Two history-writing rockstars performing on one stage is always an ethereal experience. But when Pink Floyd singer/guitarist David Gilmour invited fellow ’70s hero, David Bowie on stage for his 2006 gig at The Royal Albert Hall, music history was written all over again. This spellbinding footage comes from Gilmour’s “Remember That Night” live DVD; a solo tour by Pink Floyd’s frontman backed by a host of familiar faces, including original Floyd keyboardist, Richard Wright.
For the last song of the night, David Bowie (aged 59 at the time of this performance) voiced the verses of Pink Floyd’s 1979 rock classic, “Comfortably Numb,” while Gilmour (aged 60) stepped into the spotlight for the choruses. But this track hosts one of the most show-stealing guitar solos in prog rock, and that’s exactly where the magic sparked during the duo’s 2006 gig. Gilmour’s legendary guitar tones and insane dexterity were backed by a lime green laser show, just as stunning as his music.
David Gilmour, born in Cambridge, England, UK, made waves with his groundbreaking songwriting, guitar artistry and vocal techniques throughout Pink Floyd’s career. Each of the band’s 15 studio albums reached the Top 10 in the UK album charts. However, given the band’s prog rock rejection of consumable, radio-friendly and short-form “hits,” only one Floyd single ever made it to #1: “Another Brick In The Wall (Part II).”
This hardly prevented David Gilmour and Pink Floyd from reaching legendary status as one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Pink Floyd were inducted into the US Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, followed by the UK R&R HoF in 2005. Gilmour was even voted the “Best Fender Guitar Player Ever” in Guitarist magazine’s poll, beating Jimi Hendrix!
While David Bowie rose to fame during Pink Floyd’s era, Bowie’s distinct voice, matched with his unique take on glam rock aesthetics, couldn’t be further from Floyd’s prog infusion. This South London singer achieved nine UK #1 albums (including “Aladdin Sane,” “Let’s Dance” and his final release, “Blackstar”) and six #1 singles including “Space Oddity,” “Under Pressure” featuring Queen, and “Dancing In The Street” featuring Mick Jagger. Bowie died in New York in 2016, aged 69, but with tens of millions of views across his official YouTube music videos, it’s clear Bowie’s legacy still hasn’t fizzled out.
Binding Bowie and Pink Floyd together was a deep love for conceptual work and musical world-building, whether through Bowie’s art-driven performances or Pink Floyd’s immersive soundscapes. Live at the Royal Albert Hall, the bond and respect shared between the two Davids is impeccable — Bowie even steps back to the shadows of the stage to let Gilmour’s incredible talent flourish undisturbed, giving fans a pure taste of Gilmour’s artistry. Their star power was uncontainable and, judging by the roar of the crowd after the first chord of “Comfortably Numb” rang out, the Royal Albert Hall audience knew they were witnessing a rare, golden moment in music history play out before them. Don’t miss out on the incredible video above!
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