Pink Floyd to play the Nicosia wall?
By Zoe Christodoulides
TEENAGERS are already taking out their black logo t-shirts, while adults of all ages swoon with delight as word goes round that the creative genius of Pink Floyd, Roger Waters, and his band are likely to be arriving in Cyprus this May for a concert like no other.
When rumours started circulating a few days back that they would be giving a concert on the island, no one really believed that these musical legends could possibly have reason to visit. The Pantheon Art Cinema in Nicosia then announced screenings of the cult classic, Pink Floyd: The Wall, and the rumours became rife.
Although no definite confirmation can be made, it is now looking more than likely that the group will be arriving to give a concert in the Nicosia buffer zone on May 9.
As one of the most successful rock bands of all time, the London boys achieved worldwide success in the 1970s with the progressive psychedelic rock of The Dark Side of the Moon, followed by the albums Wish You Were Here, Animals and The Wall.
The organisers of the upcoming event are trying to make sure that details are finalised before they make any official statements. They do, however, confirm that negotiations are currently underway, and that the band should hopefully be playing on the Green Line in a show similar to the one given in Berlin in 1990, less than a year after the destruction of the Berlin Wall. Played to a live audience of 250,000 and a television audience of 500 million in 52 countries across the globe, the show took on historic proportions.
Concerts in Cyprus can sometimes be very risky business and the organisers are keen to make sure that everything is done right before tickets go on sale. When you’re dealing with such a big name as Pink Floyd, the promoters can be sure that thousands will show up, but they also have to be certain that the band is happy with the choice of venue and whole concept of the show.
If such a performance does take place, the one thing we can be sure of is that the ongoing division of the island will most certainly be in the limelight as foreign media will be covering the special event.
Crowds can expect an extravagant show like no other. Renowned for their lavish stage shows, the rock legends will be combining their performance with video footage playing in the background. All Pink Floyd hits will be played as well as all the songs from The Dark Side of the Moon, complemented with 3D effects and laser lights.
For such a small island, Cyprus really hassn’t done badly when it comes to concerts in the past few years. Crowds went mad over Elton John tickets a few years back, Sting drew in plenty of fans a couple of summers ago, and the Bryan Adams gig last June was heaving with overly excitable crowds, while 50 Cent was another surprise concert that had young fans of hip hop and R&B delighted in July.
With fingers tightly crossed, it seems that things are about to get even better with a show not many would ever have imagined experiencing in the capital.