Wednesday 1st September 2010
Update: Hoping Video On This Site.



The Hoping Foundation have reported a good response to the David and Roger live performance video from July 10th (see story below) and have kindly allowed us to run it here as well. The video is 28 minutes long, so we hope you enjoy it. If you can, please make a donation to help children via the Charity.



Saturday 21st August 2010
Metallic Spheres Update – Date Confirmed and EPK

Sony Music have now confirmed the release date of the Metallic Spheres album as 12th October in North America (11th October in the UK). The first EPK of the album, directed by filmmaker Gavin Elder, has now been made available – please click here. It features Orb members Martin 'Youth' Glover and Alex Paterson, plus footage of David contributing electric guitar and lap steel guitar during the album sessions at Youth's studio.



Wednesday 18th August 2010
October Orb Album 'Metallic Spheres' Features David

David's 2009 jam session with ambient collective The Orb has grown into an album, Metallic Spheres, to be released via Columbia/Sony Records in October. David's contribution to the charity song Chicago, in aid of Gary McKinnon, sparked the interest of producer Youth (Martin Glover), who remixed the track and invited David to his studio for a recording session. With additional contributions from Orb co-founder Alex Paterson, the album took shape from 2009 into 2010, eventually becoming Metallic Spheres, to be released by The Orb featuring David Gilmour.

Metallic Spheres is designed to be heard in two parts – 'Metallic Side' (24'48"), and 'Spheres Side' (25'09") – each 'side' containing five movements. The album features David's guitar and lap steel guitar, plus some of his vocals from Chicago; Alex Paterson contributes sound manipulation, keyboards and turntables, while Youth adds bass and keyboards and handles the production.

The album will be available in various formats: CD; digital download; and 180-gram vinyl LP. There will also be a 2-CD version, including an extra disc, featuring an alternative mix of the album in the new 3D60™ process, which creates a 360-degree sound experience when heard on headphones, using stereo tracks without the need for any special audio equipment. For a demo of the 3D60™ process, please go to www.3D60.co.uk.

Longtime Orb collaborator Simon Ghahary has created the artwork, continuing in The Orb's spatial style, and, as with the Chicago single, all artist royalties will go to helping Gary McKinnon fight his extradition. We will bring you more details of the album, plus some of Simon's graphics, as we get closer to release date.



Monday 16th August 2010
Update: Hoping Video Live Now.

The Hoping Foundation have brought forward their plans to show the whole David and Roger live performance of 10h July (see story below) and it is live now on their site. Click here to see the video, and please, if you can, make a donation to help children via the Charity.



Saturday 14th August 2010
David Executive Producer On New Syd Barrett Compilation

David of course produced Syd Barrett's original solo albums (The Madcap Laughs was co-produced with Roger Waters) and he is now Executive Producer of a new compilation album, combining for the first time Syd songs from his time in Pink Floyd with solo tracks.

An Introduction To Syd Barrett is released by EMI/Harvest on Monday 4th October, and features five new 2010 remixes, done at Astoria studio by Andy Jackson and Damon Iddins. David collaborated on the mixes of Syd's solo songs Octopus, She Took A Long Cool Look, Dominoes, and Here I Go, adding to Here I Go a bass guitar, an instrument lacking on the original recording. Pink Floyd's Matilda Mother also gets a new mix, in the version containing verses by both Syd and poet Hilaire Belloc.

Brand-new artwork has been provided by long time Pink Floyd associate Storm Thorgerson and his estimable studio. Tracklisting is: Arnold Layne; See Emily Play; Apples And Oranges (Stereo version); Matilda Mother (2010 Mix); Chapter 24; Bike; Terrapin; Love You; Dark Globe; Here I Go (2010 Remix); Octopus (2010 Mix); She Took A Long Cool Look (2010 Mix) (aka She Took A Long Cold Look); If It's In You; Baby Lemonade; Dominoes (2010 Mix); Gigolo Aunt; Effervescing Elephant; and Bob Dylan Blues – all of them remastered from the original analogue masters by Andy Jackson.

An extra track for CD and iTunes buyers is the previously-unreleased 20-minute instrumental Rhamadan, again mixed by Andy Jackson and Damon Iddins.



