David Gilmour at the Hollywood Bowl, Oct. 29, 2024
For a guy who recently collected a boatload of money selling his share of his former band’s publishing rights, David Gilmour likely has no urgent financial need to tour. This outing was scheduled for only four cities: It began in Rome in late September, moved on to London in early October, and came to Los Angeles for four shows (one at the Intuit Dome, three at Hollywood Bowl) in late October, with a five-nighter set for New York in November. We saw the first of the Bowl concerts. The nearly three-hour show featured old and new material, including a couple of surprises.
Gilmour sprinkled all nine tracks from his new album, Luck and Strange, across the evening’s setlist. Each was well-received, even if many in the audience had not been apprised of the sequential release of various tracks over the last several months. “Black Cat” was the second song of the evening, followed by the title track, and both songs set the stage for the masterful guitar work about to be unfurled over the course of the evening. The song’s lyrics, delivered by a gravel-voiced Gilmour, were counterbalanced by a four-part female choir (Louise Marshall, sisters Hattie and Charley Webb, and Romany Gilmour, David’s daughter).
The new album’s lyrics were written by Polly Samson, the wife of the guy we were there to see. Samson has been David Gilmour’s lyricist for the past three decades.
Related: Have you ever heard Gilmour’s duet with Tom Jones on “Purple Rain”?
Inevitably, the most recognizable songs came from Pink Floyd’s catalog, most notably the sequencing of “Speak to Me,” “Breathe (In the Air)” and “Time.” These three tracks from Dark Side of the Moon brought a roar from the crowd. Bassist Guy Pratt acquitted himself well; probably only a few folks missed Floyd’s Roger Waters all evening. Keyboard duties were handled by relative newcomer Rob Gentry and veteran Greg Phillinganes, each of whom filled out the lush sonic landscapes designed by Gilmour. Ben Worsley added additional guitar textures, and drummer Adam Betts kept time for the often complex arrangements.
Deeper Pink Floyd cuts (“High Hopes” and “Sorrow”) were well-received, but the more familiar “Wish You Were Here” and “The Great Gig in the Sky” were set highlights. For the latter song, the choir gathered around the piano to assay the original wordless vocals by Clare Torry.
Watch Gilmour play “The Great Gig in the Sky” at an earlier stop on the tour
In keeping with just about every stage appearance in which Gilmour has been involved, the stage production was mammoth. The sound was crisp, with his guitar understandably prominent in the mix. The lighting was stunning, with the occasional but seemingly ubiquitous laser lights cutting through the fog over the heads of 17,000 mostly stunned fans.
You don’t come to a David Gilmour concert expecting him to present a classic rockstar look; there is no swagger or personality dominating the stage. Rather, it is his guitar that commands the proceedings. Precise and persuasive, it is easily some of the best live guitar work on offer.
Gilmour could tour with even more emphasis on the Pink Floyd catalog, but that is clearly not of interest. That said, he encored, inevitably, with “Comfortably Numb,” one of the few songs he contributed to The Wall and the most compelling song of the album and the evening.
Watch Gilmour perform “Comfortably Numb” at Hollywood Bowl
Tickets for the tour are available here.
1 Comment so far
Jump into a conversationDavid Gilmore is my absolute favorite musician. I did not know that he was performing live in the states. I so much wish I could see one performance in November.
I can’t afford the gasoline to drive from Kansas to New York. I can’t even guess the price of a ticket. I just hope that I live long enough to purchase a video from this tour.
WISH YOU WERE HERE.