David Bowie and David Gilmour singing “Comfortably Numb” together? Yes, thank you. Filmed at the Royal Albert Hall, the clip above shows the two performing at the end of Gilmour’s 2006 European solo tour in support of his solo album On an Island. During two other nights in the same venue, Gilmour was joined by David Crosby, Graham Nash, and Robert Wyatt, and the footage saw release as a DVD titled Remember That Night: “It goes without saying,” writes Allmusic of the disc, “that it is stunning, both visually and aurally; how could any Pink Floyd-related project fail to be? […] but it is Gilmour’s show, and no star can outshine him.” Maybe, but Bowie’s pretty riveting singing what may be the most spellbinding of Gilmour and Roger Waters’ collaborations on Pink Floyd’s The Wall.
Gilmour played several Floyd classics during the Royal Albert Hall stint. Gilmour and band play Pink Floyd’s “Breathe,” “Time,” and “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” in addition to songs from On an Island, “a mostly laid-back, utterly elegant English record,” writes Thom Jurek. Laid-back and elegant might also describe the stage show—its star and his guests somewhat less animated than in their heyday—but Gilmour’s solos soar, and the light show, true to form, is a dramatic complement to an equally dramatic set in which classic Floyd seems to mix seamlessly with the first collection of original songs Gilmour had released in 22 years.
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Josh Jones is a writer and musician based in Durham, NC. Follow him at @jdmagness.
Great….and I’m 75 yrs old LOL
So great. Thanks for sharing! Keep up the good songs! Classic Rock will never die.