Review & photos by Ron Lyon
It seemed in an instant, that the typical long summer season has finally turned to fall in Southern California. The glorious sunshine of the day turned into a cold and biting wind just as the darkness of night hit. On this night at the Hollywood Bowl, music fans were ready with beanies, blankets, and Patagonia puffy jackets. They were gathered here together to see David Gilmour, the voice and guitar of Pink Floyd, on the first of three sold-out nights at the famous concert venue behind his fifth studio album, Luck And Strange.
The limited tour began earlier in the week at L.A.’s newly built sports arena Intuit Dome. Gilmour and his band plowed through the same 23-song set list that night, but there wholly different vibe, most likely due to the thin air in a seat so high up. Far away and disconnected, I felt. My seat was off-center stage left, cozy, and the best I’ve had yet at the Hollywood Bowl.
Anticipation was high as the lights went out, dual synthesizers began a low drone, and David Gilmour emerged through a hazy red fog. All you could see his silhouette, throwing a guitar strap over his shoulder, and flicking a switch to begin with 5 A.M. from 2015’s Rattle That Lock album. It was a sound that was familiar and unique; and for next three hours, that unique guitar sound and the music that came along with it would be on full display.
Much of night was filled with new music from Luck And Strange. As he’s done on previous solo tours, Gilmour neglected to play anything from his first two solo albums, 1978’s David Gilmour or 1984’s About Face. For this short outing, which winds up in New York City for five nights at Madison Square Garden, Gilmour also passed over anything from this third solo album, 2006’s On An Island. Of course, whatever wasn’t new or from Rattle That Lock was from the Pink Floyd songbook. Gilmour knew that’s what most people wanted to hear.
As for how Gilmour and his band — bassist Guy Pratt, guitarist Ben Worsley, drummer Adam Betts, keyboardists Greg Phillinganes and Rob Gentry plus Louise Marshall and The Webb Sisters (Hattie & Charley) on backing vocals — took on the older and newer material with an equal measure of execution and passion. At one point, Gilmour’s daughter Romany joined the ensemble, playing harp on the instrumental on “Vita Brevis” before segueing into “Between Two Points,” on which she sings the lead vocal. Seeing her play and interact with her father was emotive, sweet and well received.
The first half of The Dark Side Of The Moon dazzled the audience, with “Money” intentionally left out. On a lighter note, “Wish You Were Here” was simply perfection to all the senses. Near the end of “High Hopes” from Pink Floyd’s 1994 release The Division Bell, large white balloons were released into the Bowl, tumbling down towards the stage, bouncing above the crowd like ping pong balls.
During the second set, “The Great Gig In The Sky” and “A Boat Lies Waiting,” from Rattle That Lock, served as a loving tribute to late Pink Floyd keyboardist Richard Wright. Three more from Luck And Strange — “Dark And Velvet Nights,” “Sings,” and “Scattered” — finished off the night. It came as no surprise that Gilmour returned to encore with “Comfortably Numb.” No matter how many ways you slice, the voice and that landmark guitar solo never get old. Every moment being in the Hollywood Bowl, seeing one of the original masters still at it, is an experience everyone should savor and relish at least once in their life.
