Ticket 2 Ride

David Gilmour just 80, he’s slowing down a bit, but not by much. To promote his latest album, he played a few concerts in 2024 and thankfully filmed and recorded them. The venue is located at Via del Circo Massimo, 00186 Roma, situated in the heart of ancient Rome between the Palatine and Aventine hills, an area used for chariot racing.

A David Gilmour concert is quite a production, massive in scale, brilliantly staged – but it’s the music first. Filmed at the Circus Maximus in Rome, October 2024, at the start of his The Luck and Strange Concerts which also played shows in London, New York and Los Angeles.

Visually, the production is not as theatrical as a Roger Waters concert (which I have attended), no flying pigs or gigantic overheard video screens displaying messages. The photography for this concert is pristine and intimate, and the editing is somewhere between old school (static camera) and modern (no more than 3 seconds between cuts). The definition is so clear the viewer can see every wrinkle and age spot on the ex-Pink Floyd guitarist.

Gilmour’s setlist revisits some Floyd classics, a few from the post-Waters Floyd, and the rest is Gilmour solo material, focusing on his last couple of albums. Sadly, he skips over his first two solo albums completely. I doubt that I’ve ever heard anything from his debut album played live.

Can a man in his late 70s still perform to a high level? That’s the question these days with so many rockers in this age group. Watching this film, yes. Gilmour’s voice is not quite that of a young man, lacking that silky warmth of old, but still capable of singing at a reasonable level. His guitar playing is still phenomenal, he bends strings flawlessly and his timing, for a guy who tours seldomly, is spot-on.

The Pink Floyd songs are not performed as perfect copies as there are subtle changes, in some ways more gentle and flowing, but not lessening their impact or passion. Gilmour features his backup singers and daughter Romany very prominently in several songs, especially in the beautiful “A Boat Lies Waiting”, the tribute to Richard Wright.

The songs:

Part 1

“5 A.M.”
“Black Cat”
“Luck and Strange”
“Breathe (In The Air)”
“Time”
“Fat Old Sun”
“Marooned”
“Wish You Were Here”
“Vita Brevis”
“Between Two Points” (with Romany Gilmour)
“High Hopes”

Part 2

“Sorrow”
“The Piper’s Call”
“A Great Day For Freedom”
“In Any Tongue”
“The Great Gig In The Sky”
“A Boat Lies Waiting”
“Coming Back To Life”
“Dark and Velvet Nights”
“Sings”
“Scattered”
“Comfortably Numb”

Extras:

The Luck and Strange Tour Rehearsals:

“Between Two Points” (with Romany Gilmour)
“Breathe (In The Air)”/“Time”
“Dark and Velvet Nights”
“Luck and Strange”

Documentaries:

The Rain in Rome
Backstage at the Royal Albert Hall
Backstage In America
The Making of Luck and Strange

Music Videos:

“A Single Spark” Live
“Between Two Points” (Official Music Video)
“Between Two Points” – GENTRY Remix – “Editor’s Cut” (Official Music Video)
Wesley On Patrol
“The Piper’s Call” (Official Music Video)
“The Piper’s Call” Live from Around the World (Official Music Video)
“Luck and Strange” (Official Music Video)
“Dark and Velvet Nights” (Official Music Video)
“Dark and Velvet Nights” (Animated Official Video)

The backing band:

Guy Pratt (bass), Greg Phillinganes and Rob Gentry (keyboards), Adam Betts (drums), Ben Worsley (guitar), and Romany Gilmour (harp, vocals),Webb Sisters (vocals, harp, guitar), Louise Marshall (vocals, piano).

Gilmour has changed his band through the years, with Pratt being the longest serving member. Phillinganes is a longtime Eric Clapton band member and played with Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Toto and many others. Gilmour is quoted as saying his previous band had grown a bit stale and several longtime members were not asked back. Richard Wright had played with Gilmour for years until his death in 2008.

Thoughts…

David Gilmour tries not to repeat himself, juggling the setlist each time he tours. Fans expect a certain number of Floyd songs, but even that list is never exactly the same. As he releases a new album, he removes older solo songs from the list so recent ones can get some attention.

As I mentioned, he changed the composition of his band, and he seemed to turn over some of the spotlight to others. The one thing that does not change is the quality of Gilmour’s guitar playing. Not flashy, but sonically commanding.

I like this concert better than others of his from past tours. There is a more comfortable, relaxed vibe, in part due to director Gavin Elder’s soft touch. His camera is intimate, yet not intrusive.

Concert film: A

Concert soundtrack: A-