DREAM THEATER Delivers Live Performance of PINK FLOYD’s ‘Echoes’ in Pompeii, Italy
Drummer Mike Portnoy expressed his overwhelming excitement and emotion on social media shortly after the show, sharing a photo of the evening’s setlist along with a heartfelt caption: “So many emotions tonight… I’ll post more photos and details tomorrow, but for now I just want to leave this here. This was tonight’s setlist in Pompeii. Yes, it’s true: PINK FLOYD’s ‘Echoes’ performed in its entirety (all 25 minutes!) on the very same hallowed ground where PINK FLOYD played it over 50 years ago. This was truly one for the books—a night I’ll never forget! Wow…”
Earlier in the day, Portnoy had reflected on the importance of performing at such an iconic location: “During my teenage years in the 80s, I was obsessed with the film Pink Floyd: Live At Pompeii. I wore out my VHS copy… then my Laserdisc, then my DVD and Blu-rays… and as recently as a few months ago, I picked up the newly restored and remixed version for my collection. Today, I get to check off a major bucket list venue by playing on the exact same historic stage where PINK FLOYD filmed that psychedelic masterpiece more than five decades ago. Tonight will be epic, and I plan to savor every second!”
PINK FLOYD’s original 1971 Pompeii performance has become the stuff of legend. The band’s ethereal set was recorded over four days in October 1971 at the ancient Roman amphitheater and later released as the seminal concert film Pink Floyd: Live At Pompeii, directed by Adrian Maben. In 1974, the film was reissued with added studio footage showing the band working on The Dark Side of the Moon and giving interviews at Abbey Road Studios, further cementing its reputation as a landmark in psychedelic and progressive rock history.
“Echoes,” the grand centerpiece of PINK FLOYD’s 1971 album Meddle, is an expansive, atmospheric opus lasting more than 23 minutes, filling the entire second side of the record. DREAM THEATER’s choice to perform this monumental track in full, on the same legendary stage where the original was brought to life, struck a powerful chord with both fans and critics.
