Story of Pink Floyd’s 2010 Reunion

Pink Floyd’s music is known for its experimental and psychedelic elements, as well as its social and political themes. However, the band also had a turbulent history, marked by conflicts, lawsuits, and deaths.

History and Changes in the Lineup

The band was formed in 1965 by Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright. Barrett was the main songwriter and vocalist, but he left the band in 1968 due to mental health issues and drug abuse. He was replaced by David Gilmour, who became the lead guitarist and co-vocalist with Waters. The band reached its peak of popularity in the 1970s, with albums such as The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals, and The Wall.

However, tensions between Waters and the rest of the band grew over creative and financial disputes. Waters left the band in 1985, and declared that Pink Floyd was “a spent force”. He sued the remaining members for using the name Pink Floyd without his consent, but lost the case in 1987. Gilmour, Wright, and Mason continued as Pink Floyd, and released two more albums: A Momentary Lapse of Reason and The Division Bell.

Reunions

The band members rarely spoke to each other for years, until they reunited for a one-off performance at the Live 8 concert in London in 2005. The event was organized by Bob Geldof to raise awareness and funds for poverty in Africa. It was the first time that Waters had performed with Pink Floyd since 1981. The reunion was a huge success, and received a standing ovation from the audience of over 200,000 people.

The Live 8 performance sparked hopes for a full-scale reunion tour or album, but the band members denied any such plans. They said that they only agreed to play for Live 8 because of its humanitarian cause, and that they had no intention of working together again. However, in 2010, they surprised their fans by reuniting once more for a special occasion.

The occasion was a tribute concert for their former bandmate Richard Wright, who had died of cancer in 2008. The concert was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on May 10th, 2010. It was organized by Wright’s widow, Millie Hobbs-Wright, and featured many artists who had collaborated with Wright over the years. Among them were David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Roger Waters, Jon Carin, Guy Pratt, Gary Wallis, Dick Parry, Harry Waters, and Storm Thorgerson.

The highlight of the concert was when Gilmour, Mason, and Waters took the stage together to perform four songs from The Dark Side of the Moon: “Speak to Me/Breathe”, “Money”, “Wish You Were Here”, and “Comfortably Numb”. It was the first time that they had played these songs together since 1975. The performance was emotional and powerful, and received a thunderous applause from the crowd.

The concert was filmed and released as a DVD titled Remember That Night: Live at the Royal Albert Hall in 2011. It also included interviews with the band members and other guests. The DVD was a critical and commercial success, and was praised for its musical quality and historical significance.

The 2010 reunion was the last time that Pink Floyd performed together as a band. In 2014, Gilmour and Mason released one final album under the name Pink Floyd: The Endless River. It was based on unreleased material recorded during The Division Bell sessions in 1993-1994, and featured contributions from Wright. Waters did not participate in the project, but gave his blessing to it.

Memorability of Pink Floyd’s Reunion Concert

Pink Floyd’s legacy remains strong and influential to this day. Their music is widely regarded as some of the best in rock history, and has inspired countless artists across genres and generations. Their reunion concerts were rare and memorable events that showed their respect for each other and their fans. They proved that despite their differences and difficulties, they were still able to create magic together.