Wish You Were There?
David Gilmour - Freedom Square, Wroclaw, Poland 25th June 2016
David Gilmour - Freedom Square, Wroclaw, Poland 25th June 2016
On a warm, balmy Saturday evening on the 25th of June at 9.45pm in Freedom Square, Wrocław, David Gilmour and band arrived on stage.
Outside of the intermission between sets they wouldn’t leave until the fading echoes of final song 'Comfortably Numb' resonated across the square some three and a half hours later.
David Gilmour last played in Poland ten years ago as part of his On an Island tour; couple that with the fact Pink Floyd never managed to play live in Poland and you could understand – and feel – the crowd’s excitement build over the two hours and forty-five minutes of waiting for the man of the night to take to the stage.
Gilmour, accompanied by his band, a 30 piece orchestra conducted by Zbigniew Preisner and special guest appearance from renowned Polish pianist and composer Leszek Możdżer, had the crowd in the palm of his hand from the opening bars of '5am' to the explosive laser show that complemented aforementioned set closer 'Comfortably Numb.'
The crowd were with the legendary Pink Floyd guitarist for every note of music and every pulse of the spectacular light show (designed by Mark Brickman) while a giant screen took centre stage, at times dominating both the show and the retinas of the audience (Gilmour and his band wore sun glasses during a pulsating light display that accompanied 'Run Like Hell').
There were a few changes to the set list from the Rattle That Lock tour concerts that had been played back in September 2015 and subsequent European and American dates – in came 'One of These Days' from Pink Floyd’s album Meddle (last played live by Gilmour more than twenty years ago as part of Floyd’s Division Bell tour in 1994) and, debuting from Rattle That Lock, 'Dancing Right in Front of Me.'
The concert (filmed by Aubrey "Po" Powell, streamed live on line and half the show broadcast live by Polish TV in HD format) was the perfect mix of David Gilmour solo material and Pink Floyd classics; a smiling Gilmour knew by the appreciation he received from the crowd throughout the show and the reception given to him at the end of the night that he had pitched it absolutely right.
Outside of the intermission between sets they wouldn’t leave until the fading echoes of final song 'Comfortably Numb' resonated across the square some three and a half hours later.
David Gilmour last played in Poland ten years ago as part of his On an Island tour; couple that with the fact Pink Floyd never managed to play live in Poland and you could understand – and feel – the crowd’s excitement build over the two hours and forty-five minutes of waiting for the man of the night to take to the stage.
Gilmour, accompanied by his band, a 30 piece orchestra conducted by Zbigniew Preisner and special guest appearance from renowned Polish pianist and composer Leszek Możdżer, had the crowd in the palm of his hand from the opening bars of '5am' to the explosive laser show that complemented aforementioned set closer 'Comfortably Numb.'
The crowd were with the legendary Pink Floyd guitarist for every note of music and every pulse of the spectacular light show (designed by Mark Brickman) while a giant screen took centre stage, at times dominating both the show and the retinas of the audience (Gilmour and his band wore sun glasses during a pulsating light display that accompanied 'Run Like Hell').
There were a few changes to the set list from the Rattle That Lock tour concerts that had been played back in September 2015 and subsequent European and American dates – in came 'One of These Days' from Pink Floyd’s album Meddle (last played live by Gilmour more than twenty years ago as part of Floyd’s Division Bell tour in 1994) and, debuting from Rattle That Lock, 'Dancing Right in Front of Me.'
The concert (filmed by Aubrey "Po" Powell, streamed live on line and half the show broadcast live by Polish TV in HD format) was the perfect mix of David Gilmour solo material and Pink Floyd classics; a smiling Gilmour knew by the appreciation he received from the crowd throughout the show and the reception given to him at the end of the night that he had pitched it absolutely right.
David Gilmour’s tour will continue across Europe where he will play a range of magnificent historic sites across numerous countries, including a return to Pompeii for two rumoured to be filmed nights, after a forty-five year gap (when Pink Floyd recorded and filmed the now classic, no audience performances that became Live at Pompeii in 1971).
The final Rattle That Lock tour dates will be the prestigious five night run at the Royal Albert Hall in September.
However Austral-Asian fans should keep their eyes and ears open as there are (currently unconfirmed) reports surfacing of possible Japanese and Australian tour dated in early 2017.
Jim French
for FabricationsHQ
Wroclaw set list:
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; One of These Days; Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V); Dancing Right in Front of Me; Coming Back to Life; On an Island; The Girl in
the Yellow Dress; Today; Sorrow; Run Like Hell; Time; Breathe (Reprise); Comfortably Numb.
Photo Credits: Jim French
The final Rattle That Lock tour dates will be the prestigious five night run at the Royal Albert Hall in September.
However Austral-Asian fans should keep their eyes and ears open as there are (currently unconfirmed) reports surfacing of possible Japanese and Australian tour dated in early 2017.
Jim French
for FabricationsHQ
Wroclaw set list:
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; One of These Days; Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V); Dancing Right in Front of Me; Coming Back to Life; On an Island; The Girl in
the Yellow Dress; Today; Sorrow; Run Like Hell; Time; Breathe (Reprise); Comfortably Numb.
Photo Credits: Jim French