David Gilmour Announces First U.S. Shows in 8 Years
David Gilmour has announced a series of shows in the United States, which are his first shows in the country in eight years.
Per his website, the only shows announced are in Los Angeles and New York. Gilmour will play the Hollywood Bowl on October 29 and 30 and Madison Square Garden on November 4 and 5
Fans can sign up at DavidGilmour.com to get first access to tickets for these shows beginning on Wednesday, May 15 at 10 AM local time. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, May 17 at 10 AM local time.
The newly announced U.S. dates join the previously announced six-night stand at London’s Royal Albert Hall, which are Gilmour’s first live gigs in London in eight years. Those shows will take place October 9, 10, 11, 12, 14 and 15.
However, it appears these shows may not feature Gilmour playing some of Pink Floyd’s biggest songs. He told Uncut (h/t Neptune Pink Floyd) in a new interview that he has “an unwillingness to revisit the Pink Floyd of the ‘70s.”
Furthermore, Gilmour expressed he’s more likely to revisit Pink Floyd material from the ’60s, 1987’s A Momentary Lapse of Reason and 1994’s The Division Bell. Gilmour particularly singled out the later album’s closing track, “High Hopes,” which he called “as good as anything we ever did at any time.”
Gilmour’s resistance to playing ’70s-era Pink Floyd songs may have to do with his ongoing feud with Roger Waters, who was Floyd’s primary creative force during that time. This war of words has also included Gilmour’s wife and longtime collaborator, Polly Sampson.
Details on David Gilmour’s New Album
News of these shows come on the heels of Gilmour announcing Luck and Strange, his first new album in nine years. Luck and Strange comes out on September 6. A full tracklist is below, and the album is available for pre-order in a variety of formats at DavidGilmour.com.
The album announcement states Luck and Strange was recorded during a five-month period and produced by Gilmour and Charlie Andrew. Gilmour said of working with Andrew, “He’s very direct and not in any way overawed, and I love that. That is just so good for me because the last thing you want is people just deferring to you.”
As expected, lyrics were written by Polly Samson, Gilmour’s wife and collaborator for the past three decades. The overall theme of the album addresses growing older and how mortality is often top of mind as someone ages.
A number of musicians are featured on Luck and Strange, but Pink Floyd fans will be thrilled to find out the late keyboardist Richard Wright can be heard on the album’s title track. Wright’s recording is from a jam session in a barn on Gilmour’s residential property back in 2007.
The album’s first video for “The Piper’s Call” can be seen below.
David Gilmour – Luck and Strange – Tracklisting
Black Cat
Luck and Strange
The Piper’s Call
A Single Spark
Vita Brevis
Between Two Points (With Romany Gilmour)
Dark and Velvet Nights
Sings
Scattered