Mac Floyd review: Return journey to the other side of the moon

Published on Monday 7 April 2008 10:23

Mac Floyd **** Queen's Hall

HANGING on in quiet desperation is the "Scottish way", according to Mac Floyd's slightly altered lyrics to their near note-perfect rendition of Pink Floyd's song "Time", on Saturday night.

If letting rip with most of the tracks from the prog-rock band's two best selling albums, The Dark Side of The Moon and Wish You Were Here, is hanging on (to times long past), then the Scottish tribute act must confess themselves guilty on the first count.

However, there is not a lot you might deem to be desperate about the eight members of the band themselves. Attentive to detail, laid back and nicely self-effacing in their delivery they might have been – but not desperate.

There was certainly nothing quiet about the gig, either. Any initial reservations that you might as well sit at home listening to the real thing on CD were immediately dispelled. Volume, and lots of it, with the thrill of live performance more than made up for any inadequacies in the sound.

In the first half Mac Floyd suffered when either their sound man or the drummer seemed to be struggling with the Queen's Hall's famously intimate acoustic. Which led to a decidedly sluggish level of attack to many of the tracks and lack of nuance to the music.

Much greater clarity after the break ensured that you could appreciate the high level of musicianship – particularly from lead guitarist Will, who got right up close to David Gilmour's guitar solos. The backing singers provided great depth in Great Gig in the Sky and lead vocalist Billy's voice was, for the most part, spot on.

Despite having only a small – although effective – light show and giving scant regard to Pink Floyd's early catalogue, Mac Floyd create a more than passable impression of their heroes.