msc you have nothing to say?
I had no idea the band had two drummers playing simulaneously at their concerts.
Q. Did the "side" musicians such as the other lead guitarist, 2nd drummer, sax stay with the band for years and years or was it a bit of a revolver? Same question for the three singing girls. Who are very good dancers by the way, like how they sway to the music.
Ok here goes, I saw Pulse, which featured material from The Division Bell at the Rose Bowl in 1995, as good as it was, it wasn't as good IMO as Delicate Sound of Thunder, which I saw in New York in 1987. I feel the same way about the DVD's Pulse in fact doesn't come close to Thunder in that Thunder plays in to the Floyd's surealism in its production far more than Pulse. Additionally, Durga Mcbroom is the only female vocalist left from Thunder, Rachel Fury and Margret Taylors vocal on Thunder were waaay better, the performance they give on Great Gig in the Sky has to be heard to be believed, BTW Clare Torry, one of their producer's wife, did the original vocals for Dark Side, she was as session singer and she successfully sued the band for back royalties because they only paid her something like 60 pounds for her work.
Tim Renwick, I'm assuming you're talking about him when you mention second lead guitarist, has played with the band when they tour since around 1970, he was a childhood friend of Roger Waters and Syd Barret, he went to school with them. He actually played the original acoustic for the album for Wish You Were Here but they eventually used the track David Gilmour laid down. He has been involved either musically or as a mixer and consultant on all their albums since Meddle (1971).
Gary Wallis has played that ultra radical standup drum set since Momentary Lapse of Reason and toured with them on Thunder to promote Reason. One of the Reason they use him live is because, quite frankly, Nick Mason isn't what you would call a great drummer, especially live.
Durga McBroom is from Cali toured in 1987 for Thunder and for Pulse, her esister Lorelei has also toured with the band. Rachel Fury, the ultra sexy singer David Gilmour flirts with on the Thunder DVD, has performed with the band since Momentary Lapse of Reason, and supposedly had an affair with Gilmour
Guy Pratt, their touring bassist since Roger Waters left the band, is married to Floyd keyboardist Rick Wright's daughter and has toured with the band since Thunder, as has Jon Carin, their second keyboardist.
Scott Page played guitar and sax for Supertramp before touring with the Floyd, and like all these other musicians, has performed live with other bands and done a lot of session work for bands besides the Floyd. When you have been around for over 40 years, (Piper at the Gates of Dawn came out in 1967), you definately go through session and touring artists. That the band itself has stayed essentially intact, less Barret, who was removed in 1968, and Waters, who left the band in (he says he disolved the band) in 1985, is in itself an amazing accomplishment, only the Stones have demonstrated such staying power.
Personally, I think Live at Pompeii was a bit of a disappointment, and I still kick myself for not getting tickets to The Wall when I had a chance to do so back in the 70's, but if you want to see a superbly produced live DVD, you must check out Delicate Sound of Thunder.
These are my thoughts in microcosm of the second greatest band to ever step on a stage, not terrific musicians even by their own admission, excepting David Gilmour, an exceptional guitarist, but incredible songwriters, arrangers, and session recorders.
