When David Gilmour walks onto a stage, it’s more than a concert—it’s a communion. At Madison Square Garden in May 2024, the legendary Pink Floyd guitarist proved once again why he remains one of the most revered musicians of the last half-century. This wasn’t a nostalgia act coasting on the fumes of past glory. It was a masterclass in musical storytelling, where every note felt deliberate, every solo painted in color, and every pause filled with decades of meaning. As a lifelong fan of both Pink Floyd and Gilmour’s solo work, I approached this show with towering expectations, and yet he managed to surpass them at nearly every turn.
The Opening: A Measured Arrival
The night began in near darkness, with the soft, cinematic strains of “5 A.M.” washing over the arena. It’s a song that feels like a quiet sunrise, all shimmering guitar lines and patient build. Gilmour’s tone—clean, pristine, and unmistakably his own—filled the Garden with a calm anticipation. This was a reminder that he’s never been about bombast for its own sake; his genius lies in restraint, in letting silence breathe before unleashing a storm.
From there, he slid into “Black Cat,” one of the new tracks that immediately showed how comfortable he remains pushing into fresh territory. The groove was slinky and mysterious, a subtle departure from his more melodic comfort zone. The audience, many of whom came for the Floyd classics, embraced it warmly. Gilmour rewarded that openness with “Luck and Strange,” another recent cut that blended the introspective textures of his solo career with echoes of The Division Bell-era Floyd.
A Return to the Dreamscape
Then came the first seismic shift of the evening. As the familiar heartbeats of “Speak to Me” rumbled through the sound system, a ripple of excitement moved through the crowd. This wasn’t just a Pink Floyd song—it was the portal into The Dark Side of the Moon, one of the most important albums in rock history. Without missing a beat, Gilmour and his impeccable band transitioned into “Breathe (In the Air)”, his voice carrying the warmth of a seasoned storyteller.
The segue into “Time” was met with thunderous applause, the opening clock chimes eliciting goosebumps from every corner of the arena. As Gilmour sang about the fleeting nature of existence, his guitar solo cut through with aching clarity. Few players can make an instrument cry quite like Gilmour, and in this moment he reminded everyone why his name is synonymous with emotion-drenched precision. The short but powerful “Breathe (Reprise)” served as the perfect coda, a gentle landing after the storm.
Digging Deeper Into the Catalog
One of the night’s most pleasant surprises was “Fat Old Sun,” a deep cut from Atom Heart Mother. This pastoral gem doesn’t often make setlists, but it remains one of Gilmour’s favorite showcases for clean guitar lines and subtle vocal phrasing. The crowd listened with a reverent hush before erupting in appreciation as he stretched the outro into a swirling jam.
The instrumental “Marooned,” from The Division Bell, followed—a soaring, wordless meditation that felt tailor-made for the Garden’s cavernous acoustics. Gilmour’s slide guitar floated like a beam of light across the arena, proving that he can communicate as much without lyrics as most singers can with an entire book of words.
Newer material continued with “A Single Spark,” a haunting, almost cinematic piece that highlighted his enduring ability to craft melodies that feel eternal. Then came the first of the evening’s communal moments: “Wish You Were Here.” As Gilmour strummed the opening chords, the audience sang nearly every word, turning the arena into a cathedral of shared memory. After the song, he took a moment to introduce the band—each member receiving a warm ovation from a crowd that understood the caliber of musicianship on display.
Family, Legacy, and the Beauty of Collaboration
The next portion of the set brought something truly special. Gilmour invited his daughter, Romany Gilmour, to join him for “Vita Brevis” and a gorgeous cover of “Between Two Points” by The Montgolfier Brothers. Her ethereal vocals intertwined with his guitar work, creating a fragile, otherworldly atmosphere. It was a touching reminder that music is a family affair for Gilmour, and seeing father and daughter share the stage was a highlight that added an intimate layer to an otherwise grand evening.
The first set closed with “High Hopes,” a modern Pink Floyd masterpiece that resonates as deeply now as it did in 1994. The tolling bells, the lyrics about loss and change, and Gilmour’s mournful slide solo combined to create an atmosphere of bittersweet reflection. The crowd roared as the final notes rang out, signaling the end of a stunning first act.
Set Two: Darkness and Light
After a brief intermission, the band returned with “Sorrow,” one of the heaviest songs in the Floyd catalog. The opening guitar swells sounded like a thunderstorm breaking over the Garden, and Gilmour’s solo was pure controlled fury. It was a statement piece, proving that age has done nothing to dull his edge.
