David Gilmour returned to New York City for the first time since 2006’s On An Island tour, last Sunday April 10th. This time around, the Pink Floyd voice and guitarist is supporting his latest effort, Rattle That Lock. With two sold out shows at Madison Square Garden on Monday and Tuesday evening, Gilmour opened this three-night stand with a more intimate performance at the legendary Radio City Music Hall.

From the first note of “5 A.M.”, all eyes and ears were on Gilmour and his unmistakable tone. If anything can be said of the septuagenarian, it’s that he is still writing really solid guitar-driven rock music. “Rattle That Lock” has a sleek groove which showcases lyrics from Polly Samson, wife of the guitar god, who also takes writing credit on four other tunes on Rattle That Lock, including “A Boat Lies Waiting,” “In Any Tongue”, and “Today,” which were featured in the setlist.

Despite being one of the more simply-constructed songs in the Pink Floyd canon, “Wish You Were Here” evokes so much raw emotion. As the crowd sang “We’re just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year”, in unison, chills ran up and down the spine, leaving a slight tingle on the nape of your neck. Gilmour’s smooth, yet smoky vocals were ever-apparent in stellar versions of “Money” and “Us and Them”, as those in attendance were lulled into a dream state. The crisp acoustics in Radio City, along with the sheer majesty of the venue itself, were absolutely awe-inspiring.

As the show progressed into the second set, it was difficult to not think about the missing presence of Richard Wright at Gilmour’s side. The two were so close, as Gilmour referred to Wright as “my musical partner and my friend”. His death in 2008 to lung cancer signified the official end to the possibility of a Pink Floyd reunion, but also to a musical partnership with Gilmour that was unmatched. This isn’t taking anything away from the band’s current keyboardist, Kevin McAlea, as he does a superb job; it was simply something that was just there as the band played on.

During the second set, there were nods to the various incantations of Pink Floyd throughout the years, with “Astronomy Domine” opening the second set – a song which was written and recorded on Piper at the Gates of Dawn, prior to Gilmour’s involvement in the group and an obvious nod to Syd Barrett – along with “Fat Old Sun” from 1970’s Atom Heart Mother, and “Coming Back to Life” off of The Division Bell. “Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V)” 10+-minutes of sheer bliss with that ballsy, yet beautifully bluesy riff leading the charge and saxophonist João Mello putting on the finishing touches with some deft playing. Noticeably missing was material from Animals, which may have been the only misstep in an otherwise flawless show.

As “Run Like Hell” began, people finally took the great leap and got out of their seats to chant “Run! Run! Run! Run!” along with Gilmour as the second set wound down to a raucous finish, with a massive standing ovation. Dark Side of the Moon once again took center stage as beautiful renditions of “Time > Breathe (Reprise)” had the venue swooning. Arguably one of the most recognizable guitar solos ended the almost two-and-a-half hour show, as Gilmour brought the energy level to new heights with “Comfortably Numb” that was nothing short of ethereal, lasers and all.

The opportunity to see an artist such as David Gilmour is a bucket-list type event. And the fact that, at 70 years of age, he is still able to channel that unmistakable tone, with those soaring peaks, created from his ability to seemingly bend notes until they can’t bend anymore, is a rather remarkable feat, and a testament to just how prodigious Gilmour truly is as a musician.  

While Gilmour continues his domination of New York, with shows at Madison Square Garden tonight and tomorrow, Radio City Music Hall proved to be a truly special, intimate affair that will forever leave a mark on this memory.

– Chris Meyer

Setlist: David Gilmour at Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY – 4/10/16

Set 1: 5 A.M., Rattle That Lock, Faces of Stone, Wish You Were Here, What Do You Want From Me, A Boat Lies Waiting, The Blue, Money, Us and Them, In Any Tongue, High Hopes

Set 2: Astronomy Domine, Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V), Fat Old Sun, Coming Back to Life, On an Island, Today, Sorrow, Run Like Hell

Encore: Time > Breathe (Reprise), Comfortably Numb 

[photos courtesy of Marc Millman Photography]