TICKET SCAN TO GO HERE

Capacity: 18,000

Concert starts: 8:00pm (to be confirmed)

Address of venue: 3930 W Century Blvd, Inglewood, CA 90303, United States. MAP

Website: intuitdome.com

COMMENTS

This latest addition to David's 2024 Luck and Strange live shows is this show in a venue that is undergoing the final stages of its construction, and it sounds a most interesting building. The architect, AECOM, notes that the "Intuit Dome will be naturally ventilated, fully electric through batteries and solar power with enough on-site energy storage to power a basketball game or concert, and have no net new greenhouse gas emissions."

To qualify for the pre-sale, which starts on June 12th at 10am local time, you need to sign up at DavidGilmour.com beforehand to get the pre-sale code. There's also a venue pre-sale which begins on June 13th at 10am local time.

Tickets will then go on general sale at 10am local time on Friday, June 14th, through this link at Ticketmaster.

WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD!

Do not read on if you don't want surprises to be spoilt, regarding what the band played!

Night fifteen of the tour, and the first of four nights in Los Angeles, albeit there's just the one show in this new venue, only open a couple of months, as the other three are at the iconic Hollywood Bowl.

Reports are that the performance throughout was yet again superb, and proved an audio and visual treat! The venue has a lot of its own screens, and these seemed to be used to good effect, including showing the album artwork, and one large screen just having the Luck and Strange Man - very impactful. There were no changes to the set list, which isn't totally surprising but can never be counted out.

We'd love to know in more detail how the concert went. Did you go? Let us know what YOU thought!

CONCERT REVIEW and PICTURES by BD CONTRIBUTOR, THEATRICE WESTBROOK

This would be my second David Gilmour solo show, 40 years apart. Full-circle moments. Both were at new venues: First, Irvine Meadows in 1984, then only 3 years old. This one at Intuit Dome, brand-spanking-new at 2 months. This show also took place exactly two years after the last Floyd-related show I saw, Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets.

Events simultaneously taking place in Los Angeles were the World Series and Lakers openers, USC football, and events occurring in the same area of Inglewood (at SoFi Stadium and The Forum, both next door). So, there were some kinks getting there and inside, from navigating traffic, to offsite contracted parking with no attendant to verify our parking passes (wondering if our cars would be towed), to the ticketless venue entry. I didn’t have much time left to walk around and marvel at the technological wonder of the place due to the logistics of just getting there.

All staff I encountered were helpful. I had a great seat in Club Section. “Club” means just that: you had to enter through a club, with full bar and eatery. You need to re-scan your ticket for entry. Seating was comfortable, at least in the Club Section. My view of the stage was perfect. There appeared to be a steep rake up to the top levels, as I have seen in online videos. (The arena is worth checking out online, a true achievement.)

A giant stage was erected. I checked out the action onstage with a monocular scope, saw roadies and Phil Taylor in action, and a new Mr Screen with no lights. This would be a slightly different visual than us Floydheads were used to. The show was paced with Pink Floyd classic stuff early on (wise move), sprinkled in between, and at the end. The new stuff is really excellent. The band played in top form. Gilmour’s vocals were back up to snuff as well, from the bit of a rough start at the beginning of the tour. Sound was incredible, loud yet clear.

After “Time/Breathe (Reprise)”, I heard the couple behind me who were really into it. They were a bit younger than me. The guy remarked, “He’s part of a dying breed. They don’t make ‘em like that anymore!” That really rang true to me, as the bell tolls.

Romany was introduced late. I initially thought she was out sick before her intro to “Vita Brevis.” Romany has good stage presence. She played the miniature harp (harp mini or portable harp), sang background, and played percussion. (Honestly, I was surprised she would be singing most of the show with the seasoned veterans.)

I was so impressed by the display of talents onstage, with several multi-instrumentalists. Greg Phillinganes is a heavy hitter (and vocalist). He’s one of the musicians of whom, when I see him in a lineup, I know I’m in for a musical adventure.

Guy Pratt, of course, on many basses - and he and Greg have great voices. Watching him onstage - and online, on video, and on screen - it was clear to me that he was not only the veteran of the group, but also the cheerleader of sorts, for lack of a better word. He was somewhat the same with “The Saucers” (as the Brits say), with Gary Kemp also acting in tandem. Guy moves and jumps around a bit onstage, upbeat, interacting with his bandmates.

Keyboardist Rob Gentry has a quirky presence, as stated on the “Luck and Strange Making of” video. But he fit the bill, transmitting his new album contributions and the classic stuff, working up his magic onstage. He used both old-school stuff (Hammond B-3 and Wurlitzer) as well as new stuff.

One of the biggest surprises I found (online first of course, before the show) was Louise Marshall sitting at a piano to play and sing 2 songs. It was still a rush to see it live.

Second guitarist Ben Worsley was part of the “Spinal Tap” crew - as I personally note here with some reverence - with several guitar changes, also playing lap steel on a few tunes. (Note: The film “This Is Spinal Tap”, originally a satire of rock musicians, was taken as a confessional and/or a jab at themselves. Partly due to the movie’s classic, genre-defining status, now it is seen as a revered point of reference.) Background vocalists The Webb Sisters also played multiple instruments. Hattie Webb played harp and percussion; Charley Webb on guitar and percussion, ukulele on “The Piper’s Call”, and acoustic guitar on “Scattered.”