New track “The Piper’s Call” followed, its haunting melody weaving effortlessly into “A Great Day for Freedom,” a song that still feels painfully relevant in a fractured world. Gilmour’s voice carried a weary hope, a plea for humanity to rise above its divisions.
The emotional core of the second set came with “In Any Tongue,” one of his most powerful solo compositions. The song’s anti-war message was underscored by a blistering guitar solo that left the audience in stunned silence before they erupted in applause.
Then came a stripped-down version of “The Great Gig in the Sky,” reimagined without the iconic wailing vocals but no less transcendent. Instead of operatic flourishes, Gilmour and his band delivered a meditative instrumental that emphasized the song’s spiritual core.
The mood softened with “A Boat Lies Waiting,” a tribute to the late Richard Wright, before Gilmour dedicated “Coming Back to Life” to his wife and lyricist, Polly Samson. His gratitude for their partnership was palpable, and the song’s soaring solo felt like a love letter in sound.
The set continued with three new pieces—“Dark and Velvet Nights,” “Sings,” and “Scattered.” Each revealed different facets of Gilmour’s artistry: the first brooding and atmospheric, the second delicate and melodic, and the third a sprawling, multi-sectioned epic that served as a fitting capstone to the second act.
The Inevitable Climax
Of course, no David Gilmour show would be complete without “Comfortably Numb,” and the encore delivered exactly that. The crowd erupted the moment the first notes rang out, and for the next several minutes, the Garden became a cathedral of sound. Gilmour’s solo—easily one of the most famous in rock history—was both faithful to the original and alive with fresh improvisation. His fingers seemed to channel something beyond technique, beyond music itself. It was pure emotion, a transmission of human experience through six strings and a lifetime of mastery.
The Band Behind the Magic
It’s impossible to talk about this night without acknowledging the brilliance of Gilmour’s band. Their ability to navigate decades of material, from the intricate layers of Pink Floyd classics to the subtle textures of new compositions, was nothing short of extraordinary. Every player understood the delicate balance between precision and freedom that defines Gilmour’s music.
Reflections on a Career Still in Motion
What struck me most about this concert was how forward-looking it felt. Yes, the Pink Floyd songs were there—beautiful, powerful, and lovingly rendered—but they weren’t museum pieces. They were living, breathing works of art, seamlessly sharing space with new material that stood proudly beside them. Gilmour isn’t content to be a caretaker of the past; he’s still creating, still exploring, still searching for the perfect note.
At 78 years old, David Gilmour continues to do what he has always done: make music that defies time, genre, and expectation. Watching him perform at Madison Square Garden wasn’t just a chance to revisit the soundtrack of my youth; it was a reminder that great art never stops evolving. As the final echoes of “Comfortably Numb” faded into the rafters, I felt the same awe I did the first time I heard Wish You Were Here as a teenager.
This wasn’t just a concert. It was a masterclass in how to age gracefully as an artist, how to honor a legacy without becoming trapped by it, and how to keep reaching for something transcendent even after you’ve already touched the sky.
Setlist
Set 1:
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5 A.M.
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Black Cat
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Luck and Strange
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Speak to Me (Pink Floyd)
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Breathe (In the Air) (Pink Floyd)
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Time (Pink Floyd)
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Breathe (Reprise) (Pink Floyd)
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Fat Old Sun (Pink Floyd)
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Marooned (Pink Floyd)
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A Single Spark
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Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd)
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Vita Brevis (with Romany Gilmour)
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Between Two Points (The Montgolfier Brothers cover) (with Romany Gilmour)
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High Hopes (Pink Floyd)
Set 2:
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Sorrow (Pink Floyd)
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The Piper’s Call
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A Great Day for Freedom (Pink Floyd)
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In Any Tongue
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The Great Gig in the Sky (Pink Floyd, stripped-down version)
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A Boat Lies Waiting
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Coming Back to Life (Pink Floyd)
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Dark and Velvet Nights
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Sings
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Scattered
Encore:
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Comfortably Numb (Pink Floyd)
Closing Thoughts
Walking out of Madison Square Garden that night, I felt an overwhelming gratitude—for the music, for the memories, and for the rare privilege of seeing a true legend still at the height of his powers. David Gilmour doesn’t just play guitar; he speaks through it, telling stories that words alone could never capture. And in May 2024, those stories resonated louder and clearer than ever.