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Live at Hollywood Bowl
November 6, 2024 Review by Shane Pase
Halloween may be a spooky night filled with parties and trick or treating, but I was fortunate enough to attend a very special musical event that evening. The one and only Sir David Gilmour of Pink Floyd – one of the best bluesy rock guitarists in the world – performed live at the iconic Hollywood Bowl. The show was simply spectacular and included everything a Pink Floyd fan could want from a solo Gilmour show.
I have been in love with Pink Floyd since the late ‘70s when “The Wall” came out and I was able to see them perform this legendary show in Los Angeles in 1980, but this was my first time seeing Gilmour live on his own. My god, what an amazing musician, and what an incredible show this was!
Before Gilmour took the stage, his bass player, Guy Pratt, came out and introduced himself. He explained that this tour was special, and it was meant to be enjoyed to its fullest and to “put the damn phones away and enjoy the show!”
He then explained that the lighting for the show had been created by the world famous lighting designer, Marc Brickman, and his lighting was far better seen in person than through the person’s phone screen in front of you. Pratt also joked that the band understood people would want some pictures and videos, but laughingly said to make sure the “damn flashlight is off because we in the band hate it!” Bravo!
As the lights dimmed, Gilmour took the stage in a mystical haze of smoke that remained the entire performance. It came from all angles and was quite visually stunning at times, especially when it billowed down from the iconic roof of the Bowl.
The set began under deep red spotlights and Gilmour started playing “5 A.M.” on his trademark black Strat. He then moved into two songs from his latest solo album, “Luck and Strange.”
First up was “Black Cat,” a short, melodic and moody blues instrumental. It was truly soulful, and it was moving to watch this master of guitar play this brief tune. “Luck and Strange” followed and it was a beautiful setup to move into the incredible Pink Floyd tunes so many in the crowd longed for.
Photo Courtesy of LiveNation | Randall Michelson / Hewitt Silva
As the opening pulses of “Speak to Me” began, the crowd began to stir, cheers began to escalate, and ultimately became deafening as “Breathe (In the Air)” started. The lighting was intense, but at the same time, subdued. It was not an overly-produced, chaotic light show, but precise and intentional, even moody at times. The lighting complimented the music and the moment perfectly. If you have ever seen Pink Floyd live, then you know exactly what I am talking about. Gilmour’s voice was perfect and I realized then I was completely absorbed in the moment – and it was glorious.
Next up was “Time” from “The Dark Side of the Moon.” Again, the second the clocks and alarms rang, the crowd went crazy. The song was perfect and transporting; it was exactly what a Pink Floyd song was meant to be. At the end of “Time,” the large round screen behind the band came to life, and a giant red sun appeared with Gilmour standing center stage, enveloped in its red glow. This was a perfect lead in to “Fat Old Sun.”
“Marooned” from “The Division Bell” was next and it’s a gorgeous instrumental with a moving, full-length guitar solo. I had never seen him do this live, even during “The Division Bell” tour, and I loved it. He followed it up with another song from his latest solo venture, “A Single Spark.”
Photo Courtesy of LiveNation | Randall Michelson / Hewitt Silva
My absolute favorite moment of the night came next when he played “Wish You Were Here.” Gilmour was joined on acoustic guitar by Ben Worsley and the duo was magical. This is such a perfect Floyd song; it is moving, sad, beautiful, and haunting. Gilmour and his band played it spectacularly.
Following “Vita Brevis,” another song from his latest album, Gilmour introduced the band, and then his daughter, Romany Gilmour. She brought out her harp and they performed a beautiful rendition of “Between Two Points.” Romany’s voice was as beautiful as her harp playing and she showed off her absolute talent as a musician. It was an incredible moment and her dad was obviously very proud of her.
The first part of the show ended with another song from “The Division Bell,” “High Hopes.” This moving and deeply meaningful song was written from the perspective of Gilmour as things began to change in the earlier years of Pink Floyd. The original music video played on the large round screen, and life imitated art as inflatable white beach balls – seen in the video – began bouncing their way down from the top of the Bowl.
Photo Courtesy of LiveNation | Randall Michelson / Hewitt Silva
After the 20-minute intermission, it was another mix of Gilmour’s solo work and Pink Floyd songs. A couple of highlights were “Great Gig in the Sky” and “Coming Back to Life.” One last track from his current solo work, “Scattered,” was performed before the final encore of the night.
To bring things to a close, Gilmour and company performed an epic version of “Comfortably Numb.” This was clearly a favorite of the 17,000+ fans in attendance. The lighting was absolutely insane. It started out with the entire stage surrounded in bars of light and smoke which made it feel like we were looking through packaging at the band. Of course no Pink Floyd show would be complete without lasers, and lasers there were – a lot of them! It was perfect.
After the show ended, the crowd was left buzzing as we made our way out through the tight passages at the Bowl. It was an epic evening and a simply beautiful show – exactly what you would expect from a performer of this magnitude.
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SID 2411067 | TRACI TURNER | EDITOR
