Roger Waters has shared a new EP titled ‘The Lockdown Sessions’, featuring re-workings of some of his biggest hits.
The six-track collection sees Waters record new versions of songs from across his solo career and time with Pink Floyd, mostly laid down at home during the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021. It features a 2022 version of ‘Comfortably Numb’ that was shared last month.
In a statement about the new collection, Waters said: “Our ‘Us and Them Tour’ lasted three years. At every gig we did an encore after the main show closed with ‘Comfortably Numb’… the encore was always ‘Mother’… I can’t remember why I decided to start doing other songs? Anyway, at some point after the end of the tour… I started thinking, ‘It could make an interesting album, all those encores… The Encores. ‘Yeah, has a nice ring to it!’
“Then… I’m in England doing the Ginger Baker tribute gig one Tuesday night at the Hammersmith Odeon with Eric Clapton and… the following Saturday marching from The Australian Embassy to Parliament Square to make a speech in support of Julian Assange, when bugger me, Covid… Schlummmm! For me it was Friday March 13th 2020. Lockdown! So much for the Encores project. Unless…”
He added: “We’ve tacked ‘C. Numb’ on the end of the collection, as an appropriate exclamation point in closing this circle of love.”
Listen to ‘The Lockdown Sessions’ below.
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‘Comfortably Numb 2022’, described as a “darker” version of the 1980 track, was recorded during the recent North American leg of the former Pink Floyd band member’s ‘This Is Not A Drill’ tour.
The reworked song features contributions from Joey Waronker (Atoms For Peace, Ultraísta), Nigel Godrich (Radiohead producer- also in Ultraísta) as well as from touring musicians and artists Jonathan Wilson, Gus Seyffert, Dave Kilminster, Jon Carin, Shanay Johnson and Amanda Belair.
The ex-Pink Floyd co-vocalist and bassist will continue his farewell tour next year. He recently shared European and UK tour dates for 2023. Any remaining tickets for the UK dates are available here.
Roger Waters’ ‘This Is Not A Drill’ tour dates 2023:
MARCH 2023
17 – Lisbon, PT @ Altice Arena
18 – Lisbon, PT @ Altice Arena
21 – Barcelona, ES @ Palau St Jordi
23 – Madrid, ES @ Wizink
24 – Madrid, ES @ Wizink
27 – Milan, IT @ Mediolanum Forum
28 – Milan, IT @ Mediolanum Forum
31 – Milan, IT @ Mediolanum Forum
APRIL 2023
01 – Milan, IT @ Mediolanum Forum
04 – Amsterdam, NL @ Ziggo Dome
06 – Amsterdam, NL @ Ziggo Dome
07 – Amsterdam, NL @ Ziggo Dome
11 – Oslo, NO @ Telenor
12 – Oslo, NO @ Telenor
15 – Stockholm, SE @ Tele2
17 – Copenhagen, DK @ Royal Arena
18 – Copenhagen, DK @ Royal Arena
21 – Bologna, IT @ Unipol Arena
23 – Budapest, HU @ MVM Dome
25 – Zurich, CH @ Hallenstadion
28 – Bologna, IT @ Unipol Arena
29 – Bologna, IT @ Unipol Arena
MAY 2023
03 – Paris, FR @ AccorHotels Arena
04 – Paris, FR @ AccorHotels Arena
07 – Hamburg, DE @ Barclays Arena
09 – Cologne, DE @ Lanxess Arena
12 – Lille, FR @ Studio Pierre Mauroy
14 – Antwerp, BE @ Sportpaleis
17 – Berlin, DE @ Mercedes Benz Arena
24 – Prague, CZ @ O2 Arena
25 – Prague, CZ @ O2 Arena
28 – Frankfurt, DE @ Festhalle
31 – Birmingham, UK @ Utilita Arena
JUNE 2023
02 – Glasgow, UK @ SSE Hydro
03 – Glasgow, UK @ SSE Hydro
06 – London, UK @ The O2
07 – London, UK @ The O2
10 – Manchester, UK @ AO Arena