Prog Rock / Rock / Space Rock

David Gilmour in NYC: The Pilgrims Were Jubilant!

by Martial Jean-Baptiste

NEW YORK

The atmosphere at Madison Square Garden on Sunday evening was electric: 19500 spectators attended the concert by legendary Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour. The program featured his latest album, Luck and Strange, created in collaboration with his wife, author Polly Samson.

It’s been almost 10 years since the arrival of this solo album, which incidentally topped the UK Billboard charts on its release last September.

Dressed in a T-shirt, black jeans and equipped with his Black Cat Strat guitar, the master of space/prog rock quickly took matters into his own hands, performing the song 5 AM, a track from the 2015 album Rattle that Lock.

He then followed up with the first tracks from his latest recording, Black Cat and Luck and Strange. According to the man himself, this is probably his best solo album since Dark Side of the Moon in ’73 – a statement he made during an appearance on NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon last week. Matter for debate, no doubt.

Given the musician’s stature, you obviously had to pay a small fortune to attend this concert and, in my case, fly almost 600 kilometers to hear one of the world’s most influential guitarists. And, believe me, he didn’t disappoint anyone!

Despite his 78 years, Gilmour hasn’t lost an ounce of energy on stage. From the very first guitar notes, Gilmour’s sound and voice were unmistakable, as he effortlessly strummed his guitar strings.

This is David Gilmour’s fifth solo album, and the crowd at this legendary venue was delighted to see that the guitarist had taken care to recall his talent by playing, among others, Fat Old Sun from the album Atom Heart Mother (released in 1970). After this piece, he received a huge ovation from the colourful crowd, whose ages ranged from 25 to 77.

The visual environment for this show was entrusted to a long-time colleague, lighting designer Marc Brickman, who worked with Pink Floyd for many years in the late 70s. He was responsible for the set and lighting design of the famous 1979 show The Wall.

During the first part of the show, Gilmour played no less than 9 pieces from the Pink Floyd repertoire. Another highlight of the concert was The Great Gig in the Sky, one of the legendary pieces from Dark Side of the Moon (1973), an album released 50 years ago. For the performance, pianist Louise Marshall, the Webb sisters and the guitarist’s daughter, Romany Gilmore, were entrusted with the task. The ambience was spectacular, with candles arranged over the piano and those gorgeous voices i contrasting with Clara Tory’s mythical vocals on the original recording.

To mark this anniversary, the London-based group launched a vast promotional campaign. In the wake of this release, special screenings took place in Montreal and elsewhere around the world, at the Planetarium and SAT.

The Madison Square Garden crowd was in full voice too! We sang Wish You Were Here (1975) in unison, and I was there too, because without betraying my age, it brought back very old memories. David’s sensual guitar and warm voice took many back to the great years when Pink Floyd reigned unchallenged at the pinnacle of prog and space rock. David Gilmour has also surrounded himself with excellent musicians on guitar, keyboard, bass and drums.

The end of the show did not disappoint. As an encore, David Gilmour and his band played Comfortably Numb from the famous album The Wall, written by Roger Waters.

This show marked the end of a series of concerts that began in London, at the famous Royal Albert Hall, followed by Italy (Rome), a country the guitarist is particularly fond of.

Photo Credit: David Gilmour’s Instagram account

Latest 360 Content

Transforming Hiroshima mon amour into contemporary opera: Christian Lapointe and Rosa Lind tell the story

Transforming Hiroshima mon amour into contemporary opera: Christian Lapointe and Rosa Lind tell the story

Sparks – MAD!

Sparks – MAD!

“Hiroshima, mon amour”: An Evening to Remember

“Hiroshima, mon amour”: An Evening to Remember

Peter Murphy – Silver Shade

Peter Murphy – Silver Shade

Ken Pomeroy – Cruel World

Ken Pomeroy – Cruel World

Art of the Line: Klangkarussell’s Euro Vision at SAT

Art of the Line: Klangkarussell’s Euro Vision at SAT

Festival des Saveurs | Closing With Reggae

Festival des Saveurs | Closing With Reggae

Centroamérica – a powerful docu-play about truth and connection in an age of distance and denial

Centroamérica – a powerful docu-play about truth and connection in an age of distance and denial

Lido Pimienta – La Belleza

Lido Pimienta – La Belleza

Tamir Barzilay – Phosphene Journal

Tamir Barzilay – Phosphene Journal

The best ‘’Candlelight concert‘’ ever.

The best ‘’Candlelight concert‘’ ever.

Men I Trust – Equus Caballus

Men I Trust – Equus Caballus

The Halluci Nation – Path of the Baby Face

The Halluci Nation – Path of the Baby Face

A lap steel guitar choir and an angel to end the Innovations en concert 24-25 season

A lap steel guitar choir and an angel to end the Innovations en concert 24-25 season

The OSM and Abel Selaocoe: Evenings When You’d Like to Stop Time

The OSM and Abel Selaocoe: Evenings When You’d Like to Stop Time

Reaching for the sky: Francis Choinière’s challenge to end his OPCM’s 10th season

Reaching for the sky: Francis Choinière’s challenge to end his OPCM’s 10th season

Piknic 3: A Little Bit of Everything Under the Sun

Piknic 3: A Little Bit of Everything Under the Sun

Cazzu – Latinaje

Cazzu – Latinaje

Stereolab – Instant Holograms On Metal Film

Stereolab – Instant Holograms On Metal Film

SMCQ | In memoriam Jocelyn Morlock

SMCQ | In memoriam Jocelyn Morlock

Abbey Road at Festival Classica

Abbey Road at Festival Classica

Mira Choquette – Hier encore

Mira Choquette – Hier encore

Jared Dunn; Anna Gorecka – Gorecki’s World of the Piano

Jared Dunn; Anna Gorecka – Gorecki’s World of the Piano

Subscribe to our newsletter