Pink Floyd: “Live at Pompeii” tonight for the first time on TV

One year after returning to the cinema, in a restored version, “Pink Floyd – Live at Pompeii” arrives on TV this evening for the first time, the film that revives the legendary Pink Floyd concert in the ancient Roman amphitheater of Pompeii in 1971. Appointment at 11.35pm on Rai5, first viewing. The setlist of the legendary concert film directed by Adrian Maben, originally released in cinemas in 1972, features the fundamental songs of the band’s psychedelic/progressive period, recorded in the Roman amphitheater without an audience. Key tracks include “Echoes” (split into two parts), “Careful with That Axe, Eugene,” “A Saucerful of Secrets,” “One of These Days,” and “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun.” In the restored edition, the tracklist has been supplemented with additional material, including clips recorded in the Paris studios such as “On The Run”, “Us And Them” and “Brain Damage”, as well as a previously unreleased intro. The film arrives on TV while fans are waiting for the imminent announcement that Pink Floyd should make regarding the next celebratory event, which should concern the historic concert in Venice in 1989. Yesterday the band released a mysterious trailer on its official YouTube channel.

In 1971 Pink Floyd, on the launch pad towards world consecration, were the first band to play in Pompeii. That live performance became a legendary film and an unmissable live album, two cult titles for fans of the legendary British band and for classic rock enthusiasts more generally. The film documents what Pink Floyd were doing before they became chart giants on both sides of the Atlantic, where their music is still celebrated today.

Nick Mason said: «Pink Floyd: Live At Pompeii is a rare and unique document of the band performing live in the period before The Dark Side Of The Moon». The film last year was meticulously restored, frame by frame, from the original 35mm negative, discovered in five dubiously labeled jars in the Pink Floyd archives. This epochal turning point has brought to light the same film that passed through the cameras during those sultry days in the ruins of Pompeii, more than 50 years ago. Led by Lana Topham, Pink Floyd’s director of restoration, the team was tasked with preserving the integrity and beauty of the original image. The film was scanned in 4K using advanced techniques to ensure maximum detail clarity. Colors have been enhanced and every frame has been meticulously reviewed and repaired, maintaining a natural, vivid look with minimal grain adjustments.