WAITING FOR

SOMEONE OR

SOMETHING TO

SHOW THE WAY

MILE STONE AFTER STONE

IF YOU SURVIVE UNTIL TWO THOUSAND

THE TIDE
IS TURNING
(AFTER LIVE 8)

IF YOU SURVIVE UNTIL TWO THOUSAND

AND FIVE

THE TIDE
IS TURNING
(AFTER LIVE 8)

2005
The great gig in the sky

« Bob Geldof press conference », June 2005.

The project of the reunion has gone on and on with the project of the

gigs. I started from a declaration from Nick Mason that I saw on the internet; he was answering a question saying that a Pink Floyd reunion was possible just for a big charity event. The live 8 is for sure this kind of event
It is usually very difficult to put together again a wife and husband; imagine two men like Roger and David!

« Sounds Investments », Drummers, 2014.

Bob approached David Gilmour and David was not hugely enthusiastic.

With good reason, I felt. He's in the middle of a solo project. Bob rang me and said, « David Gilmour won't do it ». And I felt, well that's Dave. You can take a horse to water but you can't make him drink. In Dave's case you can't even get him near the water. But Bob then spoke to Roger and he agreed. I think he felt - we all felt, actually - that it was a shame we didn't play Live Aid, but we didn't really exist as a band at the time. So Roger rang David and that cemented it.

« Interview w/. David Gilmour », Mojo, March 2006.

Geldof called and asked me if I felt to do Live 8 with Pink Floyd. He did not mention Roger, he just said (he imitates ): « You would gather for Pink Floyd for this fucking Live ? » I said, « No, I 'm in the middle of my album » Whereupon he replied: « I go down and I come to visit you ». He jumped on a train. I thought «no, no , no ... » When I called him on his mobile , he was at East Croydon . I said, « Bob , it doesn’t matter , get off the train » He said : « I don’t care , I'm coming » He arrived and explained everything in detail thing, which made me feel a little guilty because it would have been done selfish evidence. I said « But you full of great bands , you do not need us ».

But he wanted the band be part of the event

«David Gilmour: Full of Secrets», Guitar Part, December 2006.

(Bob) had convinced Nick to have Roger and convince Roger to call me. I worked here, my cell phone rang and I heard: « Hi, it's Roger, how are you? » It was surprising

« Interview w/. David Gilmour », Mojo, March 2006.

We only had one phone conversation since our last meeting in the Astoria

in 1987. It was two or three years ago. An audio conference to five, shouting at us about some things the documentary « The Making of Dark Side of the Moon ». This time, we discussed kindly (…)

« Interview w/. David Gilmour », Mojo, March 2006.

(…) I told him that I will call tomorrow when I have thought about

all this. And I realized that I will regret it forever if I did not do it (...)

«Retour sur Terre», Crossroads, March 2006.

At first, I had to participate in the Philadelphia Live8 with my group

and was in contact with Larry Magid, the event promoter. Then I called Nick and asked him what would think Bob Geldof. Nick came back to me saying « I have no influence on Bob. You must believe me. The only one who can complete that, it's you ». So I called Bob; he was about to go out for dinner on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of his girlfriend and we had this strange talk : « No, this one, not that one » ... « So, you would like to attend this concert in Hyde Park to influence the G8 ? » ... « Try another. Try green shoes with it ... I've got to go, now is his birthday p ... ». I concluded: « Tell us what you want and we will decide ». And then I have not heard anything for weeks

« What’s My Motivation? », Word, October 2005.

Apparently he’s written a long and impassioned plea to Dave to

reconsider. He’s run this missive past Nick, before sending it to Dave. Nick’s told him it’s a waste of ink and that the only thing that might impact on Dave is a call from meBob then tells me exactly what he wants us to do at Live 8

«Retour sur Terre», Crossroads, March 2006.

