David Gilmour in Concert
Encyclopedia
David Gilmour in Concert is a DVD
of Pink Floyd
guitar
ist David Gilmour
's solo concert at the Royal Festival Hall
, London
in June 2001, as part of the Robert Wyatt
-curated Meltdown
festival. It also features additional footage recorded during three concerts at the same venue in January 2002. The track selection includes several Pink Floyd
compositions in addition to Gilmour's solo works. Guest appearances are made by Floyd colleague Richard Wright
, as well as Robert Wyatt
and Bob Geldof
. It includes the first ever performance of "Smile" a track which would appear almost five years later on Gilmour's third solo album - "On an Island
".
with
' (from Later with Jools Holland
from June, 1992), 'Don't' (from a Leiber-Stoller
Tribute concert from June, 2001), and a performance of Shakespeare's 'Sonnet 18' (recorded on Gilmour's houseboat The Astoria)
. Additionally, there is a version of 'High Hopes
' performed by Gilmour's backing vocalists. Finally, there are lyrics, a home movie of the band and choir rehearsing at home, and a 'Spare Digits' feature - a camera on Gilmour's fretboards during six guitar solos.
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
of Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist David Gilmour
David Gilmour
David Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
's solo concert at the Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in June 2001, as part of the Robert Wyatt
Robert Wyatt
Robert Wyatt is an English musician, and founding member of the influential Canterbury scene band Soft Machine, with a long and distinguished solo career...
-curated Meltdown
Meltdown (festival)
Meltdown is an annual, English festival, held in London, featuring a mix of music, art, performance and film. Meltdown is held in June at Southbank Centre, the arts complex covering and including the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and The Hayward...
festival. It also features additional footage recorded during three concerts at the same venue in January 2002. The track selection includes several Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
compositions in addition to Gilmour's solo works. Guest appearances are made by Floyd colleague Richard Wright
Richard Wright (musician)
Richard William Wright was an English pianist, keyboardist and songwriter, best known for his career with Pink Floyd. Wright's richly textured keyboard layers were a vital ingredient and a distinctive characteristic of Pink Floyd's sound...
, as well as Robert Wyatt
Robert Wyatt
Robert Wyatt is an English musician, and founding member of the influential Canterbury scene band Soft Machine, with a long and distinguished solo career...
and Bob Geldof
Bob Geldof
Robert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his...
. It includes the first ever performance of "Smile" a track which would appear almost five years later on Gilmour's third solo album - "On an Island
On an Island
On an Island is the third solo album by David Gilmour, best known as vocalist and lead guitarist for Pink Floyd. It was released in the UK on 6 March 2006, Gilmour's 60th birthday, and in the United States the following day. It was Gilmour's first new solo album in 22 years...
".
The Meltdown Concert from June, 2001
- Shine On You Crazy DiamondShine On You Crazy Diamond"Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is a nine-part Pink Floyd composition written by Roger Waters, Richard Wright, and David Gilmour. The song is a tribute to former band member Syd Barrett, although it was not originally explicitly written with him in mind. It was first performed on their 1974 French...
(parts 1 - 5) (David GilmourDavid GilmourDavid Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
, Roger WatersRoger WatersGeorge Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
, Richard WrightRichard Wright (musician)Richard William Wright was an English pianist, keyboardist and songwriter, best known for his career with Pink Floyd. Wright's richly textured keyboard layers were a vital ingredient and a distinctive characteristic of Pink Floyd's sound...
) - TerrapinTerrapin (song)"Terrapin" is a song by Syd Barrett that appears as the first track off his first solo album The Madcap Laughs and is notably the sole representative from that album that appears on The Peel Session...
(Syd BarrettSyd BarrettSyd Barrett , born Roger Keith Barrett, was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and painter, best remembered as a founding member of the band Pink Floyd. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter during the band's psychedelic years, providing major musical and stylistic...
) - Fat Old SunFat Old Sun"Fat Old Sun" is a Pink Floyd song written and sung by David Gilmour. It appeared on the album Atom Heart Mother, and was performed live in a greatly expanded form , both before and after the album was released...
