Roger Waters performing Pink Floyd’s “Mother” while in isolation
Roger Waters has criticized his former Pink Floyd bandmate David Gilmour for banning him from the group’s website and social media accounts. In a lengthy video posted on his Twitter account at approximately 11:40 p.m. ET on May 18, Waters says “About a year ago, I convened a sort of Camp David for the surviving members of Pink Floyd at a hotel at the airport in London, where I proposed all kinds of measures to get past this awful impasse… that we find… ourselves in. It bore no fruit.”
Waters’ words were borne out of frustration from his release one day earlier of a powerful performance of Pink Floyd’s “Mother,” recorded with members of his band while self-isolating. Pink Floyd’s various social media platforms ignored it. The clip arrived roughly seven weeks after Waters announced that he had postponed his 2020 tour to 2021.
In his speech, Waters said “David thinks he owns [the band’s website]… because I left the band in 1985, that he owns Pink Floyd. That he is Pink Floyd. That I’m irrelevant and I should keep my mouth shut.
“It seems to me that it would be fair and correct that [each member] should have equal access to you all, and share our projects.” Waters noted that his “This is Not a Drill” tour, which was planned to begin in 2020 but has been delayed to 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, had not been publicized on the Floyd website or social media pages.”
He added, “There have been rumblings and grumblings in the ranks, I’m told, by friends of mine who follow these things.”
Lots more here…
An announcement from me. And when I mention the @pinkfloyd website, I also mean the Facebook page and all the rest. pic.twitter.com/x9T8CIAAMp
— Roger Waters (@rogerwaters) May 19, 2020
Stay tuned.
Waters introduced the “Mother” video, released on May 17, noting, “Social distancing is a necessary evil in Covid world. Watching ‘Mother’ reminds me just how irreplaceable the joy of being in a band is.” Watch it below.
Though Waters’ tour, called “This is Not a Drill,” wasn’t scheduled to commence until July 8, he recognized the scope of the pandemic early, when he announced its postponement on March 27. The new 2021 dates have not yet been determined.
In his postponement announcement, Waters noted, “Bummer, but if it saves one life it’s worth it.” Ticketholders are advised to hold onto their original tickets and await further information.
When it does begin, the all-new tour will present the Pink Floyd singer-songwriter-bass guitarist in the round, for the first time.
“Mother” is from Pink Floyd’s 1979 opus, The Wall. At the end of the new clip, he says to his band, “We should do this again!”
Watch Waters and his band perform “Mother” in self-isolation
The original Jan. 23 tour announcement refers to the musician as “the creative genius of Pink Floyd.” He turned 76 on Sept. 6, 2019.
“It’ll be a new show. It will be no-holds-barred. My work is to think, ‘Well, how can I make rock & roll more interesting or theatrical or exciting or visual or musical or whatever?’ That’s what I’ve spent the last 50 years doing, expressing myself,” said Waters of the upcoming tour in a September 2019 interview with Rolling Stone.
The “This is Not a Drill” 2020 tour was scheduled to play 32 cities across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, starting on July 8, playing many venues not seen on his recent Us + Them tour.
Related: Our review of Waters’ Us + Them tour
Roger Waters 2020 Tour Dates (Postponed) (Tickets will be available here and here)
Jul 08 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paint Arena
Jul 10 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Arena
Jul 11 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Arena
Jul 14 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesar’s Arena
Jul 17 – Toronto, Canada – Scotiabank Arena
Jul 18 – Toronto, Canada – Scotiabank Arena
Jul 21 – Quebec City, Canada – Videotron Centre
Jul 23 – Montreal, Canada – Bell Centre
Jul 25 – Albany, NY – Times Union Center
Jul 28 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
Jul 30 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
Aug 01 – Cincinnati, OH – US Bank Arena
Aug 05 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Aug 06 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Aug 11 – Raleigh, NC – PNC Arena
Aug 13 – Orlando, FL – Amway Center
Aug 15 – Miami, FL – American Airlines Arena
Aug 18 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Aug 20 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
Aug 22 – Milwaukee, WI – Fiserv Forum
Aug 25 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Center
Aug 27 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Aug 29 – Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center
Sep 02 – Denver, CO – Pepsi Center
Sep 04 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena
Sep 10 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center
Sep 11 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center
Sep 14 – Vancouver, Canada – Rogers Arena
Sep 16 – Edmonton, Canada – Rogers Place
Sep 19 – Tacoma, WA – Tacoma Dome
Sep 21 – Portland, OR – Moda Center
Sep 23 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center
Sep 25 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center
Sep 26 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center
Sep 30 – Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Smart Home Arena
Oct 03 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Oct 07 – Mexico City, MX – Palacio de los Deportes
Oct 08 – Mexico City, MX – Palacio de los Deportes
Related: Listings for 100s of classic rock tours
16 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationThis is wonderful. Thank you, Roger!
