Pink Floyd live performances in 2003 and 2008

[Hadrian]

This is not the the most cheerful of topics because of the background context, I know, but I was going through the third edition of Nick Mason's "Inside Out" (the one from 2011; there is a fourth one as well, from 2017, with an extra chapter on The Endless River), and I realized that Pink Floyd did perform live in public both in 2003 and 2008 - unfortunately both times at memorial services.

The first occasion was in memory of Steve O'Rourke. 14 November 2003 at Chichester Cathedral in Sussex, England, Pink Floyd members David Gilmour, Richard Wright and Nick Mason performed together in public for the first time since 29 October 1994. They played "Fat Old Sun" and "The Great Gig in the Sky" (with Dick Parry playing the saxophone).

The second occasion was in memory of Rick Wright, in late September 2008. Straight from the book: "[Rick's] memorial service was held at the Notting Hill Theatre. It was a wonderful send-off to a friend who had been part of my life for more than four decades, and an even that induced a feeling of enjoyment, rather than sadness, both socially, with so many familiar faces there, and musically. Jeff Back played a beautiful, unaccompanied guitar solo, the more beautiful for being unexpected, and Dave and I performed Rick's 'Remember a Day', for the first time in nearly forty years."

Alas, Mason does not provide a date. Is anyone aware of the day in September 2008 when this occurred? This is essentially the last Pink Floyd live performance to date (it comes after the 10 May 2007 Pink Floyd performance at the Barbican), and the first one with David and Nick as a duo.

[crofloyd]

Not sure about the date although there should be additional detail in Po Powell's book, as I remember reading about it online...

[Hadrian]

Thanks, I'll take a look there to see if there is an actual September 2008 date cited.

One interesting detail about these in memory of events: Pink Floyd played a number of tracks that were never played live during the 1987-1994 stretch.

Those are:

1. Fat Old Sun (2003)
2. Arnold Layne (2007)
3. Bike (2007)
4. Remember a Day (2008)

[Annoying Twit]

Thanks, I'll take a look there to see if there is an actual September 2008 date cited.

One interesting detail about these in memory of events: Pink Floyd played a number of tracks that were never played live during the 1987-1994 stretch.

Those are:

2. Arnold Layne (2007)

I did a double take on this, and realised that I don't really distinguish post-1987 Floyd tours and live and DG tours and live. Especially with RW present.

[Hadrian]

Things do tend to blend here somewhat. For example, David Gilmour did release Arnold Layne live CD single in 2006 (see here), and Pink Floyd released Arnold Layne live 7" single in 2020 (see here; this was their 2007 live performance at the Syd Barrett event). Now if you listen side by side, second track on David's CD single (featuring Rick on vocals) and later Pink Floyd vinyl version (David, Rick and Nick) sound more or less the same - it would be hard to say which is which without knowing in advance.

The same goes for Remember a Day. TV performance by David (23 September 2008, on Later with Jools Holland, see here) is well known, but the performance by Pink Floyd (David and Nick), which came a few days earlier at the Notting Hill Theatre was witnessed only by those who attended Rick's private memorial service. Nonetheless, we can safely assume that Pink Floyd take sounded exactly like it did on the included video.

[jakerossman]

I have the same thought