A month and a half after his fifth solo album, Luck and Strange, hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top Album Sales chart, David Gilmour is in New York City for a five-night run at Madison Square Garden.
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Prior to Saturday (Nov. 9) evening’s show beginning in earnest, bassist Guy Pratt (who also plays in Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets band) came out to politely but firmly urge the audience to stay “present” throughout the show and avoid the urge to watch the entire thing through the screen of a cell phone – and more importantly, keep your phone’s flashlight off (“David hates that”). Whether the MSG crowd was made up of exceptionally good listeners or just folks who are less inclined to capture every moment of their lives for the ‘Gram is up for debate, but the Gen X and Boomer heavy audience by and large obliged – a small miracle in 2024.
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Gilmour’s Luck and Strange Tour is different from most concert tours these days in another notable respect, too. While he’s far from the only classic rocker still on the road, the English legend – best known as part of Pink Floyd, one of the most adventurous, influential and commercially successful rock bands to start in the ‘60s and endure as a major force for decades to follow – is one of the few arena-headlining veterans known primarily as a guitarist. Yes, he sang lead (“Breathe,” “Wish You Were Here”) or shared vocals (“Time,” “Comfortably Numb”) on several of Pink Floyd’s most beloved songs, but Gilmour’s most distinctive form of expression is his guitar playing. And on the Luck and Strange Tour, the 78-year-old axeman demonstrates what many an aging bluesman before him has proven – the years might wear on the vocal cords, but the guitar chords speak out as clearly as ever.
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The blues are a foundational element of Gilmour’s playing, as is folk (he’s cited Pete Seeger and Joni Mitchell as stylistic influences). When he’s playing, those earthy, organic genres help tether him to planet earth as his mournful, lonely guitar solos echo throughout the depths of space. It’s a sublime juxtaposition, and one that hit especially hard Saturday night during the expressive instrumental “Marooned,” one of four songs from Floyd’s 1994 album The Division Bell in his setlist. Similarly effective was Atom Heart Mother’s “Fat Old Sun,” which Gilmour imbued with a country flavor while playing acoustic before switching to the electric for an extended, psychedelic outro.
The songs from The Dark Side of the Moon in the first half of his set got the biggest roar of approval, and while it was immensely satisfying to hear faithful renderings of tunes like “Breathe (In the Air)” and “Time,” his stripped-down take on “The Great Gig in the Sky” during the night’s second half was arguably more memorable. With Gilmour on the steel guitar, touring band member Louise Marshall played a baby grand while harmonizing with the Webb Sisters and Romany Gilmour (David’s 22-year-old daughter) on the wordless vocal classic; for a few minutes, it felt less like a famed arena and more like an intimate living room jam session.
In addition to providing backup vocals, Romany Gilmour sang lead while plucking the harp on “Between Two Points,” a cover of a Montgolfier Brothers song that appears on the Luck and Strange album. Famous artists bringing out their kids for a guest spot can be a dicey proposition, but Romany possesses a somber, clear phrasing that (not unlike their father’s guitar solos) is deployed in an understated, direct fashion; it captivates you while hollowing out your insides. That performance was one of the show’s absolute standout moments – which is even more of an achievement given that the song hails from a new album and hasn’t benefitted from years of familiarity.
This tour’s visuals aren’t quite as theatrical or prop heavy as what former bandmate Roger Waters brings to the road (but Gilmour is less extreme than Waters is several different respects these days). Still, the Luck and Strange Tour boasts its fair share of production flourishes, from bouncing inflatable balls during “High Hopes” to harrowing video animations to blazing green lasers.
For the encore, Gilmour and his band performed “Comfortably Numb” from what looked like a prison cell of white lights. By that point, the crowd had collectively decided it was time to ignore Pratt’s exhortations and get those phones out – but really, who could get mad? Despite the show featuring eight songs from a brand-new solo album, damn near everyone at MSG on Saturday stayed present, riveted and mostly seated until the very end. Were folks comfortable? Yes. Numb? Hardly.