Directed by Adrian Maben, the project captures the band performing in the hauntingly beautiful ruins of the ancient Roman Amphitheatre in Pompeii, Italy, where Pink Floyd performed an intimate concert without an audience. Filmed in October 1971, the performance marked the very first live concert to take place at Pompeii, and features the vital “Echoes,” “A Saucerful Of Secrets,” and “One Of These Days.” The breathtaking visuals of the amphitheatre, captured both day and night, amplify the magic of the performance.
Additionally, the film includes rare behind-the-scenes footage of the band beginning work on "The Dark Side Of The Moon" at Abbey Road Studios.
“Pink Floyd: Live At Pompeii” is a rare and unique document of the band performing live in the period prior to ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon,’” says drummer Nick Mason.
The film has been meticulously hand restored, frame-by-frame, from the original 35mm cut negative – discovered in five dubiously labelled cans within Pink Floyd’s own archives. This momentous breakthrough unearthed the very film that rolled through the cameras during those sweltering days amidst the ruins of Pompeii over 50 years ago.
The film also features stunning sound quality with a new theatrical and home entertainment mix by Steven Wilson in 5.1 and Dolby Atmos that enhances the film’s depth and clarity, preserving the authenticity and spirit of the original 1972 release. Wilson’s aim was to remain faithful to how the band would have sounded on those scorching hot days in 1971.
“Ever since my dad brainwashed me as a kid by playing ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ on repeat, Pink Floyd has been my favourite band,” explains Wilson. “They are my “Beatles”, deeply ingrained in my musical DNA. I first saw Pompeii from a grainy print at a local cinema. It made an incredible impression on me with its untethered and exploratory rock music made by four musicians that seemed to epitomise the notion of intellectual cool. It was an honour to remix the soundtrack to accompany Lana Topham’s incredible restoration of the film, which looks like it could’ve been filmed yesterday.”
Trafalgar Releasing and Sony Music Vision will release “Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII” in select cinemas and IMAX worldwide from April 24.
Tickets will go on sale from Wednesday, March 5 at 6am PT / 9am ET / 2pm GMT at www.pinkfloyd.film. Visit the event website for more information and ticketing details for IMAX® and standard format cinemas.
“Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII” is accompanied by the live album, set for release by Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music, on CD, Digital Audio, and for the very first time in Dolby Atmos and on vinyl, from May 2.
Review the format options for the Pompeii concert package here.
See also:
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Search Pink Floyd at hennemusic