Brit Floyd Shines On in Stellar Performance at Ruth Eckerd Hall 

Live Review

Brit Floyd. Photo by Earl Burton (Cell).

By “Tampa” Earl Burton, Rock At Night Tampa

Live Review: Brit Floyd at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, Florida – May 30, 2023

Brit Floyd. Photo by Earl Burton (Cell).

I have a confession to make upfront – I’ve never been much of a “tribute band” type of person. While I certainly don’t begrudge those who enjoy seeing bands that are formed to pay respect to the greats of the past, it isn’t necessarily something that I seek out. That attitude, at least for me, has now changed after seeing the stellar show put on by Brit Floyd at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, FL, on Tuesday night. 

Brit Floyd was formed in 2011 by Damian Darlington and, over the past decade-plus, has become the most formidable Pink Floyd tribute act on the road today. Putting an impeccable band around him, including Ian Cattell on bass, Edo Scordo on guitars, Matt Riddle on keyboards, Ryan Saranich as the “jack of all instruments,” Arran Ahmun and Randy Cooke on percussion, and a trio of vocalists – Eva Avila, Genevieve Little, and Chess Galea – providing the female accompaniment, Darlington leads a musical force that pays tribute to one of the classic acts in rock history while still demonstrating a level of virtuosity, a passion for the music, and an artistic implementation that you normally don’t get with tribute acts.  

Spanning the Decades of a Storied Career 

Ian Cattell of Brit Floyd. Photo by Mike McKenney (RAN New England).

As it is the fiftieth anniversary of the release of Pink Floyd’s seminal work Dark Side of the Moon, Brit Floyd naturally concentrated on that work (the tour is entitled “Brit Floyd – 50 Years of Dark Side,” after all). Brit Floyd played nearly the entirety of that album, save for “Any Color You Like.” This allowed them to stretch out into some of the nooks and crannies of the Floyd catalog.  

Of particular note from the Dark Side songs was the vocal work by Avila on “The Great Gig in the Sky.” Avila, the champion of Canadian Idol in 2006, hit nearly a note-for-note rendition of the soaring vocals in that difficult tune. It brought the first of many standing ovations from the sold-out REH crowd and Avila demonstrated her appreciation to the crowd and the gentlemen in the band in receiving the accolades.  

Please see our interview with Ian Cattell of Brit Floyd HERE

The excellence would continue as Darlington and Brit Floyd took listeners into the weeds with some of the musical selections. “What Do You Want from Me” (from The Division Bell) was a particularly stirring rendition early in the show, but the band seemed to hit their groove on the lengthy “Pigs” (Animals) just before the intermission came. Even the late Syd Barrett, the troubled genius behind much of Pink Floyd’s early work, was given his due with “See Emily Play” (The Piper at the Gates of Dawn).  

Impeccable Musicianship, Stunning Visuals a Staple of the Show 

Brit Floyd. Photo by Earl Burton (Cell).

Throughout the entirety of the two-hour-plus show, the impeccable musicianship and stunning visuals, both staples of Pink Floyd’s career, were demonstrated by Brit Floyd. The triumvirate of Darlington, Cattell, and Scordo ably handled the lyrical works from the Floyd catalog and both Darlington and Scordo were able to masterfully play the intricate guitar work of Floyd maestro David Gilmour. Riddle and Saranich created the mood through their efforts on the keyboards and synthesizers, while Ahmun and Cooke provided the backbeat to the proceedings very well. 

What was particularly surprising about Brit Floyd was the passion that the band put into their efforts and the occasional “artistic licenses” that the individual players would take. Darlington is extremely knowledgeable about the Floyd legacy and treats that work with a huge amount of respect, but he and Scordo would demonstrate some guitar fluency of their own with adventurous solos in the well-known songs. It all blends into a journey into the world of Pink Floyd from musicians who are more than qualified to handle the masterpieces. 

If you’re one of those, like me, that shied away from “tribute bands,” you’d be doing yourself a disservice by passing by Brit Floyd if they come to your area. The show is impeccably done, with stunning visuals and a light show that add tremendously to the program, and you will be well-entertained with the overall effort. It makes me wonder – have I been missing out on OTHER great “tribute acts” because of my own biases?  

Brit Floyd. Photo by Mike McKenney (RAN New England).

