Our thanks to Theatrice Westbrook for very kindly sharing recollections of an evening in Irvine, California, in June 1984, when David Gilmour played at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre as part of his About Face tour that year: Chef André Wiederkehr, a friend of my co-worker and friend Karen, got tickets and they had a couple extra. They invited me and other coworker/friend Brian and gave us a ride. Pink Floyd wasn’t really Brian’s cup of tea. He was more New Wave, outrageous⦠he turned me on to John Waters and “Pink Flamingos”! But ironically after a group of us saw Berlin in concert in Hollywood earlier, he told me LA was too much, he couldn’t wait to get back behind that Orange Curtain (the more conservative Orange County, California)! Go figure. Brian had his leg in a cast, but refused a wheelchair and walked from the parking lot to our seat on crutches. (He took up the wheelchair offer after the concert.) We had great seats in the lower section, closest to the stage. David Gilmour’s first solo tour. Roger Waters had also begun his first solo tour during the middle of this tour (and more Floyd acrimony would lay ahead). Before the show, André and I went to the restroom; I came out first. Through the fence I saw a guy in jeans and a red Pendleton talking with crew or someone. He looked like a trucker. I looked at his face from profile, it was David Gilmour, 20-25 feet away, with very short hair. I about shit myself. André came out of the bathroom, talking. André was a super hardcore European Floyd fan from Austria. (Translation: Hardcore fan.) When I pointed out David Gilmour, he stopped in his tracks, staring, speechless. We both stared for a couple minutes before returning to our seats. No opening act. A beautiful Summer eve, a little warm. I had both solo albums and hoped he would play my favourite track “There’s No Way Out of Here” (he didn’t). But I was not disappointed. The new album, “About Face”, was more “radio friendly”, with more guest players (Jeff Porcaro was the drummer). The stage was much more scaled down than on Floyd tours. (Part of the show is visible in the US-only 1984 home video release “David Gilmour Live.”) The band played cuts from Gilmour’s two solo albums along with a couple of Floyd tracks. The stage darkened and a deep synth pulsated in syncopation with lighting on the lip of the stage and around the edge of the stage risers. This signalled the opening song “Until We Sleep”, the first of 5 new album cuts. The band was on it. Loud and clear. I thought I recognized the second guitarist who looked like Mick Ralphs, noted this imposing bald drummer, and a lady on percussion who looked like she was pregnant. The next song was the Pete Townshend/David Gilmour song “All Lovers Are Deranged”, which slammed in the same fashion as the first, and with an ending that presaged the intro/outro of Pink Floyd song “Sorrow” (from the 1987 album “A Momentary Lapse of Reason”), as it shook the whole amphitheater.
Tag: group
Pink Floyd One Slip project artwork surfaces
Back in 2015, Tim Davies wrote an exclusive piece for our website about his work for Pink Floyd (https://www.brain-damage.co.uk/miscellaneous-articles/adventures-in-pink-floyd-land-cover-image-artist-tim-d.html). The article, which revealed some of the initial ideas under consideration for use on the cover of the Floyd’s 1987 album, A Momentary Lapse Of Reason, also talks about how his adaptation of a photo of a girl sitting on the side of a bath ended up on the One Slip cover. “I took some oil crayons and paint and scribbled over the figure, almost totally covering the figure, but leaving enough to show a rather impressionistic figure which would be perfect for [Blue Matisse, a French pop-group!! “Feeling pleased with my work I returned to the studio in Goodge Street, London. I spread the images out and Colin seemed very pleased with the results. We planned to show them to the group and their management in the next few days. The next day when I arrived at the studio all the images were gone. Colin told me that Storm [Thorgerson] had come to the studio with one of the musicians from Pink Floyd, possibly David Gilmour who was around a lot then. They saw the sketches and grabbed them for the singles cover image. Colin had told Storm they were for “Blue Matisse”, and Storm had replied “Not any more!” I am really proud to this day that a little piece of my art has made it onto a Pink Floyd record cover.” Fast forward to the end of last year, and one of Tim’s original artworks for this project (all created in the same sort of way) was discovered in a charity shop in the UK by Leigh Dorling. He contacted Tim, who replied back and kindly authenticated the piece of art. Leigh reached out to us as he felt we’d be interested in this follow-up to the story from 10 years ago. Thanks Leigh, and a very nice find! Thanks for letting us know, Leigh, and thanks for the pictures of the artwork and the authentication!
Steve Borthwick explains why he has stripped Jamie George of captaincy
Steve Borthwick has officially handed the England captaincy to Saracens lock Maro Itoje ahead of the Six Nations, with Jamie George stepping down to vice-captain. Join the RUCK’s WhatsApp community here and…
The post Steve Borthwick explains why he has stripped Jamie George of captaincy appeared first on Ruck.
Five Rugby Stars Who Seriously Flopped in 2024
As the dust settled on a tumultuous 2024, even the biggest names in the sport haven’t escaped the challenges. Join the RUCK’s WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight…
The post Five Rugby Stars Who Seriously Flopped in 2024 appeared first on Ruck.
Maximise Match Day: A UK Rugby Fan’s Guide to the Ultimate Game Day Experience
For rugby fans in the UK, game day is sacred. It’s more than just a sport; it’s a way of life, a tradition, and an absolute blast. But when you…
The post Maximise Match Day: A UK Rugby Fan’s Guide to the Ultimate Game Day Experience appeared first on Ruck.
Paul O’Connell to join Andy Farrell’s British & Irish Lions coaching staff
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has been confirmed as the man to lead the British and Irish Lions on their 2025 tour of Australia. However, the makeup of his coaching…
The post Paul O’Connell to join Andy Farrell’s British & Irish Lions coaching staff appeared first on Ruck.
5 Uncapped England hopefuls who Impressed: Premiership Rugby Round 8
With just two days left until Christmas, we are stampeding towards the end of 2024. The countdown continues towards the 2025 Guinness Six Nations, which kicks off across the 31st…
The post 5 Uncapped England hopefuls who Impressed: Premiership Rugby Round 8 appeared first on Ruck.
Moshiri wonders what ´might have been´ had Ancelotti remained at Everton
Outgoing Everton owner Farhad Moshiri acknowledged he wonders what might have been for the Toffees, had Carlo Ancelotti remained at Goodison Park. The Freidkin Group completed their takeover of Everton on Thursday, bringing Moshiri’s eight-year reign to an end. It proved an eventful period on and off the pitch under the British-Iranian, with the club […]
The post Moshiri wonders what ´might have been´ had Ancelotti remained at Everton appeared first on Soccer News.
Friedkin Group complete Everton takeover and assume control from Moshiri
The Friedkin Group have completed their takeover of Everton Football Club, assuming control from previous owner Farhad Moshiri. With a deal believed to be over £400million, it sees Everton become the 10th club in the Premier League under majority American ownership. An agreement had been reached between the two parties in September, with the wait […]
The post Friedkin Group complete Everton takeover and assume control from Moshiri appeared first on Soccer News.
‘Gold for the Hosts’ – South African men and New Zealand women win Cape Town leg of 2024/25 HSBC SVNS Series
Hosts South Africa beat reigning Olympic champions France 26-14, to win a thriller of a men’s final and claim their first HSBC SVNS title in Cape Town in nine years.…
The post ‘Gold for the Hosts’ – South African men and New Zealand women win Cape Town leg of 2024/25 HSBC SVNS Series appeared first on Ruck.