What a Musical Delight.. Go Get ‘Em ROGER & BAND. Still #1…
David Gilmour is the face of Pink Floyd. Roger is just a washed up SJW.
Roger wrote all the lyrics – and most of the classic PF songs – PF would not have been nearly so successful without him.
Gilmour is a sell-out. He took PF commercial the day after Roger Waters left!
I think that you sir and David are very talented musicians. You both have given of yourselves and given us your fans many hours of pleasure.
To me you have proven yourself since 1985 as a successful artist. You were part of Pink Floyd and INMHO you should be afforded the right to have your events listed on the Pink Floyd website. You earned that.
Good luck with your tour next year and thank you for your heartfelt decision not to tour this year. That says a lot about you
It’s a “Great Shame!!” That..”You & David!!”.Can not..”Sort This “Out!!” Roger..May I “Remind You..”Please!!” That “Life!!” Is..”Too Short!!” To
Be..Having..”These Kind of..Problems!!”..”Talk!!”
“Peace & Love!!” Gentlemen..
YOU thought the band were just three other musicians who could be replaced. YOU thought YOU were the band. YOU fired Wright. You left because you’re an ego maniac. It’s good that you’re not part of the Pink Floyd social media. You haven’t had a decent album in maybe 30 years. You’re desperate for relevancy and on your own you are nothing. You can’t even sing anymore and use recordings to double you when live. It’s my hope they just ignore you. PERIOD.
you are right on sir.Rogers ego got in the way thinking HE was pink floyd. I stopped listening to him since the great over rated ‘THE WALL’
Traditionally Roger seemed to receive all of the venom from fans regarding his role of breaking up the Floyd. Over time, it seems to me that David is every bit as responsible and every bit as domineering/dickish. I love them both and love Pink Floyd, but enough of the Roger hatred. Sadly as with many bands egoS got in the way and ruined a great thing. Regardless, with Rick now gone there can be no “getting the band back together.”
I love Pink Floyd, and all 4 members (sadly, now 3) created that. I have no patience for these “Us vs Them” squabblings between Waters and Gilmour. I am sad that they can’t both realize that in a few years, both will be dead, and none of the squabbling will matter at all — but a reconciliation would.
Roger Waters is more Pink Floyd than Gilmore. Even though they are both amazing.
When I think Pink Floyd I picture Waters young with long hair. He’s the face. Not Gilmore. And I love Gilmore.
You don’t seem to love Gilmour enough to spell his name right even though it is in the article.
‘Burning Bridges’…
Sorry Roger, when you fired Rick and made what is surely the most downbeat and depressing Floyd album in ‘The Final Cut’, taking control of so much of it that David took his name off the album, you really burned your bridges to the band and any subsequent claim you have to it once you left.
After ‘The Final Cut’ I bought ‘Pros & Cons…’ hoping that was a return to the classic Floyd sound but that was just as bitter and depressing as the last album.
‘The Wall’
Personally I’m glad you’re out of the Floyd loop, and your political ramblings on record remain apart from what they do now – you should forge your own path, with your own website and social media channels, and find the audience you deserve as much as they can find you.
‘Free Four’ (or ‘The Free One/Two’)
Don’t get me wrong – it was great seeing the four of you at Live8, but that was then and things have moved on for everyone with Rick passing. Better to see what the three of you can produce separately now. (And I’m loving Nick’s ‘Saucer Full of Secrets’ work!)
I’ll contently listen to my favourite Floyd albums (Meddle and Wish You Were Here) and wish you all the best in future, but I won’t be listening to your musical angst.
The Final Cut, Animals, and The Wall are the best albums…… Followed by Dark Side and WYWH.
3 driven by Waters, 2 heavily contributed by Waters. Name one album of Gilmour that comes close…..
I don’t see any problem here Roger. You left the band with your eyes wide open and of your own accord. You stated the band was a spent force without you. You have even said recently you are so glad you left the band and would hate to still be a part of it as it stifled your voice.
So, it seems to me you got precisely what you wanted, out of the band. That means you are no longer a member of Pink Floyd. Is this really so hard to understand? You wanted out of Floyd, you got what you wanted, and now you want access to their marketing venues despite having left the band decades ago?
Your decision to leave was yours and yours alone, now Roger, now you have to live with it. They owe you absolutely nothing. You continue to receive royalties for your contributions up to the point you left and now you are simply a solo act.
For someone who claims to be so happy he left Pink Floyd, you sure seem like you think you are still a member of the band.