What struck me very forcefully during the gig - and rather incongruously so, given the pyrotechnics, inflatable monsters and everything else on display, was the power of the written word.
The Wall is multimedia in the truest sense of the word, with projections, models and explosions complementing the music with sometimes stunning poignancy.
Amid all of this, there was a picture of, if memory serves, Messrs Cameron and Osborne, with the message 'Trust us,' emblazoned above them. Then streaking across the Wall in that crazy red Gerald Scarfe font came the message 'No f***ing way.' (No asterisks were actually used.)
Predictably, this drew a few partisan cheers, but what struck me was the visceral power of seeing those words appear, as opposed to simply hearing them.
Indeed, sitting in the VIP reception after the show and finding myself seated at the same table as the very man himself, it occurred to me that had he actually said those words, it would have been a bit crass: sort of trite adolescent posturing. I wondered if he had realised this in the planning of the show and if he knew that saying the words would be a bit lame.
I didn't ask him though. I didn't say anything. Despite the fact that there was a free bar, I left early, got in a taxi and I suppose felt relieved that I hadn't made an ass of myself...
As teachers, maybe, if we've something really important to say, I wonder how effective it might be to suddenly STOP talking and ONLY write it on the board.
I guess I'll find out in class tomorrow..
Mike
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