Roger Waters: ‘About time’ I was Pink Floyd for a night

Roger Waters

Roger Waters says he accepted the invitation to play this month’s Desert Trip festival in California because it was time to be “Pink Floyd for a night.”

He played twice at the event, organised by Coachella boss Paul Tollett, delivering a set of classic tracks billed as The Best Of Pink Floyd.

But he’s suggested he was surprised that The Who appeared on the all-star bill.

Waters tells AP in the video below: “It was very cool. It was quite an honour to be included. I did Coachella in 2008 and ever since, Paul said, ‘You’ve got to come back.’ But a festival in the spring never seemed quite right.

“I met him again in Nashville when I was doing my opera there and he said, ‘What if we do something in the autumn, just a one-off?’ I never expected anything to come of it.”

Discussing the bill he says: “Rolling Stones, Beatles, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, Neil Young – and somehow The Who popped into the equation. Which is fantastic. I love The Who.”

And he adds: “I thought, ‘He’s asking me to be Pink Floyd for a night.’ Then I thought, ‘Why not? About time.’”

David Gilmour ended Floyd’s career in 2014 with the release of final album The Endless River. At the time, Waters called on those who still thought he was a member of the band to “get a grip,” adding: “I left 29 years ago. This is not rocket science, people.”

Waters will tour North America next year with a show including solo and Floyd material. He’s recently said: “Probably 75% of it will be old material and 25% will be new, but it will be all connected by a general theme. It will be a cool show, I promise you.”

Roger Waters 2017 Us + Them tour dates

May 26: Kansas City Sprint Center, MO
May 28: KFC Yum! Center, KY
May 30: St louis Scottrade Center, MO
Jun 01: Tulsa BOK Center, OK
Jun 03: Denver Pepsi Center, CO
Jun 07: San Jose SAP Center, CA
Jun 12: Sacramento Golden 1 Center, CA
Jun 14: Phoenix Gila River Arena, AZ
Jun 16: Las Vegas T-Mobile Arena, NV
Jun 20: Los Angeles Staples Center, CA
Jun 21: Los Angeles Staples Center, CA
Jun 24: Seattle Tacoma Dome, WA
Jul 03: Dallas American Airlines Center, TX
Jul 06: Houston Toyota Center, TX
Jul 11: Tampa Amalie Arena, FL
Jul 13: Miami American Airlines Arena, FL
Jul 16: Atlanta Infinite Energy Arena, GA
Jul 18: Greensboro Coliseum, NC
Jul 20: Columbus Nationwide Arena, OH
Jul 22: Chicago United Center, IL
Jul 23: Chicago United Center, IL
Jul 26: St paul Xcel Energy Center, MN
Aug 02: Detroit The Palace Of Auburn Hills, MI
Aug 04: Washington Verizon Center, DC
Aug 08: Philadelphia Wells Fargo Center, PA
Aug 09: Philadelphia Wells Fargo Center, PA
Sep 07: Newark Prudential Center, NJ
Sep 11: Brooklyn Barclays Center, NY
Sep 12: Brooklyn Barclays Center, NY
Sep 15: Uniondale Nassau Coliseum, NY
Sep 19: Pittsburgh PPG Paints Arena, PA
Sep 27: Boston TD Garden, MA
Sep 28: Boston TD Garden, MA
Oct 02: Toronto Air Canada Centre, ON
Oct 03: Toronto Air Canada Centre, ON
Oct 06: Quebec City Videotron Centre, QC
Oct 10: Ottawa Canadian Tire Centre, ON
Oct 16: Montreal Bell Centre, QC
Oct 24: Edmonton Rogers Place, AB
Oct 28: Vancouver Rogers Arena, BC

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