Posted on 06/12/2005 1:09:02 PM PDT by HAL9000
LONDON - Organizers of the London Live 8 concert said Sunday that the original members of the British rock band Pink Floyd would perform at the July event for the first time in more than two decades.Guitarist David Gilmour, drummer Nick Mason, bass player Roger Waters and keyboard player Richard Wright have not performed on stage together since 1981.
The group, which achieved major success with their 1973 album "Dark Side Of The Moon," will join musical acts including Elton John, Madonna, Paul McCartney and Coldplay at the anti-poverty concert in Hyde Park on July 2.
"Like most people I want to do everything I can to persuade the G-8 leaders to make huge commitments to the relief of poverty and increased aid to the third world," Gilmour said.
"It's crazy that America gives such a paltry percentage of its GNP to the starving nations."
Waters, the group's founder, split with the rest of the band after a falling-out in the 1980s.
"Any squabbles Roger and the band have had in the past are so petty in this context, and if re-forming for this concert will help focus attention then it's going to be worthwhile," Gilmour said.
All in all, just another socialist on the wall.
You do know they're not American don't you?
Until Gilmore "gives" all his $122 million to charity and gives up the limo, tax breaks, 4 star hotels, and all those other comfort amenities for those "free concerts" he should shut his pretentious a$$ up.
BTW, exactly which tax breaks are you talking about. I have to admit that I'm not familiar with British tax laws, but I seem to recall that they're far more confiscatory than ours.
Gilmore's ignorant babble should be attacked to the fullest extent, Americans are dying so he can have the freedom to play. For this Gilmore repays spilt blood so he can play the rich man activist, how noble, Waters included.
And this has exactly what to do with anything? Are you saying that he doesn't have a right to say anything about anything, as long as Americans are dying for him to have that freedom? You know, this is one of the dumbest things I've read on FR in some time... You saying this is like those idiots who say "Men shouldn't have an opinion on abortion..." or how they try to shut Rush up because he's now a very rich man, so he can't speak for "the common man."
Face it, you know nothing about the guy, other than the fact that he's a whole lot richer than you are, and I think that it's your envy of his money, position, and possibly even his talent that has you in such a hissy fit.
Do I agree with his politics? I can't say for sure, because David Gilmour hasn't really done a whole lot of interviews where he spouts off about politics. As for Waters, absolutley not, but then he's an admitted socialist. However, I do laud him for his admirable work with charities. And by the way, his associations with charities brings them additional funds and services. So even if he wasn't donating anything, simply by lending his name to the different charity groups he works with is doing them some good.
Mark
venom? You sure are projecting a lot. I guess you've never criticized any thing about our government or Great Britain? Frankly, I think we make too much about what rock and movie stars say. Who really cares?
While it has nothing to do with Syd's sorry state, I am also fond of:
You have to be trusted,
By the people that you lie to,
So that when they turn their backs on you,
You'll get the chance to put the knife in.
By the way I live pretty comfortable (Have not punched a time clock in over a year) so the envy angle does not apply. I hope Gilmore makes as much $$$ as he possibly can, it is his stance and America not "giving" enough I have a problem with while ignoring the root cause.
Maybe he addresses the root causes, the article does not say but it is certainly not Americans lack of giving.
Interview with Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy:
Where do you stand on this Iraq issue? Which side of the line are you on?
Portnoy: I don’t know if there’s such a thing as pro-war? But, if there is that’s me. I mean, nobody wants to go to war, nobody wants to see innocent people killed, but it seems to me that a lot of Americans are quickly forgetting the impact and the outcome of what happened on 9-11. We still have yet to really finish the job. I’m all for doing whatever it takes to get this world back to way it should be. We have to get rid of these people that are making this world full of the threat of terrorism. Whatever it takes to get the job done. I’m supportive of getting it done.
What do you think of all these protesters that are protesting this war?
Portnoy: I think those people have a very short attention span. They should go and rent one of these 9-11 documentaries or something for a quick reminder of what happened to us and what still needs to be done to shape this world back into a normal life without fear.
http://www.blistering.com/fastpage/fpengine.php/link/1/templateid/4774/tempidx/5/menuid/3
If some people had their way I wouldn't be reading, listening to, buying, or eating anything that wasn't approved by them. Maybe we should stop buying anything where any employee, no matter how minor, disagrees with us.
As to seeing PF again, I'd go too.
Way to go Dave. 25 years of waiting for Pink Floyd to reunite and you kill the buzz within 5 seconds. Kissing Roger's miserable butt, I presume?
I assumed the Live 8 gig would be nothing but a USA-bashing hate-fest, but Gilmour being the first to fire away is depressing.
From Roger (misery merchant par excellence, hater and lifelong critic of all things American -- except his Hamptons mansion) I'd expect this, not Dave.
Nick's too busy with his 85 vintage race cars, and Rick's probably still yachting around the Greek islands high on coke, so both could not be reached for their comments on America's cheapness.
/huge Floyd fan, but 25 years ago is 25 years ago.
Pure ignorance. The reason that the U.S. Government gives less of a percentage of it's GNP is that the U.S. Government controls so little of the GNP due to our low tax rate. In real dollar amounts, the U.S. Government is the most generous around the world.
If you measure private donations as well as Government funding, the U.S. is the leader when comparing percent of GNP to aid. The fact is that these people only look at Government giving and ignore private giving. And that is the real tragedy.
The American government may give a small percentage of GNP (but still a large amount), but that never includes private donations by individuals, companies, and organizations, which is quite generous.
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