David Gilmour Making Rare U.S. Television Appearance
David Gilmour is going to be making a rare appearance on U.S. television this week.
On Thursday, November 7, Gilmour will appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Also appearing on that episode are Saoirse Ronan and Carmelo Anthony. According to Consequence of Sound, the last time Gilmour performed on TV in America was in 2016 on Jimmy Kimmel Live in support of his then-new album Rattle That Lock.
Gilmour kicks off his five-night stand at New York’s Madison Square Garden tonight (November 4). His four other shows take place November 5, 6, 9, and 10.
Similar to his appearance on U.S. television, the last time Gilmour performed in the United States was eight years ago. In September, Gilmour shared that during his latest shows, he’s not performing three classic Pink Floyd songs.
Gilmour told Mojo that “Run Like Hell,” “Another Brick In The Wall” and “Money” won’t be part of his upcoming setlists. He says he finds “Run Like Hell” to be “a bit terrifying and violent” and he no longer feels comfortable singing that song.
As for “Another Brick In The Wall” and “Money,” he says he doesn’t feel any ownership of those songs. Instead, he’ll opt to perform Pink Floyd songs “that are essentially my music.” The songs he referred to being “my music” include “Comfortably Numb,” “Wish You Were Here” and “Shine On You Crazy Diamond.”
This is the first time this year that Gilmour talked about not including certain Pink Floyd song on his setlist. In May, he told Uncut (h/t Neptune Pink Floyd) 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.
David Gilmour’s New Album
Gilmour’s upcoming tour dates are in support of Luck and Strange, his first new album in nine years. Luck and Strange was released on September 6.
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, including late Pink Floyd keyboardist Richard Wright, who 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.