Friday 13th August 2010
Preview of Kiddington Performance



Here's a short clip of David and Roger playing together at the Hoping Foundation's fundraising gig in Oxfordshire on the 10th July. The full 28 minutes will be available on the Hoping Foundation Website from 5pm on Monday. Please, if you can, make a donation, however large or small, to Hoping and help the charity to continue their work with Palestinian children who are caught in a very dark situation through no fault of their own.



Sunday 11th July 2010
David Gilmour & Roger Waters: Kiddington, Oxfordshire, England.

At a charity event yesterday, organized by Bella Freud and Karma Nabulsi and hosted by Jemima Khan under the banner of Hoping (Hope and Optimism for Palestinians in the Next Generation) to raise funds for the Children of Gaza, Nick Cave and Tom Jones kicked off the evening's fundraising.

Then David Gilmour and Roger Waters took to the stage before 200 guests to perform four songs together with Guy Pratt (bass and acoustic guitar), Harry Waters (keyboards), Andy Newmark (drums), Chester Kamen (guitar), and Jonjo Grisdale (keyboards).

The performance was geared to an auction for each song which was launched with To Know Him Is To Love Him (written by Phil Spector), regularly featured in Pink Floyd sound checks many years ago, followed by Wish You Were Here, Comfortably Numb, and the closer with full audience participation of Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2).

The auctions for the evening raised £350,000 for the charity. You can make a donation here.



Sunday 4th July 2010
Another Clip For The Hol

Apparently it's a Public Holiday in the USA today for some reason or other, and here's another reason to celebrate: a new video clip.

Continuing the series of clips by film-maker Gavin Elder, constructed from the static security cameras in David's Astoria studio, today we have David creating This Heaven, from the On An Island sessions. Click on the 'Play' icon on the screen, above right, to reveal all.

Hope you enjoy it, and happy Independence Day!



Friday 18th June 2010
Let's Play Together – David and Jools Join Al Green on UK TV

UK viewers should enjoy the Jonathan Ross show tonight, because the legend that is Al Green is performing Let's Stay Together. Equally legendary is his backing band, specially recruited for the occasion as a one-off preview for Al's tour. Jools Holland kindly stepped into the breech to provide the core of his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, and invited David to play guitar. The full lineup is: David – guitar; Jools Holland – piano; his brother Christopher – organ; Gilson Lavis – drums; Lisa Grahame and Phil Veacock – saxes; Chris Storr – trumpet; and Al's Musical Director, Barry Campbell, on bass.

The Reverend Al chats to Jonathan on the couch while the musicians are restricted to the Green Room, but even so, music fans should get a thrill from tonight's performance. It's on BBC One in the UK at 10.35pm.

Al Green is on tour, without Jools and David but with co-headliner Michael McDonald, from June 22 to 27, taking in Cardiff, Birmingham, Manchester, Bournemouth and London. Click here for tickets.



Friday 21st May 2010
Gavin Elder Creates Clips From Astoria Cameras

You will know film-maker Gavin Elder's work from the Live In Gdańsk DVD and the documentary shoots he has done for David in recent years. Having been given access to the many miles of tape shot by the static security cameras in David's Astoria studio, he has created movie magic out of the film shot at the On An Island sessions. Click on the video player's start button (below, right) and you will see the first clip: A Pocketful Of Stones.

We hope to bring you more songs in the future, and that you enjoy this in the meantime.



Wednesday 13th January 2010
Update: David's Mermaid Concert Rerun 23rd January

BBC Radio 2 in the UK have now confirmed their broadcast time for David's Mermaid Theatre show: it will be on Saturday 23rd January at 10pm. David's show from London's Mermaid Theatre was first transmitted in March 2006 and will be one of Radio 2's repeated broadcasts in the run up to February's BRIT Awards, to celebrate notable British songwriters and performers. The show was the first public performance by the On An Island band and was a great experience for those lucky enough to attend; songs included Castellorizon, On An Island, Take A Breath, Wearing The Inside Out, Shine On You Crazy Diamond, and Comfortably Numb.