Aussie group duplicates Floyd

There are two bands that have debuted in Utah in recent years and in relatively no time developed strong fan bases that await their annual appearances with anticipation.

One is the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (scheduled for a local stop in December). The other is The Australian Pink Floyd.

For those who haven't seen or heard of Aussie Floyd yet, as the name suggests it's a band that does all Pink Floyd songs. The difference between the arena-filling APF and a cover band at a local bar, however, is that Aussie Floyd re-creates the original Floyd's sound with such note-for-note and vocal accuracy that it's like playing a real Floyd CD.

Furthermore, the band's live performances include elaborate lighting and a video screen reminiscent of a real Pink Floyd concert. Some of the props used in past Floyd tours and even some of the band's crew members are now with APF.

Thursday will mark APF's fourth visit to Utah. "It's always a great audience," said keyboardist Jason Sawford. "We really enjoy playing there a lot."

While past tours have concentrated on performing the lengthy "Dark Side of the Moon" in its entirety, followed by a set of greatest hits, Sawford said the band has mixed things up a little this time. "We're basically doing a 'best-of' set this time, plus a few more unusual ones," he said by phone just hours before the California opening-night concert that kicked off the band's North American tour.

Hardcore fans should be pleased to hear that some unusual numbers will include songs from 1983's "The Final Cut" — including "Not Now John," songs that Sawford said the band has never performed live before.

The stage show has also grown, as lasers have been added to the visuals this time around. "Pink Floyd have always been associated with lights and projections. We have our own Australian theme, and it seems to work well for some reason. It gives us a slightly original take on it. (The lights and animation) are a very important part of the show. There's a lot of work involved in that."

But of course, the lights and lasers and movies would be nothing without the music. And while APF is already considered the best Floyd Tribute show in the world, Sawford said the band is always looking to get better. "When I'm playing, when I'm rehearsing, we're always very critical of ourselves. We're like, 'How can we get that more?"'

At other times, however, Sawford said he's "surprised at how close we can get" to duplicating Floyd's sound.

Although you'll never hear APF introducing "new" songs to the set, the band is always looking for new creative ways to present the show. Sawford said one idea that's been tossed around is performing the quintessential Floyd album "The Wall" from start to finish. "There are still a lot of songs we haven't covered. There are different concepts on how the show develops."

If you go

What: Australian Pink Floyd

Where: E Center, 3200 Decker Lake Drive, West Valley City

When: Tuesday, 8 p.m.

How much: $25.50 and $35.50

Phone: 467-8499 or 800-888-8499

Web: www.smithstix.com

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E-mail: preavy@desnews.com