TOUR

*FRI APRIL 21 – Benedum Center – Pittsburgh, PA – TICKETS
*SAT APRIL 22 – Wind Creek Event Center – Bethlehem, PA – TICKETS
SUN APRIL 23 – Hershey Theatre – Hershey, PA – TICKETS
TUE APRIL 25 – The Auditorium Theater – Rochester, NY – TICKETS
WED APRIL 26 – Warner Theatre – Washington, DC – TICKETS
*FRI APRIL 28 – Hard Rock Hotel And Casino – Atlantic City, NJ – TICKETS
SAT APRIL 29 – Toyota Oakdale Theater – Wallingford, CT – TICKETS
SUN APRIL 30 – The Orpheum – Boston, MA – TICKETS
MON MAY 1 – Kleinhans Music Hall – Buffalo, NY – TICKETS
WED MAY 3 – The Warner Theatre – Erie, PA – TICKETS
FRI MAY 5 – The Chicago Theatre – Chicago, IL – TICKETS
*SAT MAY 6 – Genesee Theatre – Waukegan, IL – TICKETS
SUN MAY 7 – Riverside Theater – Milwaukee, WI – TICKETS
MON MAY 8 – Morris Performing Arts Center – South Bend, IN – TICKETS
WED MAY 10 – Brown County Music Center – Nashville, IN – TICKETS
THU MAY 11 – Huntington Center – Toledo, OH – TICKETS
FRI MAY 12 – PNC Pavilion At Riverbend – Cincinnati, OH – TICKETS
SAT MAY 13 – Rose Music Center At The Heights – Huber Heights, OH – TICKETS
MON MAY 15 – DeVos Performance Hall – Grand Rapids, MI – TICKETS
TUE MAY 16 – Foellinger Theatre – Fort Wayne, IN
MON MAY 18 – Masonic Temple- Detroit, MI
FRI MAY 19 – Jacobs Pavilion – Cleveland, OH – TICKETS
SAT MAY 20 – KEMBA Live! – Columbus, OH – TICKETS
SUN MAY 21 – FM Kirby Center  – Wilkes-Barre, PA – TICKETS
TUE MAY 23 – Florida Theater – Jacksonville, FL – TICKETS –
THU MAY 25 – The Peabody – Daytona Beach, FL – TICKETS
FRI MAY 26 – Hertz Arena – Estero, FL – TICKETS
SAT MAY 27 – King Center – Melbourne, FL – TICKETS
TUE MAY 30 – Ruth Eckerd Hall – Clearwater, FL – TICKETS
THU JUNE 1 – Saenger Theatre – Pensacola, FL – TICKETS
FRI JUNE 2 – Simmons Bank Arena – Little Rock, AR – TICKETS
SAT JUNE 3 – The BJCC – Birmingham, AL – TICKETS
SUN JUNE 4 – Cobb Energy Center – Atlanta, GA – TICKETS
TUE JUNE 6 – Tulsa Theater – Tulsa, OK – TICKETS
WED JUNE 7 – The Midland – Kansas City, MO – TICKETS
THU JUNE 8 – Orpheum – Wichita, KS – TICKETS
*FRI JUNE 9 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO – TICKETS
SUN JUNE 11 – Revel – Albuquerque, NM – TICKETS
TUE JUNE 13 – Wagner Noel PAC – Midland, TX
WED JUNE 14 – Bayou Music Center – Houston ,TX – TICKETS
THU JUNE 15 – Austin City Limits At The Moody Theater – Austin, TX – TICKETS
FRI JUNE 16 – Will Rogers Auditorium – Fort Worth, TX – TICKETS
SUN JUNE 18 – Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium – Chattanooga, TN – TICKETS
TUE JUNE 20 – Tennessee Theatre – Knoxville, TN – TICKETS
WED JUNE 21 – Coliseum & Performing Arts Center – North Charleston, SC – TICKETS
FRI JUNE 23 – Mizner Park Amphitheatre – Boca Raton, FL – TICKETS
SAT JUL 15 – Arizona Financial Theatre – Phoenix, AZ – TICKETS
FRI JUL 21 – Warnors Theatre – Fresno, CA
SAT JUL 22 – Fox Theatre – Bakersfield, CA
SUN JUL 23 – Mountain Winery – Saratoga, CA – TICKETS
THU JUL 27 – The Festival at Sandpoint – Sandpoint, ID – TICKETS
SAT JUL 29 – Britt Festival – Jacksonville, OR – TICKETS

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook: @britfloydooffical
Instagram: @britfloydband
Twitter: @britfloydband
YouTube: @britfloydofficial
Tampa Earl