Interview with Damian Darlington of Brit Floyd

Brit Floyd are the world’s greatest Pink Floyd tribute and this year marks the 2nd anniversary of this group being together. I recently spoke with Damian Darlington, lead vocalist and guitarist to talk about what will be happening on the new tour.

RC: How has the touring life been for you lately?

DD: Very busy as ever, it’s taken me all around North America and most of Europe and a few other exotic places over the last 12 months. It’s a lot of touring, but its lots of fun getting to play this music in front of so many people and in so many exciting and iconic places.

RC: Tell me about Acoustic Unlimited. How did that start?

DD: Acoustic Unlimited is project I’ve been doing on and off ever since I started playing the guitar. It reflects my love for the acoustic guitar and gives me an opportunity to play some of my own music and compositions. It’s evolved over the years from a trio purely playing jazz and classical instrumental music inspired by artist such as Al di Meola, John McLaughlin and Pat Metheny, to the more diverse repertoire of music that we play now, including acoustic celtic, roots, and pop music. There are now songs in the mix too and not just instrumental pieces.

RC: Do you see Acoustic Unlimited getting as big as Brit Floyd in the future?

DD: No, it’s not the sort of thing that I think will ever play shows as big as Brit Floyd does, but it’s a really good opportunity to play more intimate gigs and play a very diverse range of music with other members of my family. I hope in the not too distant future to be able to dedicate some more time to it and record a new album and take it out on tour at least in the UK.

RC: Have you ever gotten to play with any of your influences?

DD: I would say that getting the opportunity to play on stage with Rick Wright some years ago at David Gilmour’s 50th birthday party counts as playing with one of my influences. Although Rick Wright was keyboard player as opposed to a guitarist, he helped create much of the music of Pink Floyd and was part of the group that has had the biggest influence on my musical life and career.

RC: Did you ever think you’d be where you are today?

DD: When I first joined a Pink Floyd tribute show 2o years ago I had no notion that I would be here all these years later playing Pink Floyd music all around the world to so many fans and in so many amazing places. When I look back it’s really quite surprising and incredible.

RC: Why did you choose to name your new tour after the box set name?

DD: We wanted to represent all eras of Pink Floyd’s music in some way on this tour, from the early Syd Barrett period, right through all of Pink Floyd’s albums up to and including the Division Bell. Basing the tour on The Discovery box set gives us a chance to do this in an appropriate and relevant way. It gives us the opportunity to introduce fans to a few of those early Floyd gems, but at the same time still have all the classic tracks that fans love so much and want to hear live from albums such as Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here and The Wall.

RC: What makes this show different than your debut tour last year?

DD: Last year we had the concept of playing whole sides of albums and presenting the music in the order and context that Floyd originally intended the tracks to be listened to in. This year we’ve increased the scope and breadth of the set list and brought in tracks from Pink Floyd’s entire catalogue. We’ve also improved the lighting design and introduced brand new video content in the show so that it’s an even greater spectacle than before.

RC: Do you think the band has developed more since last year?

DD: The band is always developing. We never become complacent about what we do and are always trying to improve the way we play these songs and we’re always improving the equipment that we use to perform the music with. It’s a real labor of love for all of us.

RC: You recently aired a “Live at Red Rocks” special on PBS. What was that show like for you?

DD: It was very exciting and great feeling for us to get to play at such an iconic venue. It’s a very beautiful and impressive setting to play in and you can really sense the music history literally echoing out of the rocks there. Anybody who is anybody has played there over the years, so for us to join that list of artists is something very special indeed.

RC: What can your fans look forward to at your show?

DD: All the ingredients that go into reproducing a genuine Pink Floyd concerts experience. A spectacular show that is a feast for the ears as well as the eyes.

Make sure to check out Brit Floyd when they will be performing at The Chicago Theatre on March 19th. Get tickets here: http://www.thechicagotheatre.com/events/2014/march/brit-floyd-at-the-chicago-theatre.html