It took some time, but Pink Floyd Niagara is finally getting the chance to perform at its venue of choice.

 

​The group, a labour of musical love by a group of Niagara musicians will be taking to the stage at the Seneca Queen Theatre for four nights beginning Feb. 1 to deliver its tribute to the English progressive rockers in all its quadraphonic glory. It’s something that hasn’t been seen in these parts since 2008. That’s the last time keyboard player Larry Swiercz and the other members of the tribute act took to the stage in Niagara Falls.

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Just don’t expect to see any flying pigs.

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“When we started doing the shows in 2007, 2008, we were looking for a venue,” Swiercz said. “We saw the Seneca (Queen) Theatre. We knew it used to be a proper theatre but we saw it was not in any shape.”

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So then, the group moved on and booked the Niagara Centre for the Arts at Epworth Circle. Since then, the historic Seneca on Queen Street went through extensive renovations and is now home to Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects, which rents out the space when the theatre group is not using it.

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“It’s a limited capacity. That means we’ll be able to do a much more in intimate performance,” Swiercz said.

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To be true to Floyd sonically, Swiercz said the group is comprised of 11 musicians, including a trio of background singers.

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“It’s deceptively simple sounding music. It’s layered and constructed so well.”

Swiercz said the construction of an 11-piece was a deliberate act. The real McCoy, in fact, played as 11-piece on its 1994 tour to promote the album The Division Bell.

“It blew me away,” Swiercz said. “When we went to throw this together (with partner Greg Johns) we said, ‘let’s put together something like that.’ You need an 11-piece if you want to be authentic.”

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Pink Floyd Performances consist of two sets, Swiercz said. Set one consists of a “greatest hits” type of show encompassing Floyd’s entire catalogue while the second set features the iconic Dark side of the Moon album played in its entirety.

And about those pigs.

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Swiercz chuckled at the thought of recreating the stage props of Floyd’s tour for the album, Animals.

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“When we did it the first year (back in 2007) we looked into it,” Swiercz said. “We wanted to fly them from the top of the venue so you could see them from the States.”

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But there were some legal questions and, as it turned out, it would have been a hefty obligation financially to send the 18-foot inflatable swine skyward.

“It just wasn’t in the budget but it would have been a lot of fun.”

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