David Gilmour Shuts Down Possibility of Reuniting with Pink Floyd Bandmate

David Gilmour has shut down any suggestions that he and his former Pink Floyd bandmate will perform together again.

Gilmour’s Firm Stance

In a new interview with The Guardian, Gilmour declared he would “absolutely not” perform with Waters ever again. Gilmour has previously stated as much, citing Waters’ political beliefs and controversial comments about Israel, Ukraine and the United States.

Gilmour’s Critique of Waters

“I tend to steer clear of people who actively support genocidal and autocratic dictators like [president of Russia Vladimir] Putin and  [president of Venezuela Nicolás] Maduro,” Gilmour told the publication. “Nothing would make me share a stage with someone who thinks such treatment of women and the LGBT community is OK. On the other hand, I’d love to be back on stage with [late Pink Floyd keyboardist] Rick Wright, who was one of the gentlest and most musically gifted people I’ve ever known.”

Controversial Statements by Waters

Among many other provocative statements, Waters has compared Israel to Nazi Germany and said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was “not unprovoked.” Gilmour’s wife, writer Polly Samson, criticized Waters on X, writing, “You are anti-Semitic to your rotten core.” Gilmour chimed in, agreeing with his wife, adding “Every word demonstrably true.” Waters refuted their comments as “incendiary and wildly inaccurate.”

Impact on Business Deals

BMG, a German-based music publishing company, also parted ways with Waters due to his political comments. Waters was scheduled to release a newly recorded version of Pink Floyd’s epochal 1973 album “Dark Side of the Moon” last year, but Thomas Coesfeld exited the deal after becoming CEO of BMG in July of last year. The album ultimately came out through U.K.-based Cooking Vinyl. 

Waters’ comments also played a part in the delay of Pink Floyd’s multi-million dollar deal with Sony Music. The company bought the rights to the band’s recorded-music and name-and-likeness for approximately $400 million.

FAQs

Q: Why did David Gilmour refuse to perform with Roger Waters?

A: David Gilmour cited Roger Waters’ political beliefs and controversial statements as the reason for refusing to perform together.

Q: What impact did Roger Waters’ comments have on his business deals?

A: Roger Waters’ comments led to BMG parting ways with him and caused delays in Pink Floyd’s deal with Sony Music.

Credit: variety.com