One day the phone rang in the car, in Manhattan. That was Bob. I asked

him « Where do you want us to play? » He replied: « At Hyde Park ». (…)

And I said, « OK. You talk to Dave ? »

- « No, you called it ? »-

- « Me ? But it's been over 20 years that I have not talked to him. I have not even his number! ». Bob gave me the number. I called and Dave replied (...)

«Interview w/. Roger Waters», Canadian Press Newswire, September 2005.

In short, in the end he asked for a little time,24 hours later he called

me back and said, « Okay, I will »

«Interview w/. Roger Waters», Canadian Press Newswire, September 2005.

I made a proposition and said « Ah ... Oh, no ... I can not ... I'm a bit rusty these days » (...)

«Interview w/. Roger Waters», Canadian Press Newswire, September 2005.

I have said him : « Go Dave , it will be easy. These are just a few songs. It'll be fun (...)

«Interview w/. Roger Waters», Canadian Press Newswire, September 2005.

I called Dave who was quite surprised after all this time not to talk.

We had a cordial conversation

David Gilmour Communiqué:

« Like most people I want to do everything I can to persuade the G8 leaders to make huge commitments to the relief of poverty and increased aid to the third world. It's crazy that America gives such a paltry percentage of its GNP to the starving nations. Any squabbles Roger and the band have had in the past are so petty in this context, and if re-forming for this concert will help focus attention then it's got to be worthwhile »

12 June 2005

Roger Waters Communiqué:

« It's great to be asked to help Bob raise public awareness on the issues of third world debt and poverty. The cynics will scoff, screw 'em! Also, to be given the opportunity to put the band back together, even if it's only for a few numbers is a big bonus »

12 June 2005

« Pink Floyd: Journey to the Dark Side », ContactMusic website, 2005.

Why did we reform? It's a damn good way of spending a weekend!

«Interview w/. Roger Waters», Sydney Morning Herald, 2007.

It did seem that to be wandering around espousing this idea of communicating and solving problems while not talking to Gilmour was hypocritical

«Interview with Tim Renwick!», Gilmourish.com website, 20 May 2007

I was very surprised to be asked to take part in the Hyde Park concert because I had met David a few weeks earlier and he told me that he had been asked to perform but had categorically turned it down! Two weeks before the event, it seems, he had a change of heart, and called me up to play, saying that it would be a laugh to play once more with Roger in the band.

David and Roger planned out the setlist at London's Connaught Hotel.

« Interview w/. David Gilmour », Mojo, March 2006.

We met and then we talked on the phone about the songs to play

« Emma Brockes talk to ex-Pink Floyd David Gilmour », The Guardian, March 2006.

It was pretty weird, obviously, going into that same room. But within two minutes the old dynamic was there. Roger was being bossy. I don't say that

in a disparaging way; people just have their own natural personalities. And Roger just is the way he is and he can't help it any more than I can help the way I am. So the first meeting was pretty stilted and cagey.

« Interview w/. David Gilmour », Rolling Stone, 2005.

Roger wanted to do Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2) too but I didn't

think it was appropriate. This was a thing for Africa and I didn't really

think that little children in Africa should be singing, « We don't need no education ». There was no argument about it. I was absolutely right

«Interview w/. David Gilmour », Mojo, March 2006.

(...) I insisted to impose my vision and Roger returned graciously its position and agreed with what I thought. The same thing happened a later during rehearsals

« Interview w/. Roger Waters », The Independent, October 2005.

I wanted to open with In the Flesh ? of «The Wall» because I sing but

Dave wanted to start with Breathe of «The Dark Side of the Moon». I said, « Ok, I don’t care ». Anyway, I sang a bit of Wish you were Here and Comfortably Numb I sang and we have Money that seemed appropriate for the occasion

« Interview w/. Roger Waters », The Independent, October 2005.

There was some tension at first but I decided that I was not going to go

to the confrontation. If there were any problems, i went just off. And it worked very well.