(Gilmour) - Coming Back to LifeComing Back to Life"Coming Back to Life" is a song from Pink Floyd's 1994 album The Division Bell, and is credited solely to David Gilmour.-Composition:Gilmour has said that the song was written about his wife, Polly Samson.The song is played in C major...
(Gilmour) - High Hopes (Gilmour, Polly SamsonPolly SamsonPolly Samson is a journalist and writer.-Biography:Samson was born to a diplomatic correspondent father and a writer mother of Chinese descent, Esther Cheo Ying, who wrote a memoir, Black Country Girl in Red China, about her time serving as a Major in Mao Zedong's Red Army...
) - Je crois entendre encoreLes pêcheurs de perlesLes pêcheurs de perles is an opera in three acts by the French composer Georges Bizet, to a libretto by Eugène Cormon and Michel Carré. It was first performed on 30 September 1863 at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris, and was given 18 performances in its initial run...
(Georges BizetGeorges BizetGeorges Bizet formally Alexandre César Léopold Bizet, was a French composer, mainly of operas. In a career cut short by his early death, he achieved few successes before his final work, Carmen, became one of the most popular and frequently performed works in the entire opera repertory.During a...
) - SmileOn an IslandOn an Island is the third solo album by David Gilmour, best known as vocalist and lead guitarist for Pink Floyd. It was released in the UK on 6 March 2006, Gilmour's 60th birthday, and in the United States the following day. It was Gilmour's first new solo album in 22 years...
(Gilmour, Samson) - Wish You Were Here (Gilmour, Waters)
- Comfortably NumbComfortably Numb"Comfortably Numb" is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd, which first appears on the 1979 double album, The Wall. It was also released as a single in the same year with "Hey You" as the B-side. It is one of only three songs on the album for which writing credits are shared between Roger...
(with Robert WyattRobert WyattRobert Wyatt is an English musician, and founding member of the influential Canterbury scene band Soft Machine, with a long and distinguished solo career...
) (Gilmour, Waters) - Dimming Of The Day (Richard Thompson)
- Shine On You Crazy Diamond (parts 6 - 8) (Gilmour, Waters, Wright)
- A Great Day for FreedomA Great Day for Freedom"A Great Day for Freedom" is a song by Pink Floyd from their 1994 album, The Division Bell.The song, originally titled In Shades of Grey, addresses the great hopes following the fall of the Berlin Wall and the disappointment that followed...
(Gilmour, Samson) - Hushabye MountainHushabye Mountain"Hushabye Mountain" is a ballad by the songwriting team Robert and Richard Sherman. It appears twice in the 1968 Albert R. Broccoli motion picture Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: first as an idyllic lullaby by Caractacus Potts to his children; and later when the children of Vulgaria have lost all hope of...
(Robert B. Sherman, Richard M. ShermanSherman BrothersThe Sherman Brothers are an American songwriting duo that specialize in musical films, made up of Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman ....
)
Bonus tracks from January, 2002
- Dominoes (Barrett)
- BreakthroughBroken ChinaBroken China is a progressive rock solo album by Pink Floyd keyboard player Richard Wright.- Overview :The album is a four-part concept album which documents Wright's then wife Mildred's battle with depression, and is very much like a classic Pink Floyd concept album in its structure and overall feel...
(with Richard Wright) (Wright, Anthony MooreAnthony MooreAnthony Moore is a British experimental music composer, performer and producer. He was a founding member of the band Slapp Happy, worked with Henry Cow and has made a number of solo albums, including Flying Doesn't Help and World Service .As a lyricist, Moore has collaborated with Pink Floyd on...
) - Comfortably Numb (with Bob GeldofBob GeldofRobert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his...
) (Gilmour, Waters)
Personnel
- David GilmourDavid GilmourDavid Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
: Guitars, vocals - Neill MacColl: Guitars, backing vocals
- Michael KamenMichael KamenMichael Arnold Kamen was an American composer , orchestral arranger, orchestral conductor, song writer, and session musician.-Background:...
: Piano, English horn - Chucho MerchanChucho MerchanChucho Merchan is a session jazz bassist and guitarist. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Cambridge University in 1980....
