Pink Floyd planetarium show at Centre for Life gives fans trip down memory lane

To mark the 50 th anniversary of Pink Floyd’s iconic album, Newcastle's Life Science Centre (Life) is hosting a memorable experience in the centre’s planetarium, where audiences can enjoy breath-taking visuals of the solar system and beyond, set to tracks from The Dark Side of the Moon.

And among the first to enjoy it was 66-year-old Sunderland University emeritus professor, Peter Smith.

As a 15-year-old, Peter Smith saw Pink Floyd play at Newcastle City Hall in 1972, when the band first played tunes that would feature on the classic album a year later.

At the time the album was provisionally entitled “Eclipse”.

People at these early performances were amongst the first to hear what were to become the timeless tunes that millions know and love.

And the dedicated Floyd fan was delighted to revisit the album over 50 years later at Life.

Peter said: "I can remember it was a really impressive gig – it was played in quadrophonic sound, with speakers around the hall, and I had never heard anything like it before.

“Since then, I’ve seen Pink Floyd a number of times, including the Dark Side of the Moon tour in 1973, and I jumped at the chance to hear these tracks again.

“I felt completely immersed in the show at Life and the sound quality of the production was fantastic – it was a very special and unique experience.”

The spectacular full-dome planetarium production is set to 10 tracks from the album, with Pink Floyd’s creative director Aubrey Powell, who was behind the famous artwork for the legendary album cover, working closely with NSC Creative to set the tracks to the visuals.

Life’s planetarium uses the most advanced technology available to give ultra-rich, high- resolution visuals providing a truly immersive experience and the show has proved to be a sell-out success, prompting Life to add a number of new dates to meet demand.

Linda Conlon, Chief Executive of Life said: “This unique planetarium show is really igniting interest and it is a very fitting way to celebrate the legacy of this classic album through a new approach.

“We have heard some really nostalgic stories from visitors who have shared a range of personal memories they have of the album – it definitely seems to have resonated with a lot of people.”

A pay bar is available on the evening and for more information on dates, including Christmas shows, and tickets, which are £20, go to life.org.uk/dark-side-moon  

If any other visitors to the Dark Side of the Moon planetarium show have a personal story to share, they can contact [email protected].