Black Strat sells for nearly $4 million
Posted by madhack on Jun 20, 2019
The Christie's auction for 120-odd of David Gilmour's guitars, with proceeds going to environmental defense charity ClientEarth, has just wrapped. His legendary black '69 Strat brought in $3,975,000 total, beating the record for any guitar ever sold at auction. That also broke a record set hours earlier for sale price for a Stratocaster, per Guitar World: $1,815,000 for the white Strat (serial number 0001). That guitar was used for rhythm on Another Brick in the Wall pt. 2; the 1955 Les Paul used on the solo sold for $447,000. Another record is $1,095,000 (highest for an acoustic guitar) for the Martin D-35 billed as Gilmour's primary acoustic and heard on the track Wish You Were Here, among many others.
On a personal note, the candy apple red 1983 57V reissue that led to my own interest in Stratocasters (and in guitars in general) sold for $615,000. It's easy to think it's unfortunate that the prices were so extravagant and out of reach for the average fan, but given that tens of millions of dollars were raised for charity, it's hard for this poster to be overly upset.
David Gilmour to auction 120+ guitars for charity
Posted by madhack on Jan 29, 2019
David Gilmour will be auctioning off over 120 of his own guitars this summer, with proceeds benefiting a number of charitable causes.
Rolling Stone has a couple of articles about the auction, with details about some of the other guitars for sale and an interview with the man himself. Gilmour insists that he has no intention of retiring just yet, though it's clear that his selection of instruments for future albums or shows will be much smaller.
Several guitars, such as the iconic black Strat and the white Strat used on Another Brick part 2, are expected to go for up to $150,000.
Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets 2019 tour dates
Posted by madhack on Nov 4, 2018
Nick Mason's band, Saucerful of Secrets, has announced a number of 2019 tour dates in North America and a handful in the UK.
The band's lineup also includes long-time (post-Roger Waters) Floyd bassist Guy Pratt, as well as Richard Wright collaborator Dom Beken and Gary Kemp from Spandau Ballet. The band's focus is on early Floyd works such as those from The Piper At the Gates of Dawn and, naturally, A Saucerful of Secrets.
Another Brick in the Wall at the Cincinnati Opera
Posted by madhack on Jul 18, 2018
Cincinnati Opera will host Another Brick in the Wall—The Opera from July 20-31. Fans may remember the show from its sold-out run in Montreal; this will be the first production in the United States.
Tickets are available at the Cincinnati Opera's site and a trailer is also online.
The Wall in ballet
Posted by madhack on Mar 1, 2018
The Wall has seen many adaptations, official and unofficial, with everything from the well-known film and the recent Roger Waters opera to lesser-known releases like the 2001 bluegrass adaptation, and Minnesota's Twin Cities Ballet is teaming up with Floyd tribute band Run Like Hell for another take on the seminal album. The show premiers tonight, March 1, with standby tickets available at the box office.
Listen to the new Roger Waters single, Smell the Roses
Posted by madhack on Apr 21, 2017
With a release date set and preorders available for Is This the Life We Really Want?, Roger Waters has released the single Smell the Roses into the world. The track is surprisingly evocative of Animals and Wish You Were Here, and we'll be eagerly looking forward to hearing the rest of the album. Here's a direct YouTube link in case of issues with the embedded video below.
Roger Waters talks new album and tour with Rolling Stone
Posted by madhack on Apr 20, 2017
Roger Waters recently spoke with Rolling Stone about his upcoming US+Them tour and the new album, Is This the Life We Really Want?, that will come out during the tour. The piece is short but covers a bit about the idea behind the tour, the inspirations for the album, and some of the process that led to it (Mr. Waters was apparently convinced by his producer, Nigel Godrich—a veteran of numerous Radiohead albums, among many others—that a concept written as a theatrical radio play was "less than ideal" for a rock album, but notes that they were able to adapt songs from it).
Is This the Life We Really Want? will be released on June 2 on CD, vinyl, and digital download, and will be available for pre-order April 21.
Their Mortal Remains at the Victoria & Albert Museum
Posted by madhack on Feb 17, 2017
Roger Waters and Nick Mason spoke with the Victoria & Albert Museum about the new Pink Floyd exhibition opening. The museum describes the exhibit, called Their Mortal Remains, as "a spectacular and unparalleled audio-visual journey through Pink Floyd's unique and extraordinary worlds, chronicling the music, design and staging of the band, from their debut in the 1960s through to the present day."
The exhibit opens May 13 and tickets run from £20-24.
Teaser video released for "Is This the Life We Really Want?"
Posted by madhack on Feb 16, 2017
Details for the upcoming Roger Waters album are still scarce (though it's probably pretty safe to assume from his recent comments that its lyrical content will be political), but it does now have a title: Is This the Life We Really Want? The name was posted with a teaser video to Roger's social media pages (Facebook and Twitter), showing off, for at least part of one track, a pretty classic Floyd vibe. With his tour starting in May, more details are sure to come soon.
The Early Years box set
Posted by madhack on Jul 28, 2016
Another box set/collector's item was announced today in the form of Pink Floyd, The Early Years 1965-1972. The set contains 10 CDs, nine DVDs, eight Blu-Ray discs, five 7" vinyl records, and memorabilia including concert posters, flyers, tickets, and programs. Of course, Pink Floyd had no studio recordings before 1967, so presumably the 1965-1966 era is covered with that memorabilia.
For those unable or unwilling to purchase a huge box set at a huge box set price, a 2-CD release titled Cre/ation - The Early Years 1967-1972 will also be released. While some of the CD releases's recordings were previously available on various compilation albums, others, like those from the BBC Sessions, were previously available only as "bootlegs". Newly remastered versions of "Childhood's End", "Free Four", and "Stay" are also included, as is a very early predecessor to "Echoes" from its time as a multipart composition called "Nothing".
Both hit stores on November 11.
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