: Double bass - Caroline DaleCaroline DaleCaroline Dale is a widely-recorded British cellist who has performed music for numerous films, including Truly, Madly, Deeply, Hilary and Jackie, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, as well as the 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and 2007's Academy Award winner Atonement...
: Cello - Dick ParryDick ParryRichard 'Dick' Parry is an English saxophonist. He has appeared as a session musician on various albums by modern bands and artists, and is probably best known for his solo parts on the Pink Floyd songs "Money", "Us and Them", "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" and "Wearing the Inside Out"...
: Sax - Nic France: Drums & percussion
- Gospel Choir: Sam Brown (choir leader), Chris Ballin, Pete Brown, Margo Buchanan, Claudia FontaineClaudia FontaineClaudia Fontaine is a backing vocalist from Bethnal Green, London, England. She has sung with Betty Boo, Dusty Springfield, Claudia Brücken, Julia Fordham and the bands Pink Floyd and The Beatmasters...
, Michelle John Douglas, Sonia Jones, Carol KenyonCarol KenyonCarol Kenyon , is a British singer. She was born c. 1959.Although primarily known as a session vocalist on many albums and singles by a variety of prominent artists, as well as in many concerts, Kenyon has also released several singles as a solo artist...
, David LaudatDavid Laudat-Biography:He began his vocal coaching career in 1996 with East 17, before being asked to train the Spice Girls for their first live dates and subsequent world tour...
, Durga McBroomDurga McBroomDurga McBroom is a singer and actress, born October 16, 1962 in California, who has performed backing vocals for Pink Floyd and was a member of Blue Pearl.-Biography:...
, Aitch McRobbie, Beverli Skeete
with
- Bob GeldofBob GeldofRobert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his...
- vocals on "Comfortably Numb" (January, 2002 footage) - Robert WyattRobert WyattRobert Wyatt is an English musician, and founding member of the influential Canterbury scene band Soft Machine, with a long and distinguished solo career...
- vocals on "Comfortably Numb" (June, 2001 footage) - Richard WrightRichard Wright (musician)Richard William Wright was an English pianist, keyboardist and songwriter, best known for his career with Pink Floyd. Wright's richly textured keyboard layers were a vital ingredient and a distinctive characteristic of Pink Floyd's sound...
- vocals on "Breakthrough", keyboards on "Breakthrough" and "Comfortably Numb"
Special features
The 30 minutes of special features on the DVD include the tracks 'I Put a Spell on YouI Put a Spell on You
"I Put a Spell on You" is a 1956 song written by Screamin' Jay Hawkins, whose recording was selected as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. It was also ranked #320 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.Although Hawkins'...
' (from Later with Jools Holland
Later with Jools Holland
Later... with Jools Holland is a contemporary British music television show hosted by Jools Holland. A spin-off of The Late Show, it has been running in short series since 1992 and is a part of BBC Two's late-night line-up, usually at around 11pm to 12 midnight...
from June, 1992), 'Don't' (from a Leiber-Stoller
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
Jerome "Jerry" Leiber and Mike Stoller were American songwriting and record producing partners. Stoller was the composer and Leiber the lyricist. Their most famous songs include "Hound Dog", "Jailhouse Rock", "Kansas City", "Stand By Me" Jerome "Jerry" Leiber (April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011)...
Tribute concert from June, 2001), and a performance of Shakespeare's 'Sonnet 18' (recorded on Gilmour's houseboat The Astoria)
Astoria (recording studio)
Astoria is a grand houseboat, adapted as a recording studio by its owner, Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour. It is moored on the River Thames near Hampton Court...
. Additionally, there is a version of 'High Hopes
High Hopes (Pink Floyd song)
"High Hopes" is a song from the 1994 Pink Floyd album, The Division Bell, composed by David Gilmour with lyrics by Gilmour and Polly Samson...
' performed by Gilmour's backing vocalists. Finally, there are lyrics, a home movie of the band and choir rehearsing at home, and a 'Spare Digits' feature - a camera on Gilmour's fretboards during six guitar solos.