The rehearsals bring out the old dynamics between the group members ... as well as the differences in perception between Roger and David

Rolling Stones, 2005

We were yelled right away. I insisted on my side and Roger returned to what he thought, putting himself on my side. The same thing happened during rehearsals. I wanted us to make the compact, just the four of us without much outside help. Roger saw things becoming big. Finally, he changed his mind

«Live 8 »,The Guardian, March 2006.

It was pretty weird, obviously, going into that same room. But within two minutes the old dynamic was there. Roger was being bossy. I don't say that in a disparaging way; people just have their own natural personalities. And Roger just is the way he is and he can't help it any more than I can help the way I am. (…) During rehearsals, the same old awkwardness between the two men sprang up. It was a struggle for us. It was a struggle for me sometimes to assert myself, because I'm fairly laid back and reticent. And Roger is very assertive and there were times when he wanted something to happen, wanted to make a decision, and it wasn't the way I wanted it to be; so we got into a few minor arguments

« Pink Floyd – Back to Earth», Mojo, March 2006.

it was tense at times. I felt the tension at the end of each day

but it was fun at rehearsals overall.

«Interview with Tim Renwick!», Gilmourish.com website, 20 May 2007

Roger appeared to want to be group leader from the start of rehearsals

and it made for an uncomfortable atmosphere all round. He did not seem to credit the fact that most of the musicians and crew had worked together on and off for 17 years without him being there! I remember a distinct sense of everyone involved keeping their heads down and attending to their own departments! I had, in fact gone to same school as Roger and played in his band on his « Pros & Cons of Hitch-hiking world tour », so I had some previous experience of his band-leading style. David is generally much more fun to work for than Roger, who likes everything to be exactly the same night after night! I trusted that David knew what he was doing when he agreed to the reunion!

«Set the Controls for the Heart of the Floyd», Uncut, May 2007.

« (...) Things look a bit tense between the band in the rehearsal

footage. that the case ? »

A little bit. It was bound to be, after all the history. But I went into the whole process determined to roll over if there was an argument. I know how to work his. If there’s conflict, I immediately play dead.

Then everything will be fine. And I did and it seemed to work rather well, I have to say

« Sounds Investments », Drummers, 2014.

(The rehearsals) were … remarkably civilised! I think we were actually all really pleased to be doing this, and we, um, all seemed to remember the songs! (They were) certainly no tears, we're English, remember that, so we don't do that sort of thing! No, I think we were really pleased to be there

«Interview w/. Roger Waters », Première Radio, 2006.

I enjoyed the soundcheck (but) it was a long day of waiting, you

know, and a good dose of adrenaline . When I make my tours, I 'm the type to control everything and do not tend to get nervous, just slightly agitated before going there . But it was rather very nerve-wracking waiting, hour after hour, to go and do it. Wondering what it was going to give

And then, the D-DAY

« David Gilmour », Télérama, 18 November 2014.

Getting together all four, with Roger Waters, gathered on the Live 8 stage

in 2005, despite all the conflicts , all the rancor was a magical interlude.

After the concert, I had the confirmation that an exceptional musical

alchemy connected us again, and that we could be proud of what Pink Floyd had accomplished

« Sounds Investments », Drummers, 2014.

It’s very hard to describe. It was such fun but it was also much more than that. It gave an enormous amount of pleasure, more really, to people who’d been fans for years - the people who have, essentially, paid for all our lifestyles. I know I’ve frittered mine away on old cars, maybe I should have invested it wisely

«Set the Controls for the Heart of the Floyd», Uncut, May 2007.

I was sort of controlling the whole thing without doing anything. It was

a bit like walking on rice paper (...) That illustrated for me that maybe he doesn’t quite get how important the symbiosis between the four of us was during « the golden years » of the band. We were great together. We all made a contribution, but it was the combination of the four separate talents. It was a very, very special thing

«Interview w/. Roger Waters », Première Radio, 2006.

