Image: 'David Gilmour Live at Pompeii' cover art courtesy Gavin Elder, Polly Samson, Anna Wloch and Steve Knee via David Gillmour Facebook
In 1972 Pink Floyd recorded Live at Pompeii, their legendary concert performed in the Roman Amphitheatre at the historic site. Directed by Adrian Maben, apart from the band performing at the height of their fame and ability, it was also notable because they played to an audience of zero.
Only the film crew got to see Pink Floyd play various songs from their albums Meddle and A Saucerful of Secrets including “Echoes, Part 1,” “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun,” and “A Saucerful of Secrets.” It’s now celebrated as one of the greatest concert films ever.
Enchanted by its magic and beauty, 45 years later former Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour returned to the same amphitheatre for two dazzling concerts, as part of his tour for 2015 solo album Rattle That Lock. This time though he brought a few people with him, which meant 2,600 concert goers were the first ever audience to see a rock concert performed there.
David Gilmour performing at the Royal Albert Hall, London in September 2015 as part of his 'Rattle That Lock' tour. © Paolo Brillo
The live album of those concerts, along with an accompanying DVD and Blu-ray film, is being released on 29 September (pre-order it here). But, for one night only on the 13th September the film will be screened in over 2000 cinemas across the globe. So, if you missed Gilmour in concert you can get to see this audiovisual spectacle in a similar booming, immersive—but admittedly not quite as atmospheric—environment as the audience did.
Captured in the film is the concert visuals, like the lasers, pyrotechnics, and a huge circular screen with custom images and videos, along with Gilmour performing some iconic Pink Floyd classics, including “One Of These Days”, “Time/Breathe”, “The Great Gig In The Sky”, “Wish You Were Here” and “Comfortably Numb”. Also included are “A Boat Lies Waiting” from Rattle That Lock, among others.
David Gilmour performing with Pink Floyd at their 1974 Dark Side of the Moon UK Tour. © Jill Furmanovsky
As if that wasn’t enough for Pink Floyd fans to salivate over, there’s also some hinting at a new album from David Gilmour. In a promotional video (see below) that takes a look behind the scenes of David Gilmour: Live at Pompeii, the singer-songwriter notes that after recording Rattle That Lock he had some material left over. Which may well form the basis of a new LP.
David Gilmour at the rehearsal for his Brighton performance on the Rattle that Lock Tour in September 2015. © Jill Furmanovsky
“I feel very uncomfortable heading off out and doing another tour without having made new music,” Gilmour notes in the video. “There are several songs which are close to being complete, which didn’t make it onto this album. I can’t see myself doing another tour without making another album first. That takes me a while. It took 10 years last time. I’m really hoping that, without making any promises, it won’t take ten years this time, that I will get back in and start working again. Following that, yeah, I’ll be out again.”
Which is great news, and as Gilmour notes, hopefully means fans won’t have to wait nearly a decade for a new album, like they did for his fourth solo LP Rattle That Lock which followed on from 2006’s On an Island.
Check out the video below.
