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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRoger Waters Brings Powerful Anti-Trump Message On New Tour, Offending Some Fans
http://www.inquisitr.com/4250472/roger-waters-brings-powerful-anti-trump-message-on-new-tour-offending-some-fans/?utm_content=inf_11_3140_2&source=se&utm_source=se&utm_campaign=se&utm_medium=fb&tse_id=INF_0551b780432211e780b645b806a7020fMay 27, 2017
Roger Waters Brings Powerful Anti-Trump Message On New Tour, Offending Some Fans
Rob Cotton
Roger Waters kicked off his Us and Them tour last night in Kansas City, Missouri, and at least a few fans were not happy with the legendary Pink Floyd artist for including anti-Trump messages in the show. According to the Kansas City Star, some fans walked out while Roger Waters and his band played the Pink Floyd song Money, while images of Trumps failed casinos, Russian buildings, and photos of Kremlin officials flashed on the large screens surrounding the stage. One fan raised his middle finger toward the stage as he left the Sprint Center arena, apparently upset that a notoriously politically-conscious artist was including political themes in his show.
If people are surprised that Roger Waters has suddenly gone political, they must not have been paying attention to his career for the past half century. As early as 1968, Waters was touching on political themes in his writing. The song Corporal Clegg off the second Pink Floyd album, A Saucerful of Secrets, is about a soldier who lost his leg in World War II, a war which claimed the life of Roger Waterss father. Roger Waters would later allude to his fathers death in the war in the song Free Four off of the 1972 album Obscured By Clouds, according to the Pink Floyd Lyrics website.
Roger Waterss lyrics would only become increasingly political over the years, culminating in Pink Floyds first explicitly political album, Animals, released in 1977. When Waters played a song from Animals, Pigs (Three Different Ones), at his Kansas City performance last night, it was accompanied by incendiary images of Donald Trump on the big screens surrounding the stage. The song begins with the line, big man, pig man, ha ha, charade you are, and as Waters sang the line a scowling image of Donald Trump flashed on the screens with the word charade beneath his face. During the songs guitar solo, a giant inflatable pig floated above the crowd with the phrase piggy bank of war written on the side, accompanied by dollar signs and other political imagery.
snip//
Hes only been sharing his sometimes unpopular views for 45 years minimum. Wake up people and stop f**king complaining. Roger is not going to tailor his performance to you. Its his show, not ours. He writes the songs, and we are just lucky enough to hear them.
no_hypocrisy
(46,028 posts)BootinUp
(47,085 posts)BigOleDummy
(2,267 posts)He's doing a show here pretty soon. I wasn't really planning on going but I may just change my mind. And yes, I HAVE been paying attention to his and the Floyd's lyrics over the years and applaud him for not toning down the politics. We need more artists to step up. The other side sure does! The State Fair here has a leg of the "Southern Uprising" tour this summer. Smh.
JTFrog
(14,274 posts)Treat yourself and go if you can.
samnsara
(17,605 posts)DonCoquixote
(13,616 posts)There are few clear, consistent voices about politics that can match him. Even Dylan and Neil Young have had periods where they flirted with the right wing, but Waters never did. BTW, to those that hate him because PF blew up, Waters started a lot of it, but David Gilmour was very consistent about NOT reconciling, instead insisting on a shitty solo career where his wife was his main songwriter, the result being some of the most awful solo work ever produced by an artist.
BeyondGeography
(39,351 posts)PF's work is for me in many ways the most durable of the genre, and Roger's songwriting seals the deal. I've always had a deep respect and I mean that most sincerely...In his lyrics there is incredible power, clarity and sensitivity about the business of life.
DonCoquixote
(13,616 posts)A lot of people would have written Pink Floyd off once Syd left. For those who do not know, Syd Barret was the original songwriter, who, despite a very brief period of work, was very influential, where people ranging from David Bowie to Nirvana admitted taking influences from him. He and Jimi Hendrix, while friends in London, experimented with the idea of guitar feedback, the loud sound that everyone uses now. He is also responsible for the idea of rock as theatrical spectacle, so everything from Raves to Concept albums also owes him something. So, how the hell did Roger Waters not only make PF survive, but also eclipse Syd? That ALONE is an epic feat, especially as his PF never had the glam rock charisma Syd Had (which Bowie would shamelessly rip off.)
That beign said, he was very nasty at times, the low point being when he fired Richard wright. This of course led to wright and Gilmour doing the later PF era, from a "momentary lapse of reason" on. Sadly, once Wright died, Gilmour's weakness as a songwriter really showed, and the fact his wife wrote only made it worse. Now, if he gets some serious songwriting helps, let's say from, his friends like Kate Bush or his followers like Maynard from Tool, or Thom Yorke from Radiohead he could make perhaps one or two good albums, but he will never, ever be able to rise above Waters. Thankfully, in addition to Waters being talented, he also has a strong, clear conscience, which is something we can be thankful for.
Vinnie From Indy
(10,820 posts)Thanks!
Left-over
(234 posts)mdbl
(4,973 posts)It's nice that he agrees with me though. I always loved Pink Floyd.
samnsara
(17,605 posts)DonCoquixote
(13,616 posts)That man has the sort of career where he can proudly stand on the summit of mount "I don't give a f**k." Then again, he never gave a F88k to begin with, there is a parable in this somewhere, one many artist would do well to learn.
gratuitous
(82,849 posts)Keep your hands off of my stack.
annabanana
(52,791 posts)WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)Nevernose
(13,081 posts)He was a true artist AND a sellout.
WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)ms liberty
(8,558 posts)onecent
(6,096 posts)luvMIdog
(2,533 posts)samnsara
(17,605 posts)ClusterFreak
(3,112 posts)...but in the heart of the Midwest?
Gotta love it!
JTFrog
(14,274 posts)Trump supporters are too stupid to understand PF's songs or messages. But Trump is a Pig is pretty plain and simple. Glad they understood at least that much.
Response to babylonsister (Original post)
JCMach1 This message was self-deleted by its author.
nolabels
(13,133 posts)The Animals album is such a classic
progressoid
(49,951 posts)nolabels
(13,133 posts)Well, at least not too much sense, kind of knew it was some kind of take on the book 'Animal Farm' and about wealth and privilege.
Back in the day, around when I was eighteen, my buddy and me headed got a four-day pass while in Army. We were going from Kansas to Kentucky and in the middle of the night via Missouri. Partway there we decided to take a shortcut. Turned out the backwoods in a fog bank on a winding two-lane highway are a little unnerving. My buddy rummaging through the cassettes found 'Animals', which he had never heard before. He played it over and over (think he liked it). Well, I just kinda remember that spooky feeling about it. I liked the sound and everything but it just seemed to be not of this world at the time.
Now though, the lyrics seem Clairvoyant and thank you for the link to the video
Baitball Blogger
(46,684 posts)I look back on my experiences growing up in the sixties on a military base and I wondered how it is that I grew up with such different political views than my high school friends. We listened to the same music and were part of the same culture. What happened?
I am beginning to think that they weren't listening to the words. For the longest time I thought I was the one that was out of step.
Bengus81
(6,928 posts)That's like the Bush.IDIOT boot lickers who poured out their French wine when France wouldn't go alone with Bush's DISASTER in Iraq. You think like Waters they gave a FLYING FUCK?? They've already been paid....DUHHHHHHH
mdbl
(4,973 posts)still do!
Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)BobTheSubgenius
(11,560 posts)I would have thought that a Venn diagram of 45's imbeciles and Roger Waters fans would show an imperceptible overlap.
paleotn
(17,884 posts)I suppose some of these folks either don't listen to the lyrics, or aren't smart enough to comprehend the message. I guess it has to be flashed in huge illuminated letters for them to finally get it.
colsohlibgal
(5,275 posts)I would guess the vast majority of Pink Floyd fans are liberal like me. So good riddance to those delusional losers who are for a Creep who is not in his or her best interest to be for....but they are too dense to realize that.
Ohioblue22
(1,430 posts)Peace lady
(3 posts)That concert was one of the best that I have ever seen. Epic! Be sure that you check it out if he comes to your area. All of the people around us were into it, and they were especially excited about the anti-Trump message. No one should be surprised that Roger Waters is political since he has always been. On the other side, I would not expect Ted Nugent to refrain from political discussions either, which is why I would not attend one of his concerts. I agree with you that Roger Waters is an artist and should not have to appease people so that they feel comfortable at HIS show.
babylonsister
(171,035 posts)welcome to DU!
58Sunliner
(4,372 posts)dalton99a
(81,404 posts)Phoenix61
(16,993 posts)Dumbasses, he already got your money when you paid for your ticket.
Rebl2
(13,471 posts)will demand their money back. Poor little snowflakes. They must not be big fans or they would have known their political leanings.
ismnotwasm
(41,967 posts)Very happy to start my work day with this image...
Sunlei
(22,651 posts)that can never be re-written
heaven05
(18,124 posts)fuck those "fans".
heaven05
(18,124 posts)Docreed2003
(16,850 posts)Of Waters and Pink Floyd. They also obviously never watched "The Wall". This is the equivalent of RWers getting upset that Bruce Springsteen happens to say something "political"
Funny how the outrage is always when a real artist speaks out against authoritarianism or in favor of other left leaning ideas, but the media always seems to shrug when Ted Nugent and his ilk spew hateful, violent bile like it's no big deal. And they call us "snowflakes"
Barack_America
(28,876 posts)Fixed your title for you.
Different Drummer
(7,606 posts)BootinUp
(47,085 posts)Scurrilous
(38,687 posts)Neema
(1,151 posts)you DON'T know he's going to be overtly political, and you DON'T think he's going to mock 45, that's on you my friend. Of course if you're dumb enough to still support 45 and be offended by anyone criticizing him, then there' not much hope for you anyway.
JI7
(89,240 posts)Solly Mack
(90,758 posts)blueinredohio
(6,797 posts)I go home or some place else
Mike Nelson
(9,944 posts)...explicit. Trump fans may be too "politically correct" to appreciate the blunt truthfulness. And, of course, an demanded apology to all pigs is understandable.
Lotusflower70
(3,077 posts)Obviously the dumbasses needed it spelled out. Lol. I bet the truth burns.
TrogL
(32,818 posts)Hoyt
(54,770 posts)ProudLib72
(17,984 posts)After reading the article, I so want to go. The ticket sales are weird, though. Not through a verified ticket seller. Hmmm....
I don't usually listen to Pink Floyd. But when I do, I prefer Waters to be political.
progressoid
(49,951 posts)Seems kind of subtle to me.
Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)It's like, have you been paying ZERO attention?