Performing songs from all the different eras of Pink Floyd and following their performance almost exactly a year ago at this very same Kent venue, Simply Us + Them returned to Chislehurst's The Beaverwood last Thursday. To be honest, when considering our runners and riders for last year's 'Best Tribute' award nominees, this amazing nine-piece band of London session musicians would have been nailed on, except for the fact that we inexplicably did not write a deserved review from that night!

Them's the rules, however, we vowed that we would make up for that oversight tonight, as frontman Mark Roadnight paused to check that his nonet were all present and correct, before kicking off with 'Breathe' from 'Dark Side Of The Moon', that in turn saw a pretty mean pedal steel guitar from this very likeable vocalist and guitarist. "An earlier one for you", Roadnight continued, in fact six years to be precise, taking us back to 1967 with a rockin' 'See Emily Play', indeed, as it turned out, the only time the band would dip into Floyd's Psychedelic era of the iconic Syd Barrett.

Testament to the indisputable longevity of Floyd's music, we then jumped twenty years forth to 'A Momentary Lapse Of Reason' and 'Learning To Fly', that not only re-emphasised the sum of the parts from these talented musicians, but also the interaction and fun they were having, emanating in a warmth and intimacy that perhaps doesn't come across from their Australian and Brit counterparts, who are once again touring larger size UK venues this year.

Taking me back to March 1977 and their 'Animals' tour at Wembley's Empire Pool, it was now time for the glorious 'Pigs (Three Different Ones)', where vocalist/keyboardist Tom Morton worryingly admitted that this was a first for them, although they needn't have worried as they perfectly executed these three little piggies, with Roadnight's voice box solo emanating 'Great Gig In The Sky' proportions, that saw him well and truly bringing home the bacon. Roadnight's excellent vocal delivery of his "favourite", 'Mother', made you realise how pertinent these lyrics from 'The Wall' are all these years later, and talking of 'Time', cue another nugget from 'Dark Side Of The Moon', and an opportunity for drummer James Smith and backing vocalists, Meredith, Becki and Lauren to showcase their talents, which they did with aplomb.

Keyboardist Stephen Thurlow's intro to 'Welcome To The Machine' again took me back to my very first Pink Floyd LP, 'Wish You Were Here', those halcyon days of repeated plays (I still have it!), so what better way to close the first set than arguably the stand-out from the album, and seventeen minutes of the wonderful 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' (Parts 1-5)'. In some eyes saving the best to last, with yet another masterclass from faultless guitarist Darren Spicer, whose Gilmour tone was spot on all evening, but also not forgetting Meredith's memorable saxophone solo, seamlessly switching from baritone to tenor. Amazing.

Unfortunately, one gripe from the evening was some chattering during the gig. This is both disrespectful to both the band and the rest of the audience who are trying to listen. STFU!

Perhaps their most underrated album in my opinion, and another debut from the band tonight, was the delightful 'High Hopes', taken from 1994's 'The Division Bell', and another chance for Mark to show off his pedal steel guitar prowess with an awesome solo. Yet another classic from 'Wish You Were Here', 'Have A Cigar', deserved an equally classic guitar solo outro from Spicer, that was abruptly interrupted by Thurlow's synthesizer filter-sweep sound effect. Although tonight is wasn't followed by the album's familiar title track, but instead by 'A Momentary Lapse Of Reason's 'Sorrow', with Spicer once again to the fore.

There can't be many other songs out there where anticipation causes a sharp intake of breath not only from those about to perform it, but also from those about to witness it? Cue Stephen Thurlow's 'The Great Gig In The Sky' piano solo intro, followed by one of the most dramatic and momentous Rock history vocals, from 'Dark Side Of The Moon', once famously described as "operatic trilling, caterwauling shrieks and a moaning dirge", which was beautifully sung and shared by backing vocalists Becki and Lauren.

And talking of being on the money, it was time "to see you on the dark side of the moon", with five penultimate big hitters from their very first concept album, namely David McLeod's superb bass on 'Money', Meredith and Darren's respective sax and guitar solos on my all-time Floyd fave, 'Us And Them' (once again bringing back memories of Wembley '77), 'Any Colour You Like', 'Brain Damage' and finally 'Eclipse'. Wow! Unsurprisingly, it could only be one song for the encore couldn't it? Step forward The Wall's emotional blockbuster, 'Comfortably Numb', that not only saw the continuation of Roadnight and Morton's outstanding vocal partnership, but also Gilmour, sorry, Spicer excel for the final time, complemented by Meredith's sax to add a different, but welcome take on this epic's outro.

Indeed, performing with a diverse mix of artists nationally and worldwide, several musicians from Simply Us + Them are returning to The Beaverwood on Thursday 20th March with their Steely Dan tribute - you've guessed it - Simply Dan! For fans of Pink Floyd, tonight Simply Us + Them more than faithfully captured the sound of Pink Floyd. Do not miss them if you get the opportunity to see them as a memorable night is guaranteed. 2025 WRC Award nominees anyone?

AJ