playing with its classic lineup for the first time in more than 20 years, pink floyd dazzled the crowd of approximately 200,000 people at the london edition of live 8. the group performed “breathe,” “money,” “wish you were here” and “comfortably numb,” which was introduced to a new generation of u.k. listeners last year via the scissor sisters’ top 10 hit cover.
pink floyd hadn’t played live at all since the 1994 tour in support of the album “the division bell,” and hadn’t performed with bassist roger waters since 1981. the latter artist’s dealings with fellow pink floyd principal david gilmour have been rancorous in the ensuing years; waters even sued gilmour, unsuccessfully, for touring under the pink floyd name without him following the band’s initial split after the album “the final cut.”
but on stage at london’s hyde park, the group (which also includes drummer nick mason and keyboardist rick wright) was all smiles. waters even dedicated “wish you were here” to pink floyd founder syd barrett, whose mental instability forced him to cede control of his band to gilmour and waters in the late ’60s.
one source suggested that the reunited band has been offered more than $200 million for a u.s. tour, but that gilmour nixed the idea.
the group was followed on stage by paul mccartney, who was joined by george michael for the beatles favorite “drive my car.”