David Gilmour's Luck and Strange Tour Brings Pink Floyd Classics (and one of his very talented kids) to Madison Square Garden

A month and a half after his fifth solo album, Lucky and strange, Reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Top album Sales chart, David Gilmour is in New York for five nights at Madison Square Garden.

Before Saturday night's (November 9) show kicked off in earnest, bassist Guy Pratt (who also plays in Nick Mason's band Saucerful of Secrets) politely but firmly urged the audience to stay “present” throughout the show and avoid the urge. to watch the whole thing through a mobile phone screen – and most importantly, keep your phone's lens off (“David hates this”). Whether the MSG crowd consisted of exceptionally good listeners or just people less inclined to capture every moment of their lives for the 'Gram is up for discussion, but the large Gen X and Boomer audiences in general obliged – a small miracle in 2024.

Gilmour's Luck and Strange tour is different from most concert tours these days, and in another notable way. 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 come. followed – he's one of the few veterans with a track record in the arena, known primarily as a guitarist. Yes, he sang lead (“Breathe,” “Wish You Were Here”) or shared vocals (“Time,” “Comfortably Numb”) on many of Pink Floyd's best-loved songs, but Gilmour's most distinctive form of expression is his guitar playing. . And on the Luck and Strange tour, the 78-year-old ax proves what many an aging bluesman has proven before him – the years may wear on the vocal chords, but the guitar strings speak as clearly as ever.

Blues is a fundamental element of Gilmour's playing, as is folk (he cited Pete Seeger and Joni Mitchell as stylistic influences). When he performs, these earthy, organic genres help him bond to planet Earth as his mournful, lonesome guitar solos echo through the depths of space. It's a great juxtaposition, and one that hit especially hard Saturday night during the expressive instrumental “Marooned,” one of four songs from Floyd's 1994 album The department bell in his setlist. It was similarly effective Atom Heart Mother“Fat Old Sun,” which Gilmour infused with a country flavor while playing acoustic before switching to electric for an extended, psychedelic outro.

The songs from The Dark Side of the Moon the first half of his set earned him the biggest roar of approval and while it was hugely satisfying to hear faithful renditions of tunes like “Breathe (In the Air)” and “Time”, his stripped-down rendition of “The Great Gig in the Sky” during the second half of the night was arguably more memorable.With Gilmour on steel guitar, tour member Louise Marshall played a baby grand while harmonizing with the Webb Sisters and Romany Gilmour (David's 22-year-old daughter) on classical vocals. speechless.for a few minutes, it felt less like a celebrity arena and more like an intimate living room jam session.

In addition to providing backup vocals, Romany Gilmour sang while plucking the harp on “Between Two Points”, a cover of a Montgolfier Brothers song featured on Luck and Strange album. Famous artists bringing in their children for a guest appearance might be a grim proposition, but Romany has a dark, clear phrase that (not unlike their father's guitar solos) unfolds in a restrained, direct manner. it captivates you while it digests your insides. This performance was one of the absolute highlights of the show – which is even more of an achievement given that the song is from a new album and hasn't benefited from years of familiarity.

The visuals on this tour aren't quite as theatrical or heavy as what former bandmate Roger Waters brings (but Gilmour is less extreme than Waters on a lot of different spots these days). Still, the Luck and Strange tour boasts its share of production flourishes, from bouncing inflatable balls during “High Hopes” to eerie video animations to glowing green lasers.

For the encore, Gilmour and his band performed “Comfortably Numb” from what looked like a prison cell with white lights. At that point, the crowd had collectively decided it was time to ignore Pratt's exhortations and whip out those phones – but really, who could be mad? Despite the show featuring eight songs from a brand new solo album, at MSG on Saturday he remained present, seated and mostly seated until the end. Were people comfortable? Yes. Numb; Just.