September 25, 1997 ROLLING STONES STAGE BORROWS FROM PINK FLOYD The Rolling Stones recently began their Bridges to Babylon tour. Although the Stones boasted in 1994 that the Pink Floyd stage would only fill a corner of the Stones' stage, the Stones are now touring with what appears to be essentially a scaled-down version of Pink Floyd's 1994 _Division Bell_ stage. The Bridges to Babylon stage includes an incomplete arch above the stage. There are towers on either side of the stage similar to the towers which housed the inflatable pigs for Pink Floyd in 1994. The stage features a circular projection screen lined with lights, similar to Pink Floyd's "Mr. Screen." Pink Floyd used their screen to project films, but the Stones are using their screen as a video monitor to show live images of the band as they perform. The similarities in design should be no surprise. The Rolling Stones' Bridges to Babylon stage was designed by Mark Fisher who, with Mark Brickman, designed Pink Floyd's Division Bell stage. Mark Fisher has worked with the Rolling Stones for many tours, and has worked with Pink Floyd since the In The Flesh tour for the album Animals in 1977. When Pink Floyd finished the 1994 tour, both Fisher and Brickman went to work for the Rolling Stones tour. It is possible that after the Rolling Stones Bridges to Babylon tour ends in 1998, Fisher and/or Brickman may work on the upcoming Pink Floyd tour. That is, however, speculative. Copyright (c) 1997 by Dave Ward