Referred to by some as "The Rape Of Venice" because of the lingering stink it left behind (literally *and* politically), Pink Floyd's satellite concert broadcast to a massive TV audience in 23 countries (excluding, of course, the U.S.A., who were still gagging over what a plasticized load of shit the video of 'Delicate Sound Of Thunder' turned out to be) from a floating barge in The Grand Canal was the band's first televised concert event of *any* kind since the KQED sessions nineteen years (and one bandleader) earlier.

The concert shown on 'Venice 1989' was a free show with a truncated set list due to time constraints that was performed on a floating stage in the middle of the Grand Canal for an on-site audience of 250,000 soused-to-the-gills Italians who, I am told, pretty much trashed the place afterwards. Regrettably, none of *that* footage is included, nor anything concerning the trial of the two councilors who were apparently indicted for letting the show go on in the first place -- pretty unfortunate since the concert itself was really not very memorable.

As far as "capturing the scale of this concert" is concerned, 'Venice 1989' comes up sorely wanting. The same impermeable inky darkness that was evident in the VOIO of 'The Wall' from Nassau Coliseum in 1980 is what undermines this one (and to far greater effect at that). It's virtually impossible to get *any* sense of the size of the stage or even the crowd, for that matter. So thick is the murk, that only tight-in shots of the band members themselves or the occasional straight-on stage shot seems to show us anything at all. Wider, gradually zooming-in shots of the area from the sky reveal only clouds of smoke and pillars and points of light all over the place that make little or no visual sense (maybe it's better if you were there or are familiar with the city layout). Since no additional lighting was used at all while filming this event, one wonders how any of this looked on TV during the original transmission (any takers here?).

Aside from getting the only pro-shot "Yet Another Movie / Round And Around" in existence currently, as well as a few fairly good quality (though almost certainly composited) views of animation and film on ol' Mr. Screen, I can't say there is much of anything else worthy of recommendation here. While there are certainly far worse VOIOs floating around, 'Venice 1989' would be best used to round out your Pink Floyd video collection rather than to start it.

'Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part I)'	'Yet Another Movie'
'Dogs of War'	'On the Turning Away'

Screen Captures are from Harvested's 'Pink Floyd á Venezia'

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