It was just... really good. I was very moved to be on stage with Dave, Nick and Rick that night. I felt at ease and glad to be given the opportunity to let bygones be bygones and to demonstrate that, although we've had our difficulties in the past, we are grown men who understand that rapprochement is possible even in the face of differeing points of view. It was really good to transcend all the crap and say "Well, f*ck it, let's just get up onstage. It's been a long while. We can agree to disagree about all the old stuff and stand up here and play these three of four songs and it can be fun, it can be good

« Interview w/. Jon Carin », Brain Damage Website, August 2007.

There is no way I can honestly talk about my feelings of Live 8 without hearing a voice screaming in my head that it wasn’t about my feelings of being at Live 8.

«What’s My Motivation?», World Magazine, October 2005.

I just felt pleasure playing the music and hearing Rick playing his great keyboard parts, which, of course, we know and love so much from the records. It felt good. I thought that Nick played great. I thought everybody played great. Dave sang beautifully. It was a great feeling

«Interview w/. Bob Geldof», Daily Mirror, July 2005.

There's something about the Floyd that always makes you question

your life. Seeing them together was one of the greatest moments of the evening. Roger and David 'have ended their feud after barely speaking for 18 years. The pair have been joking while rehearsing for tonight's Live 8 reunion - and they were all smiles yesterday as they toasted the gig in London's Hyde Park

The aftermath

«Live 8», BBC WebSite, July 2005.

There was more than one reason to play, firstly to support the cause.

The second one is the energy consuming an uncomfortable relationship between Roger and me that I was carrying along in my heart. That is why we wanted to perform and to leave the trash behind.

Thirdly, I might have regretted it if I declined

«Interview w/. Roger Waters», Canadian Press NewsWire, September 2005.

It's a terrific feeling to be able to be on stage with Dave and Nick and

Rick again too. It was good to renew good relations and to accept that, despite our differences in the past and probably the differences we have in the future, there will always a room for reconciliations and to accept the point of view of other

The state of relations between the two heads of the Floyd remains uncertain

« Interview with Joe Wiley», BBC WebSite, Juillet 2005.

(We are now in) pretty amicable terms. We've communicated a couple of times via email since the concert and he headed back to the States where he lives these days. It's a very nice thank you and goodbye

« David Gilmour », Télérama, 18 November 2014.

But another certainty seized me : we had to move on. The emotion

replay with Roger was only music

«David Gilmour: Full of Secrets», Guitar Part , December 2006.

Roger said in some interviews that he stayed too long and bounded on

certain subjects ... I think it is right

«Interview w/. Roger Waters», ANSA Website, October 2005.

Dave sent me an email after saying: « Hi Rog, I 'm glad you called me.

It was fun, right? » So he apparently took pleasure

«Interview w/. Roger Waters», The Independent, October 2005.

It was a big weight to carry less than to reconcile with the other

three guys after all these hostilities (...) If this was the last time we play together, I will bring the benefits of these few days for the rest of my life

«Interview w/. Roger Waters», ANSA Website, October 2005.

Play together again for Live 8, playing old pieces was very moving. For nearly twenty years, David and I have maintained very extreme positions, but now I realized that my behavior was very silly

Shortly after, he called upon all artists experiencing a surge in sales from Live 8 performances to donate the extra revenue to Live 8 fund-raising.
After the Live 8 concert, Pink Floyd were offered US $250 million to tour the states, but the band turned down the lucrative offer

«Live 8», The Sun, August 2005.

We've been offered US $250million to do gigs in the States. It's

completely mad - and we won't do it. The idea was for Live 8 as a one-off

«What’s My Motivation?», World Magazine, October 2005.

(...) The day they announced the Pink Floyd were to play Live 8, I went

out to dinner with a friend and an offer arrived – literally bang on the

dinner table – for the four of us, the Pink Floyd, to tour again. An offer of $250 million. Guaranteed

«Q&A: Pink Floyd's Rick Wright hears «Piper»», Reuters, 18 August 2007

it was wonderful that we actually got up there and did it together. But we did learn something. It would be very hard for the four of us to go and do a world tour, simply because our ideas are so different musically

«A band is like a marriage, with multiple husbands » Die Welt, November 2014.

