Pink Floyd – Thirteen (Godfather Records GR 673/674)

 Thirteen (Godfather Records GR 673/674)

Sportpaleis, Antwerp, Belgium – February 20th, 1977

Disc 1 (51:03): Sheep, Pigs On The Wing pt 1, Dogs, Pigs On The Wing pt 2, Pigs (Three Different Ones)

Disc 2 (61:16): Shine On You Crazy Diamond (pts 1-5), Welcome To The Machine, Have A Cigar, Wish You Were Here, Shine On You Crazy Diamond (pts 6-9), Money

Thirteen is the debut silver release of Pink Floyd’s February 20th, 1977 show in Antwerp, Belgium on the Animals tour.  Godfather use the common tape in circulation, an audience recording which has good to very good sound.  Although most of the show is present there are several noticeable cuts. 

“Sheep” is missing the opening sound-scape, beginning with the opening instrumental.  “Dogs” has cuts at 4:52, 11:41, at 12:09 omitting the line “If I don’t stand my own ground” and one at 12:39 omitting the line “And everything’s done under the sun / And you believe at heart, everyone’s a killer.”  The only other significant cut “Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V)” missing the beginning.  

Pink Floyd visited Belgium many times during their career.  They made one of their first television appearances on “TV Spectacular” on RTB on September 18th, 1967 (no footage survived).  They returned in February 1968 with new member David Gilmour for two more television programs, “Vibrato” on February 18th and “Tienerklanken” on the 19th. The songs were filmed both in studio and Parc de Laekan and is the earliest footage of the four piece band with Gilmour in existence.

Their first live show in Belgium was claimed to be at the Rijschool in Leuven, an all night carnival with The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown and other local bands where they were pelted with bottles.  Some sources dispute this and claim they played Leuven on March 17th.

Their first gig in Antwerp was on February 23rd, where they packed four hundred into the two hundred capacity Pannenhuis for a two hour legendary psychedelic experience.  

Floyd returned the following year to headline the second night of the famous Festival Actuel in Amougies on October 25th, 1969 and jammed with Frank Zappa. They played a scorching show in Brussels in 1972 but this 1977 Antwerp date is their last in Belgium with Roger Waters.  (The Gilmour-lead band would play Werchter in 1989 and 1994).

Pink Floyd didn’t change the set list much on this tour.  The first half is devoted to the new album Animals and the second half to Wish You Were Here with “Money” from Dark Side Of The Moon serving as encore.  

Despite missing the beginning, “Sheep” very quickly builds up the appropriate atmosphere of mystery, suspense and danger.  But there is a certain unease in the air during “Dogs.”  Gilmour messes up the first solo and is late on the second.

He does redeem himself mightily during “Pigs (Three Different Ones).”  After the solos and after Waters whisper “thirteen” Gilmour gets into some pretty abstract guitar riffs.  At one point he produces some “Echoes” inspired whale calls over the heavy rhythm machine.

The second half of the show is much tighter.  “Welcome To The Machine” sounds like it overwhelms the audience with the Gerald Scarfe animation, and “Have A Cigar” sounds devastating.  

During the radio interlude Edith Piaf and a female DJ speaking Flemish is audible before “Wish You Were Here.”  The final song is “Shine On You Crazy Diamond (parts 6-9),” still played very close to the recorded counterpart.  “Money” is the only encore from the show.  The actual Antwerp tape is missing the encore so the February 20th Paris recording has been added for continuity.

Antwerp is an uneven but interesting and satisfying Pink Floyd show and it’s nice to have it on a silver release.  Godfather originally planned on releasing this show in the springtime, but made a mistake by using one of the Paris tapes instead (a common misconception).  The did a good thing by finally offering the correct show and correct sleeves for the shows which are both worth having.