Drummer Adam Betts is a big guy behind the skins. He hit with power. But watching him through my scope, he had some ‘smooth’, some finesse, and he did Nick’s parts justice. This contrast brings to mind Steve Jordan with The Rolling Stones: a bit more power vs the finesse of Charlie Watts. Same here, a bit more power vs the “Nick Mason” of Nick Mason, and vs the finesse of CSN and Gilmour drummer Steve diStanislao. For me no preference, all sounded great. (And I have had the privilege of seeing all of them live.)

Lights and staging were off the hook, in Floyd tradition. I read recently the lighting designer was Marc Brickman. No wonder. Older types of effects (lasers and fog) and newer ones were used. The overhead array in the lighting matrix created raining effects in different colors and coordinated patterns. Coupled with the powerful lights ringing the stage perimeter on “Sorrow” and “Comfortably Numb” creating a lighted box or cage effect, the visual often became intensely dramatic. The cage effect optics were particularly sci-fi. Though Mr Screen’s lights were missed, these were impressive substitutes.

Lots of fog. At first it was a “bit of smoke”; by intermission and end of show, it was clear the arena was “bombed” - visually (and sonically) by David Gilmour, band and crew.

Highlights were many, will attempt to pick out a few. “Breathe/Time” in the opening was such a hit of mastery, nostalgia, a bit of spectacle, and groove. Ian Emes’ forever enduring clock animation was in full effect.

We got the rarity “Marooned” this tour, with that otherworldly Whammy guitar solo. A fresh touch and exceptional find were added for “The Great Gig in The Sky” and “A Boat Lies Waiting”, exposing the talent of Louise Marshall on grand piano, and with the rearrangement of the former, reminiscent of Roger Waters’ reboot of “Dark Side of The Moon.”

“A Boat Lies Waiting” was unexpectedly moving. The performance was on point. I noticed Guy through my scope wiping his face, not sure if it was sweat or tears. Either way, I really felt this one.

“High Hopes” - This song had grown on me after watching the “Pulse” video, and particularly after seeing The Australian Pink Floyd Show and Brit Floyd perform it live. Always a highlight in any show it’s performed. And there were lots of balloons. The Intuit Dome holds around 3x more persons than Royal Albert Hall so, as with the smoke effect, it appeared they needed to make sure there were enough. (There were enough, and perhaps more.)

“Sorrow” - Speaking of smoke…. At some points there was no band visible onstage, only a bright rainbow fog constantly strobed-out, changing color and intensity, a brilliant effect.

Both “A Great Day For Freedom” and “In Any Tongue” were played, neither of which I had ever seen performed live. These are two of my favorite Floyd / Gilmour tracks, as topical today as when they were written.

“In Any Tongue” is sad and powerful. The song is actually part of the story fulfilling the prescience of AGDFF. Sadly, both these pieces still ring loudly true.

Of particular note were new tracks “Scattered”, “Dark and Velvet Nights”, and “Vita Brevis/“Between Two Points.” (In spite of its title, I wish “Vita Brevis” was longer.) “Dark and Velvet Nights” artwork by Julie Soboleva on the big screen was striking. This song jammed with a bluesy/R&B groove, with the ‘bang-bang-bang-bang’ parts fully intact. Greg attempted to get some audience participation (waving his hand in the air!) Too bad the audience was still not as familiar with the new songs.

“Scattered” was a show-stopper - the show-stopper, on album and in concert. Musically and effects-wise, even moreso than the encore, in my humble opinion, but for one extra encore touch.

I kinda get the impression the encore “Comfortably Numb” is a bit perfunctory for Gilmour, yet it still ends up as a spectacular finale. The backing vocalists all danced to their own rhythm during the solo, with Romany rocking out, as has become her thing. The mirrorball effect was accompanied by the Intuit Dome in-seat lighting, activated when the front-rig overhead lights hit the ball. Most of the seats in the arena were lit as part of the effect, unique to this venue. If at all possible, this elevated the climactic proceedings. ‘Spectacular’ is an inadequate description.

After the show I stayed for a minute and watched the crew begin to break down that enormous stage. (David acknowledged his crew during the show.) The couple behind me were kind enough to take a pic of me with the stage and I spoke briefly with the guy about the remark he made after “Time” was played. I checked out as much of the venue as I could on the way out, found merch lines now way too long. I had no desire to hang out due to next day travel plans. Worked through the crowds, made my way to the parking lot which had dodgy conditions, and found our cars were still there!

In 1984 I got to see several pivotal musicians in David Gilmour’s band. That show was an alternative to large spectacle shows (though Irvine Meadows was still a large venue). It’s easier for me to afford concert tickets now than back then, though exorbitantly priced with little regulation and oversight of ticket brokers (at least in the US), hopefully to change in the near future. (Note: Our recent election results have dampened that hope.)

Since there is no more Pink Floyd, the solo tours have become the spectacles, aided by advances in technology. As there is always some level of spectacle associated with The Floyd, this show was no exception. Though it has become more and more difficult to even navigate to a concert due to all the added trials and tribulations (and technology, which is here to stay), it was still an immensely fulfilling experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONCERT PICTURES by BD CONTRIBUTOR, KEVIN S

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONCERT PICTURES by BD CONTRIBUTOR, TONY RAPATA of our sister site A Fleeting Glimpse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

YOUR HELP NEEDED! We want to cover David's concerts the best we can, to share the experience with everyone, especially those who won't be able to attend the shows. We'd love to see ANY pictures, tickets scans, reviews, newspaper reports, and anything else you come across for this show - we look forward to hearing from you!