As much as I love money, we could reform if it was for a worthy cause

and all of us stood behind it. If there was something like Live 8 again I wouldn’t rule it out

«Interview w/. Nick Mason», Yedioth Ahronoth, 2005.

If a concert like that was organized, I would be there tomorrow morning

«Interview avec Roger Waters», Le Monde, 10 October 2005.

There is currently no project. Everyone had fun with this concert. Although we do not yet talked together, I feel that if a similar opportunity, if it has a political, philosophical or charitable vocation that suits us, we could be playing other songs, why not interpret « The Dark Side of the Moon ». It would be not only possible but attractive too

While Roger is ready to do it again, the others are reluctant

«A band is like a marriage, with multiple husbands » Die Welt, November 2014.

I think that Rick had very mixed feelings. Roger had thrown him out

of the band. That was still difficult for him. But If the others had said: let’s make a new album, go on tour, I would have said yes immediately

Some time later, it becomes clear that Roger's and David's egos have once again asserted themselves. While Roger kept a low profile, David seemed less enthusiastic and decided to follow his idea without necessarily consulting RogeR. He also spent his time 'normalising' the concert.

Nick Mason, at the presentation of the exhibition "Inside Out. Pink Floyd & the Arts' exhibition at London's Cochrane Theater on 20 July, confided that Gilmour had only reluctantly agreed to take part in Live 8, fearing that the event would overshadow his new solo album and his 2006 tour.

«What’s My Motivation?», World Magazine, October 2005.

(...) I hope we do it again. It was more than good. If some other

opportunity arose, I could even imagine us doing «Dark Side of the Moon again » - you know, if there was a special occasion. It would be good to hear it again. «Live 8 » was so great. A good reason. Something with a political or charitable connection

- «What’s My Motivation ?», World Magazine, October 2005.

« You really feel your work was stolen from you ? »
Well I would have preferred it if Dave and Nick had not gone round the world using my songs, but it wasn't to be. And in a way it wasn't a bad thing that they did as regards keeping Pink Floyd's music alive. Anyway I'm over all that now

«Set the Controls for the Heart of the Floyd», Uncut, May 2007

I might be wrong, but he came up with some strange comments after

Live 8, one of which was « I don’t know what the big fuss is about. It would have been just the same whether Roger was there of not » (...) !

The honeymoon between Waters and Gilmour was short-lived. The hope of seeing Pink Floyd reform with Roger is slowly fading into the mists of history. The band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 16 November 2005 could have sealed a reunion.

Instead, it appears to be twilight: Roger Waters is not travelling from Italy, where he is preparing the premiere of 'Ça ira' (he will be speaking by video conference) and Rick is in hospital following a deterioration in his health that would be the first signs of his cancer (officially diagnostic knock down on December 2007) . There appeared to be tension between Gilmour and Waters when David thanked “all the passengers on this fabulous ride we’ve been on“. Roger responded: “I confess I’ve never felt like a passenger.”

« David Gilmour’s speech », Rock&Roll Hall of Fame introduction, 16 November 2005

Well, there's only two of us tonight. Rick's erm... I think he's in hospital.

He's just had an eye operation, poor sausage! And, Roger's opening his opera tomorrow night I think in Rome to which we wish him the best of luck. And to all the passengers on this fabulous ride we've been on - including Syd, Roger, Michael [Kamen], Steve O'Rourke, Tony Howard [Pink Floyd's agent] and all those other people who have slipped off our tour bus at one point or another... cheers for them too.

« Nick Mason’s speech », Rock&Roll Hall of Fame introduction, 16 November 2005

And thank you from me as well. Yeah, it is something to make up for nearly forty years of having to listening to bad drummer jokes I think. Although there is just one that I actually heard today that I thought, yeah actually that sort of sums it up really. It's a small boy who says to his mother, « When I grow up, I am going to be a drummer ». His mother laughs and looks at him pityingly and says, « You can't do both! »

«Gilmour: full of secrets», Guitar Part, December 2006.

