Looks like there’s more to the David Gilmour/Roger Waters reunion than a simple one-off for charity. Not necessarily much more, but enough to drive hundreds of thousands of would-be Roger Waters tour patrons absolutely mad.
As PinkFloydz.com reports, the deal regarding the HOPING (Hope and Optimism for Palestinians in the Next Generation) Foundation charity gig last Saturday in the U.K. involved a you-scratch-my-back scenario. In short, in return for singing Phil Spector’s “To Know Him is to Love Him” at that event, Gilmour promised Waters he’d join him for just one show on his “The Wall Live” tour.
Waters explained in a note on his tour’s official Facebook page: “David…came up with this ‘Wouldn’t it be funny’, idea. What if he (David that is) were to sing the old Teddy Bears song ‘To Know Him Is To Love Him’ with me (Roger that is), what with us having been so famously at each other’s throats for years and years. Get it!!!!” He added, “To my eternal shame I bottled out and told Dave I would happily do ‘Wish You Were Here’ and ‘C. Numb’, but that ‘To Know him is to Love him’ was beyond me.”
Thank goodness Gilmour understands a little something about diplomacy, because he came up with a solution for Waters’ vocal shortcomings. The note continues:
Some weeks passed with David cajoling me from time to time, telling me how easy it would be, but I clung resolutely to my fear of failure until one day he made one final entreaty. I quote “If you do ‘To Know Him Is To Love Him’ for The Hoping Foundation Gig, I’ll come and do ‘C. Numb’ on one of your Wall shows”. Well! You could have knocked me down with a feather. How fucking cool! I was blown away. How could I refuse such an offer. I couldn’t, there was no way. Generosity trumped fear. And so explaining that I would probably be shite, but if he didn’t mind I didn’t, I agreed and the rest is history. We did it, and it was fucking great. End of story. Or possibly beginning.
As great as this news is, it’s going to give maybe 40,000 people the moment of their lives and maybe millions of other people a bout of unspeakable depression. That “possibly beginning” line sheds a cloud of mystery, probably false, over this whole thing. But no matter what happens, one Gilmour/Waters collaboration is better than none, so be happy!
Which city is going to witness the classic “Comfortably Numb” solo played by Gilmour himself? Will it be the tour opener in Toronto? How about one of the shows in May in Pink Floyd’s hometown of London? New York seems to be a trendy place for big things to happen these days. Waters hasn’t revealed it, and ends his note on a cliffhanger: “Just heard from David, he will decide in due course which gig he wants to do, it will be a surprise!” Don’t be surprised if ticket sales shoot skyward in various markets at the mere suggestion of this reunion.
Roger Waters 2010/2011 Tour Dates:
09/15 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
09/16 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
09/18 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
09/20 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
09/21 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
09/23 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
09/26 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Consol Energy Center
09/28 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
09/30 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
10/01 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
10/03 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
10/05 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
10/06 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
10/08 – Buffalo, NY @ HSBC Arena
10/10 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
10/12 – Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum
10/13 – Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum
10/15 – Hartford, CT @ XL Center
10/17 – Ottawa, ON @ ScotiaBank Place
10/19 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
10/20 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
10/22 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
10/24 – Detroit, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills
10/26 – Omaha, NE @ Qwest Center
10/27 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
10/29 – St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Center
10/30 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
11/03 – Meadowlands, NJ @ IZod Center
11/04 – Meadowlands, NJ @ IZod Center
11/08 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Center
11/09 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Center
11/11 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Center
11/13 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Bank Atlantic Center
11/14 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Bank Atlantic Center
11/16 – Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum
11/18 – Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
11/20 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
11/21 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
11/23 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
11/26 – Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
11/27 – Phoenix, AZ @ US Airways Center
11/29 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
11/30 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
12/03 – Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena
12/05 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
12/06 – San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion
12/08 – San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion
12/10 – Vancouver, BC @ General Motors Place
12/11 – Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome
12/13 – Anaheim, CA @ Honda Centre
12/14 – Anaheim, CA @ Honda Centre
12/18 – Mexico City, MX @ Sports Palace
12/19 – Mexico City, MX @ Sports Palace
12/21 – Mexico City, MX @ Sports Palace
03/21 – Lisbon, PT @ Atlantico Pavillion
03/25 – Madrid, ES @ Mediolanum de Deportes
03/29 – Barcelona, ES @ Palau Sant Jordi
04/01 – Assago, IT @ Mediolanum Forum
04/02 – Assago, IT @ Mediolanum Forum
04/04 – Assago, IT @ Mediolanum Forum
04/05 – Assago, IT @ Mediolanum Forum
04/08 – Arnhem, NL @ Gelredome
04/09 – Arnhem, NL @ Gelredome
04/12 – Budapest, HU @ Sports Arena
04/15 – Prague, CZ @ O2 Arena
04/18 – Lodz, PL @ Atlas Arena
04/19 – Lodz, PL @ Atlas Arena
04/23 – Moscow, RU @ Olympiski
04/25 – St. Petersburg, RU @ SKK Arena
04/27 – Helsinki, FL @ Hartwall Arena
04/30 – Fornebu, NO @ Telenor Arena
05/04 – Stockholm, SE @ Ericsson Globe
05/07 – Copenhagen, DK @ Parken Stadium
05/11 – London, UK @ O2 Arena
05/12 – London, UK @ O2 Arena
05/14 – London, UK @ O2 Arena
05/15 – London, UK @ O2 Arena
05/17 – London, UK @ O2 Arena
05/20 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Evening News Arena
05/21 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Evening News Arena
05/23 – Dublin, IE @ O2 Arena
05/24 – Dublin, IE @ O2 Arena
05/27 – Antwerp, BE @ Sportspaleis
05/28 – Antwerp, BE @ Sportspaleis
05/30 – Paris, FR @ Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
06/03 – Mannheim, DE @ SAP Arena
06/04 – Mannheim, DE @ SAP Arena
06/06 – Zurich, CH @ Hallenstadion
06/07 – Zurich, CH @ Hallenstadion
06/10 – Hamburg, DE @ O2 World Hamburg
06/15 – Berlin, DE @ O2 Arena
06/18 – Düsseldorf, DE @ Esprit Arena
