Dark Side Of The Moon - Pink Floyd

Regular readers of this blog will know that my mates and I didn't always give the logistics of transport to and from gigs sufficient consideration - we were far too obsessed with getting hold of the tickets and discussing possible set lists to worry about such mundane topics. Using this approach we got to see a great number of bands but it did usually result in missed encores, angry parents, long waits in cold bus stations or hikes home through the night.

Surely learning from experience and the gaining of maturity would see an end to such problems.....you would think so wouldn't you......

In October 1994 Pink Floyd were touring again, although without Roger Waters, and were booked into Earls Court in London for a run of three nights. This was always going to be a must see gig for RT and myself but the fact that they were going to perform 'Dark Side of the Moon', their seminal album from 1973, in its entirety made this an essential trip - a pilgrimage almost. The tickets were bought and a rough idea of how we were going to get there and back was already planned.

RT, me and Sarah would travel down by car to her sisters in Basingstoke and then RT and me would catch a train to London, stay in a hotel overnight and then travel back to Basingstoke in time for Sunday lunch. Easy peasy and foolproof.

The warning signs, however, were there when we were dropped off at the station in Basingstoke on Saturday afternoon. Sarah and her sister watched as we stridently headed for the station entrance.....and went down the wrong subway. Realising our mistake when we emerged at the wrong platform, we headed back down the subway, reemerged in the station car park, waved at the still laughing Sarah and her sister, and headed into the right entrance. Disaster averted. Phew!

The concert at Earls Court was immense - great songs, performances and all accompanied by an amazing light show. Simply breathtaking and well worth the trip - even if we had managed to make fools of ourselves the previous day.....but it was about to get worse.

The next day we arrived at Waterloo Station and got on the mid-morning train to Basingstoke. It set off on time and, still buzzing from the previous night's concert, we chatted excitedly about the experience.

"Shouldn't we have passed Woking by now?", RT asked. Glancing out of the window I remarked about how I had not seen this scenery the previous day - must've been too excited to notice. RT said he had recognised some of the farm houses we had just passed. Reassured we continued chatting. Several other farms and villages passed the window and we both confirmed to each other that we had definitely seen them the day before, "I remember that battered old van", I said to my travelling partner.

"Tickets from Waterloo please", the ticket inspector said as he approached us. We duly handed over our tickets and returned to our conversation.

"You're going the wrong way!", he exclaimed adding, "this train is heading to Portsmouth". 
"Are you sure?", I enquired
"No you are absolutely right - I'm wrong - I've only been doing this job for ten years and I still can't remember which way we're heading.....of course I'm sure", he replied a little sarcstically, "You'll have to get off at the next station and catch the next northbound train".

So we duly got off as advised and waited at the platform for a northbound train....and waited...and waited. Ahh the joys of the Sunday train service. Several hours later we arrived back in Waterloo, where we had started, and transferred to a correct service.

This time the scenery did look familiar and passing Woking confirmed that we were indeed now heading in the right direction. We arrived at Basingstoke station four hours late for lunch and very, very embarrassed. Thankfully Sarah and her sister's family saw the funny side of it, but we had managed to ruin the Sunday lunch - not having a mobile phone in this instant did not help our cause, but we had been totally useless! How we got on the wrong train and managed to convince ourselves that we were heading the right way is still a mystery to me today.

'Dark Side of The Moon' needs no introduction - it's one of the most famous and recognisable rock albums ever made. Selling 50 million copies and remaining in the album chart for a whopping 741 weeks (1973 to 1988) is a testament to the iconic stature of the recording. Although all of the songs are classics, it really comes into its own during the last three songs; 'Any Colour You Like', 'Brain Damage' and 'Eclipse' where the album's theme of the problems of modern life, consumerism, commercialism, otherness and unity come to an uplifting finale.