« You’re talking ever with Roger ? (Since Live 8) »

Hmmm, we can not say we do not talk more. At least from my perspective. But for now , it does not speak

« Pink Floyd: Journey to the Dark Side », Rolling Stones, 13 October 2011.

But I remember, Roger banned all recording equipment, but I brought my own camera and told a guy, «Just press that button on at the beginning and off again at the end». Afterward, I told Roger I filmed it and he said, «Fantastic!» And I didn't say, «Well, you wouldn't fucking allow me to have a halfway-decent camera up here»! Then he goes his way and I go mine

« Roger Waters’s speech », Rock&Roll Hall of Fame introduction, 16 November 2005

I confess I never felt like a passenger but, not withstanding that, I am

sorry I can't be here tonight. All those eulogies were rather unnerving but I have to say very touching and the response that we've had over the years from our public is very moving, and not least when we were all together that day in July this year... which was fantastic for us. And to revisit it then and see those scenes from it, reminded me of how great that was, to be together again. Rick actually hasn't had an eye operation... he and I have eloped to Rome and we are living happily in a small apartment off the Via Venuti! Be that as it may, I thank you very much for this. It means a lot to me, and thank you very much everybody

«Retour sur Terre», Crossroads, March 2006.

«This concert has improved your relationship afterwards? »

Hmmmm ... Is it a ... (long time of reflection). Yes, a little, no doubt, but not as much as I would have liked

David, having taken advantage of the publicity around Live 8, took the opportunity to promote his solo album 'On an Island' and the tour that followed. Far from playing on ambiguity, as rumours of a band tour (with Roger) in the autumn, after Gilmour's and Waters' solo tours, continued to grow in the press, David decided to put a definitive stop to all these rumours.

« David Gilmour s», La Republicca, 3 February 2006.

I think enough is enough. I am 60 years old. I don't have the will to

work as much anymore. Pink Floyd was an important part in my life,

I have had a wonderful time, but it's over. For me it's much less complicated to work alone

« David Gilmour s», La Republicca, 3 February 2006.

I have no plans at all to do (a Pink Floyd tour). My plans are to do my concerts and put my solo record out

«Set the Controls for the Heart of the Floyd»,Uncut Magazine,‎May 2007.

This is why Dave is very reluctant to ever do anything again: for 20 years

it’s been his baby. He doesn’t want to give up that position and what should he? Listen. If somehow, working through all our egos, all the history and whatever, we could come together for a reason - I don’t care what – and maybe do a few gigs in London, a few in New York and a few in LA, Palestine, wherever. I’d be up for it. It wouldn’t be a one-off gig, because to do all that work just for one night wouldn’t be worth it. But a number of events that would draw a line nicely under the work the four of us did together would be very satisfying for me. I’d be prepared to give 6 months or so in terms of preparation for something like that. I’m sure Nick would as well, but I don’t think Dave wants to. That his prerogative and I have no down on him. If you’re talking about building a whole new show, that whets my appetite, not withstanding what I said in the late ‘70s about stadiums and how bad they were, all of which I believed at the time. But a Pink Floyd thing, that would need a lot of serious thinking about. Of course, when I was in the band, I did all the thinking. I wrote most of the songs and I made all of the shows, so that might be difficult

Pink Floyd and Roger Waters Communiqué:

Since Live 8 there are certain sections of the media that have deliberately misled fans and public by inventing stories and quotes about Pink Floyd touring: Nick, Richard, Roger and I are telling fans directly that this is not happening. We are also asking the various parties who are fabricating these stories to desist, if only for the sake of the fans

3 February 2006

«Retour sur Terre», Crossroads, March 2006.

I heard yesterday that David (Gilmour) had just issued a press release denying the rumour that a Pink Floyd tour involving me would be held in the autumn. In any case, there is no tour planned with David, Nick and Rick. But, beyond the false rumour, it is the way the information is presented that is interesting to note: «Pink Floyd and Roger Waters» …