Pink Floyd to reunite at "Live 8" concert
Former member Roger Waters will join band

Roger Waters will reunite with Pink Floyd at the "Live 8" concert in London, July 2.

"Live 8" is being organized by "Live Aid" organizer Sir Bob Geldof and Midge Ure (Ultravox) to help fight African poverty. The London concert, to be held in Hyde Park, is one of five to take place simultaneously around the world to encourage people to put pressure on the G8 nations to increase African aid and forgive the debt of African nations.

Waters left the band in a bitter split following 1983's "The Final Cut" album. The remaining members — guitarist David Gilmour, drummer Nick Mason and keyboardist Rick Wright — continued to record and tour as Pink Floyd.

"Like most people I want to do everything I can to persuade the G8 leaders to make huge commitments to the relief of poverty and increased aid to the third world," Gilmour told Reuters.

"Any squabbles Roger and the band have had in the past are so petty in this context, and if reforming for this concert will help focus attention then it's got to be worthwhile."

The band has not appeared with Waters since they played Earl's Court in London in 1981. Floyd without Waters has not performed publicly since their North American tour following "The Division Bell" album (1994), which was their most recent album of original material. Performances from that tour composed the live "Pulse" album (1995).

The "Live 8" reunion is reminiscent of a statement made by Mason, who was quoted by the U.K. Daily Express on Aug. 7, 2002, as saying, ""I like the idea of reforming for something enormously worthwhile, such as another Live Aid or its equivalent."

There have been scant few partial reunions in recent years. On June 26, 2002, Mason joined Waters on stage for "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" at Wembley Arena in London. The surprise reunion was the first occasion Waters appeared on stage with any member of Floyd since he left the group.

Wright joined Gilmour on stage during Gilmour's January 2002 concert at the Royal Festival Hall, London.

Gilmour has recently made many discouraging remarks regarding any possible patch-up with Waters. "Pink Floyd, to be honest, is the furthest thing from my mind at the moment," Gilmour told Reuter's on Oct. 7, 2002.

Gilmour and Waters coming to terms is often cited as the most important and difficult hurtle to any Floyd reunion.

Fans must apply for tickets to the London "Live 8" show by midnight June 12 by text-messaging an answer to a multiple-choice question. Seventy-five thousand tickets will be given away at random to people who submit the correct answer.

(Thanks to Col A from Stalybridge, UK, for the heads up. Got a tip to share? Email us.)

(June 12, 2005)

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Updated: Nov. 6, 2007

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