The opening refrain of In The Flesh? meandered into Waltzing Matilda as APF took on Pink Floyd’s typically English masterpiece.

It soon became clear the Antipodean lead singer’s impression of Roger Waters wasn’t a patch on Irishman Bob Geldof’s rendition in the film version of The Wall.

But pity the man who tries to replicate the anguish Waters funnelled into the album of the same name as he laid bare the twin nightmare of his father’s death and the break-up of his marriage.

It was also a thankless task to try to match Dave Gilmour’s timeless fretwork and, despite having two guitarists to fill the void, they generally failed.

To make things worse, during sexist rocker Young Lust the backing singers stalked the stage in an attempt to look sexy but resembled Wigan Warriors’ back row.

But post-intermission the band, driven by exceptional drummer Paul Bonney, ripped through stunning versions of Nobody Home and Comfortably Numb (The Wall’s stand-out track) as the second set soared.

In all, an Aussie Rules game of two halves. If you get the chance, catch the genius of Waters solo or Gilmour’s Pink Floyd instead, because, at the end of the day, tribute bands are merely sham rock.