A Dream...

From the moment I saw Mark Knoffler live in Bangalore, I had but one regret - missing the Roger Waters concert. Ever since I had dreamt of being at a Pink Flowd show. Knowing that it was impossible, I hoped that I could catch up on a Gilmour show, at least.I knew it was mostly improbable, if not impossible. But I dreamt of it nonetheless. And here is my dream.

I am in Nuremberg. I wake up on a sunny Saturday morning. It is not much different from any other day. I make breakfast, watch a movie ("The Third Man"), make lunch. But wait a minute, this day is different. I have a ticket to a David Gilmour concert in Munich later that day. I must get there before I wake up to realize it was all just a dream. So, I race to the railway station and catch the train to Munich.

I am there at Konigsplatz (that is where the show is supposed to be) around 5:40 PM. But the show does not start till 7:30. What do I do ? I go to the souvenir shop and buy a David Gilmour T-Shirt. Around this time I have already woken up to the fact that I may not be as great a Pink Floyd fan as I always thought myself to be. (Better than waking up from the dream, though.) Half the people at the concert are wearing Pink Floyd T-Shirts. From the European Tour (1994), the North American Tour (1994), the Wall World Tour,the Dark Side tour, Pulse and a host of others. People old enough to have retired in India. People who grew up with Pink Floyd - not like me who grew up and then discovered Pink Floyd.

What the hell? I am at a David Gilmour concert. That must count for something? (In the mean time though I have drunk a couple of glassed of Weiss-beer.)

Dave hits the stage at 7:35. Along with Guy Pratt, Dick Parry, Phil Manzanera, Steve DiStanislao, Jon Carin and Rick Wright. Since, my dream takes place on the Saturday of 29th July it is just a day after Rick's birthday. So, the whole crowd gives him a standing ovation singing "Happy Birthday to You" along with David Gilmour.

Now let's get started with the songs. David starts of with Breathe, Time, Breathe Reprise. Followed by songs from his solo labum On an Island - Castellorizon, On An Island, The Blue, Red Sky At Night, This Heaven, Then I Close My Eyes, Smile, Take A Breath, A Pocketful Of Stones, Where We Start.

Then David takes a break for 15 minutes (he is speaking fluent German all the time and joking with the crowd occasionally - in English). I grab something to eat in this time. (God, I did not know I could get hungry in my dreams too !! What is wrong with me ?)

The second half starts with, what David called, "...More famous songs, or whatever that is supposed to mean...", Shine On. And then it starts raining. (I guess because of the oppressive heat wave in Germany lately, I have been craving for rain in my dreams as well.) That is when we all stand up. The entire crowd.It is still raining heavily. And Astronomy Divine begins with a wonderful laser show.Followed by David's tribute to Syd - Dark Globe and Fat Old Sun.

Then it is the turn of Coming Back to Life and High Hopes. The crowd is going crazy. It is now clear whatever the "...more famous songs are..."... What was that? A knockon the door? No, time for that - dream on...

Now it was time for the last three songs. Rick joined in with the vocals for Echoes - and they do the complete version. All of 23 minutes. The end was a reminiscence of Pulse. The exact same last two songs. David was joined by the whole crowd as the magical chords of Wish You Were Here played. And he ends with one of the greatest rock songs ever - Comfortably Numb. That's it. Then he bids adieu.

...that came true. Videos: 1 and 2.