Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii (1972)

Live versions of the songs, filmed in an old Pompeii amphitheater. Songs included are Echoes (split into 2 parts), Careful with that axe, Eugene, A saucerful of secrets, One of those days, ... See full summary »

Director:

Adrian Maben

Stars:

David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Richard Wright

Cast

Complete credited cast:
David Gilmour	...	Himself (guitar, vocals) (as Pink Floyd)
Nick Mason	...	Himself (drums) (as Pink Floyd)
Roger Waters	...	Himself (bass, vocals, percussion) (as Pink Floyd)
Richard Wright	...	Himself (keyboards, vocals) (as Pink Floyd)

Storyline

Live versions of the songs, filmed in an old Pompeii amphitheater. Songs included are Echoes (split into 2 parts), Careful with that axe, Eugene, A saucerful of secrets, One of those days, Set the controls for the heart of the sun, Mademoiselle nobbs (Seamus, but with Rick's dog on vocals). "Careful" and "Set the controls" are shot at night with minimal lighting, setting a beautiful mood. And the live Saucerful just has to be seen, with Waters jumping around in the sunlight banging the huge gong. The 80-minute version features studio footage from the recordings of Dark side of the Moon, with alternate versions of Us and them, On the run and Brain Damage, as well as interviews with the band.

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Plot Keywords:

dark side of the moon | pompeii | band | alternate version | pink floyd | 

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Taglines:

More Than a Movie! An Explosive Cinema Concert!

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Genres:

Documentary | Music

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

Belgium West Germany France

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 October 1972 (France)

Also Known As:

Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii

Filming Locations:

Pozzuoli, Naples, Campania, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR),Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française (ORTF),RM Productions Fernseh- und Filmgesellschaft mbH

Technical Specs

Runtime:

62 min (original) 92 min (director's cut) 85 min (theatrical)

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo Dolby Digital (Remix for video release)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

From the scheduled six days of shooting to take place at Pompeii, three days were lost trying to get enough electric power to the amphitheater, as the equipment demanded too much from the local electric installation. In the end, a cable had to run from the center of Pompeii to the amphitheater.

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Goofs

In both parts of the song "Echoes", Nick Mason's sunglasses disappear and reappear a couple of times, indicating that the performance in Pompeii was filmed in sections rather than just one take. Or that there were two takes of the song and footage was used from both.

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Quotes

Roger Waters: It's like, you give a man a Les Paul guitar and he becomes Eric Clapton, and of course that's not true. And if you give a man an amplifier and a synthesizer, he doesn't become, you know, whoever; he doesn't become us.

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Alternate Versions

There are two versions of this film, both of which have been released on video in the UK. The theatrical release is the longer version and features footage of the band in the studio recording the Dark Side Of The Moon album. The shorter version omits all of this footage and features only the live performance in the Pompeii arena.

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Connections

Featured in The Abbey Road Story (1998)

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Soundtracks

One of these Days (I'm Going to Cut You into Little Pieces)
Written by Roger Waters (uncredited), Richard Wright (uncredited), Nick Mason (uncredited) and David Gilmour (uncredited)
Performed by Pink Floyd

User Reviews

The Best work of the Floyd by Far

This is a concert with documentary inserts between songs set next to the Pompeii volcano. This is one if not the best musical performance by the Floyd. The set up and background provides an eerie/mysterious feel to it that is amplified by intense tracks such as "Careful with that Axe Eugene." Panned views of the volcano and computer generated graphics add to the effects. It unlike any other concert they have played in being that the only fans were those involved in the setup and movie creation. Songs like "One of These Days" provide an up-tempo song that highlights the drummer's capabilities. While the classic "Us and Them" shows their more mellow jazz oriented style. Extremely well produced a must see for any true Floyd fan.