David Gilmour recently kicked off of his North American Tour with a performance at the Hollywood Bowl, supporting his latest solo album released in September 2015, Rattle that Lock. The half-domed stage was adorned with a massive circular screen surrounded by fully rotating lights, which had all been specifically tuned to fit the Bowl’s unique stage, accentuating the sounds of the Pink Floyd front-man with incredible psychedelic visuals.
Coming out early with one of his most renowned ballads, “Wish You Were Here,” led to the introduction of fellow legend and special guest, David Crosby, to accompany Gilmour on “A Boat Lies Waiting” and “The Blue.” Crosby returned during the second set for “On an Island” and again for “Comfortably Numb” during the encore.
Gilmour’s sound is one that has ripened with age. His venerable qualities lie within his unshakable and iconic guitar styling along with the smoked mellifluence of his voice. For those sharing the sentiments of “Wish You Were Here,” Gilmour will head to Toronto for a pair of shows, followed by Chicago and New York.
As this legend continues to inspire fans new and old, hearing the original sounds of Pink Floyd live can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, especially now that Roger Waters and drummer Nick Mason are no longer touring. Although, Gilmour’s current band are no push-overs. Guy Pratt, session bassist for a slew of bands from Michael Jackson to The Smiths, and Steve DiStanislao, a drummer who had recorded with Crosby, Stills and Nash, are Gilmour’s main band members along with a superb ensemble. A highlight goes to Brazilian saxophonist João Mello, the most recent member of the band, killing it on sax during songs like “Money” and “Shine on Crazy Diamond.”
David Gilmour plans to tour across Europe in the summer of 2016, having his last stop scheduled to take place in his home country England.
Text by Bryan Kelly
Photos by Paula Tripodi
*Disclaimer: The words expressed in photo blog reviews do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Music Connection Magazine.
