs of the light show. Of course, in those days most cameras had automatic flash and, when they took their photos, these went off - leaving everyone temporarily (and painfully) blinded. And when the tourists got home and had their film developed they would have been puzzled as to why they took so many photographs of the planetarium's plain, white roof.
    We walked arm in arm with madness, and every little breeze whispered of the secret love we had for our disease

  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Rogue Mail View Post
    Lasers were still fairly new and unique. They were just starting to be used in concerts, Blue Oyster Cult was one of the first. But sadly local councils intervened citing health and safety regulations, so they were only allowed to use a fraction of their laser show.
    I was lucky enough to see that early laser show of theirs in March of 1978. Front row, leaning on the stage. Horslips was the opening band.

    The next and only other time I saw BOC was 41 years later.
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  20. #20
    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GuitarGeek View Post
    I remember they actually played a songs from their earlier albums first, then ended the set with Mei (and then I think there was an encore). The thing I remember was, just before Mei started, i realized I had to use (Mickey Dolenz mode) the john...eh, comfort room (Mickey Dolenz mode off). So I thought, "I'll wait until this next number is over". Smooth move, Ex-Lax! So they're playing this big piece, and I'm like, ya know, "holding it". Then I remember at one point they hit this big dramatic climax, this big crescendo thing, and I'm thinking, "OK, this is almost over...". And the climax ends and this auxiliary musician starts strumming away on acoustic guitar, and I remember actually saying, "Oh, for the love of GOD!", and the guy in front of me turns around, and says "They've been going on like this for 20 minutes". So I finally said, "Frell it!" and got up and headed for the facilities. I saw the guy who was in front as I was coming out, and I said, "I just remembered, their new album is one big piece of music, and I guess they're playing the whole thing". I didn't go back in after the bathroom break.

    One thing, I wish I had a better memory of Isildur's Bane, because I remember literally nothing from their set. I remember very little of Miriodor also, though I've gotten into them more extensively since then, I have most of their albums.
    In that first part I was quoting Sturgeon; I just didn't use the official quote thing. I admit I was a bit bored with Echolyn because it was my first time hearing that 49 minute piece but I didn't leave. Miriodor were unfortunately one of the few bands I missed. I only walked out on one band at NF I think. Maybe two I don't remember now.
    Last edited by Digital_Man; 08-18-2021 at 05:44 PM.
    Do not suffer through the game of chance that plays....always doors to lock away your dreams (To Be Over)

  21. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by mozo-pg View Post
    I'm off topic but isn't Nektar one of the most underrated bands, ever?
    This is true. Hopefully they are making up for lost time now, I have ALWAYS loved Nektar!

  22. #22
    When Yes started shooting their lasers at me in JFK stadium in June 1976, (https://wmmr.com/2020/06/12/this-day...t-jfk-stadium/) and at all the airplanes flying over the stadium after such a long day as this was, my life was forever irrevocably changed. Nothing would ever be the same again. And as of now nothing ever was, or is or whatever.

  23. #23
    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fiberman View Post
    This is true. Hopefully they are making up for lost time now, I have ALWAYS loved Nektar!
    At the risk of offending some people on here imo Yes are actually one of the most underrated bands these days too. Young people who barely heard of them would be shocked to learn about all their one time sell out records at MSG and the old Spectrum not to mention the JFK show. Apparently 120,000 people showed up for that. Sure maybe "only" 70,000 were there primarily for Yes(since Frampton was there too) but that's still pretty good. Anyway, you could actually say 99 percent of prog bands are over rated. If we are talking about prog circles Nektar aren't underrated and of course neither is Yes.
    Do not suffer through the game of chance that plays....always doors to lock away your dreams (To Be Over)

  24. #24
    Member since March 2004 mozo-pg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Digital_Man View Post
    At the risk of offending some people on here imo Yes are actually one of the most underrated bands these days too. Young people who barely heard of them would be shocked to learn about all their one time sell out records at MSG and the old Spectrum not to mention the JFK show. Apparently 120,000 people showed up for that. Sure maybe "only" 70,000 were there primarily for Yes(since Frampton was there too) but that's still pretty good. Anyway, you could actually say 99 percent of prog bands are over rated. If we are talking about prog circles Nektar aren't underrated and of course neither is Yes.
    When I said Nektar is underrated, I was actually just using hyperbole to point out how truly amazing the band is. That's all, nothing to take literally.
    What can this strange device be? When I touch it, it brings forth a sound (2112)

  25. #25
    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mozo-pg View Post
    When I said Nektar is underrated, I was actually just using hyperbole to point out how truly amazing the band is. That's all, nothing to take literally.
    Yes, they are but so are others.

    I actually just noticed they are playing at a venue I used to frequent. Unfortunately it's a bit too far from where I live now otherwise I would be tempted to go. Then again I don't think it's the same without Roye(RIP). I saw them three times. The first time (at Nearfest) was the best. They were increasingly less good each time I saw them although never really bad. That first time at NF had a really amazing light show so that helped. So compared to Pink Floyd yes Nektar are underrataed.
    Do not suffer through the game of chance that plays....always doors to lock away your dreams (To Be Over)

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