THE Australian Pink Floyd Show have such a strong following in their own right it's hard to believe they are a tribute band, as was proved by their performance in Bristol last night.

It is a peculiar phenomenon. Much like The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix or even ABBA, the original Floyd still has a massive fan base and yet, sadly, the likelihood of ever getting to see them play again is virtually non-existent.

Which is where TAPFS comes in; the tribute band to end all tribute bands, and when they say ‘show’, they certainly mean it! These guys have got the lot, from the inflatable animals on set to their faultless musicianship and incredible vocals, all with that special, unique ‘Aussie’ twist.

TAPFS have passed a certain milestone which is inconceivable for many tribute artists in that they have their own fanbase. What’s more, this fanbase is more than happy to fork out a not inconsiderable sum for tickets to see their favourite band in action.

Recreating the light, video and stage show of the original Floyd is no mean feat, but to do so whilst maintaining an aural experience that’s spookily similar to that of Waters, Wright, Gilmore and Mason is almost eerie.

This particular ‘Set The Controls’ features tracks from the albums Wish You Were Here, Dark Side Of The Moon, The Division Bell and The Wall, but Floyd fans are happy to feast on whatever morsels are thrown to them, from the opener of Shine On You Crazy Diamond through other favourites including Time, Welcome to the Machine and Another Brick in the Wall and The Great Gig in the Sky, with particular credit going to the three female backing vocalists.

Excellent and meticulous renditions of Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun, Wish You Were Here and Comfortably Numb left the audience wanting more and more, until the appearance of an enormous, inflatable kangaroo brought the full two-and-a-half hour set to a close – but not before the entire audience was on its feet for a boisterous version of Run Like Hell.

Don’t you wish you were there?