'David Gilmour: Live At Pompeii' screening in theaters for 1 night only in September
In my not-biased-in-the-least opinion, one of the greatest concert documentaries of all time is Pink Floyd : Live at Pompeii. Directed by Adrian Maban and initially released in 1972, the bulk of the documentary features Pink Floyd performing live to an empty ancient amphitheater in Pompeii in 1971. The documentary is also peppered with footage of the band performing in a Parisian television studio. However, the version of the film most people are familiar with was released in 1974 and features tons of additional footage of the band recording their eventual masterpiece The Dark Side of the Moon at Abby Road Studios as well as band interviews and footage of them at the Abby Road canteen. Using a full assemblage of all their touring gear at the time, the band tears through unbelievable renditions of “Echoes,” “Careful with That Axe Eugene,” “A Saucerful of Secrets,” “One of these Days,” “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun,” and “Mademoiselle Nobs” (which features the vocal accompaniments of a Borzoi). The documentary shows just how raw and meticulous the Floyd were as performers at an early and pivotal moment in their career (though, Nick Mason totally drops a drumstick during “One of These Days”). As with most other Pink Floyd releases, Pompeii got a director’s cut DVD re-release in 2003 and a 5.1 remix in 2016 which is only available on the Volume 6: 1972: Obfusc/ation portion of their Early Years box set.
When David Gilmour, the legendary voice and guitar of Pink Floyd, was on his Rattle That Lock tour back in 2016, he did a two-night stint at the very same amphitheater he and the Floyds played 45 years earlier. This time around, the amphitheater was festooned with the Floyd’s famous huge circular cyclorama screen, lasers, pyrotechnics, stellar performances from an all-star band, and a massive crowd. Luckily, he also had a film crew in tow who caught the performances in stunning 4K. The result is a new live concert experience called David Gilmour : Live At Pompeii which will be screened at 2000 cinemas worldwide for ONE NIGHT ONLY on September 13! New Yorkers have more than a few options to catch this sucker in the flesh as it will be screening at Landmark Sunshine Cinema, City Cinemas Village East, IPIC Theaters Fulton Market, Cinépolis Chelsea, AMC Empire 25, and City Cinemas East 86th. Use this website to find a screening location near you.
According to history, David Gilmour is the only performer to play to an audience in the arena since the time of the gladiators almost 2,000 years ago which is totally nuts (remember, the 1971 Floyd performances were to an empty amphitheater). The show will include songs from throughout Gilmour’s solo career including the title tracks of his two most recent solo albums Rattle That Lock and On An Island. Also included are other Pink Floyd classics such as “Wish You Were Here”, “Comfortably Numb” and “One Of These Days” as well as very special performances of “The Great Gig In The Sky” from The Dark Side Of The Moon, which David rarely plays as a solo artist. If this movie isn’t happening in your neighborhood and you want it to, DEMAND IT. See clips from the original Pompeii performances in 1971 below.
RELATED: Pink Floyd’s debut album made our 50 Best Psychedelic Rock Albums of the Summer of Love list, and David’s onetime bandmate Roger Waters is on tour now.
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