Tag Archive for "Steve DiStanislao" tag

Release date: 15 22 September 2008 (Europe), 16 23 September 2008 (North America).

Available formats (for the basics in table form, please click here):

- Two-disc version: Two CDs. Packaged in a gatefold card sleeve with 12-page booklet.

Disc One: ‘Speak To Me’, ‘Breathe’, ‘Time’, ‘Breathe (Reprise)’, ‘Castellorizon’, ‘On an Island’, ‘The Blue’, ‘Red Sky at Night’, ‘This Heaven’, ‘Then I Close My Eyes’, ‘Smile’, ‘Take a Breath’, ‘A Pocketful of Stones’, ‘Where We Start’. Disc Two: ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’, ‘Astronomy Domine’, ‘Fat Old Sun’, ‘High Hopes’, ‘Echoes’, ‘Wish You Were Here’, ‘A Great Day For Freedom’, ‘Comfortably Numb’. Recorded live in GdaÅ„sk, 26 August 2006.

- Three-disc version: Two CDs, one DVD. Packaged in a gatefold card sleeve with 12-page booklet.

Disc One: ‘Speak To Me’, ‘Breathe’, ‘Time’, ‘Breathe (Reprise)’, ‘Castellorizon’, ‘On an Island’, ‘The Blue’, ‘Red Sky at Night’, ‘This Heaven’, ‘Then I Close My Eyes’, ‘Smile’, ‘Take a Breath’, ‘A Pocketful of Stones’, ‘Where We Start’. Disc Two: ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’, ‘Astronomy Domine’, ‘Fat Old Sun’, ‘High Hopes’, ‘Echoes’, ‘Wish You Were Here’, ‘A Great Day For Freedom’, ‘Comfortably Numb’. Recorded live in GdaÅ„sk, 26 August 2006.

DVD includes 114 minutes of concert footage, plus a 36-minute documentary. Tracks on the DVD are: the complete ‘On an Island’ album, ‘A Great Day For Freedom’, ‘Astronomy Domine’, ‘Comfortably Numb’, ‘Echoes’ and ‘High Hopes’. Recorded live in GdaÅ„sk, 26 August 2006.

This DVD also includes a web pass to download 12 bonus live tracks from other concerts from the ‘On an Island’ tour – free: ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’ (Venice, 12 August 2006), ‘Dominoes’ (Paris, 15 March 2006), ‘The Blue’ (Vienne, 31 July 2006), ‘Take a Breath’ (Munich, 29 July 2006), ‘Wish You Were Here’ (Glasgow, 27 May 2006), ‘Coming Back To Life’ (Florence, 2 August 2006), ‘Find The Cost of Freedom’ (Manchester, 26 May 2006), ‘This Heaven’ (Vienne, 31 July 2006), ‘On The Turning Away’ (Venice, 12 August 2006), ‘Wearing The Inside Out’ (Milan, 25 March 2006), ‘A Pocketful of Stones’ (Vienne, 31 July 2006), ‘Where We Start’ (Vienne, 31 July 2006).

- Four-disc version: Two CDs, two DVDs. Packaged in a gatefold card sleeve with 12-page booklet.

Disc One: ‘Speak To Me’, ‘Breathe’, ‘Time’, ‘Breathe (Reprise)’, ‘Castellorizon’, ‘On an Island’, ‘The Blue’, ‘Red Sky at Night’, ‘This Heaven’, ‘Then I Close My Eyes’, ‘Smile’, ‘Take a Breath’, ‘A Pocketful of Stones’, ‘Where We Start’. Disc Two:
‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’, ‘Astronomy Domine’, ‘Fat Old Sun’, ‘High Hopes’, ‘Echoes’, ‘Wish You Were Here’, ‘A Great Day For Freedom’, ‘Comfortably Numb’. Recorded live in GdaÅ„sk, 26 August 2006.

DVD includes 114 minutes of concert footage, plus a 36-minute documentary. Tracks on the DVD are: the complete ‘On an Island’ album, ‘A Great Day For Freedom’, ‘Astronomy Domine’, ‘Comfortably Numb’, ‘Echoes’ and ‘High Hopes’. Recorded live in GdaÅ„sk, 26 August 2006.

This DVD also includes a web pass to download 12 bonus live tracks from other concerts from the ‘On an Island’ tour – free: ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’ (Venice, 12 August 2006), ‘Dominoes’ (Paris, 15 March 2006), ‘The Blue’ (Vienne, 31 July 2006), ‘Take a Breath’ (Munich, 29 July 2006), ‘Wish You Were Here’ (Glasgow, 27 May 2006), ‘Coming Back To Life’ (Florence, 2 August 2006), ‘Find The Cost of Freedom’ (Manchester, 26 May 2006), ‘This Heaven’ (Vienne, 31 July 2006), ‘On The Turning Away’ (Venice, 12 August 2006), ‘Wearing The Inside Out’ (Milan, 25 March 2006), ‘A Pocketful of Stones’ (Vienne, 31 July 2006), ‘Where We Start’ (Vienne, 31 July 2006).

The second DVD includes a 5.1 surround-sound mix of the ‘On an Island’ album, three new Barn jams (recorded January 2007) and the following audio-visual tracks: ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’, ‘Wearing The Inside Out’ and ‘Comfortably Numb’ (from the Mermaid Theatre, 7 March 2006), ‘On an Island’ and ‘High Hopes’ (from the AOL Sessions, April 2006) and ‘The Blue’, ‘Take a Breath’ and ‘Echoes’ (from ‘Live from Abbey Road’, August 2006).

- Five-disc version/Deluxe: Three CDs, two DVDs. Boxed, with 20-page booklet and tour memorabilia.

Disc One: ‘Speak To Me’, ‘Breathe’, ‘Time’, ‘Breathe (Reprise)’, ‘Castellorizon’, ‘On an Island’, ‘The Blue’, ‘Red Sky at Night’, ‘This Heaven’, ‘Then I Close My Eyes’, ‘Smile’, ‘Take a Breath’, ‘A Pocketful of Stones’, ‘Where We Start’. Disc Two:
‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’, ‘Astronomy Domine’, ‘Fat Old Sun’, ‘High Hopes’, ‘Echoes’, ‘Wish You Were Here’, ‘A Great Day For Freedom’, ‘Comfortably Numb’. Recorded live in GdaÅ„sk, 26 August 2006.

Bonus CD has 12 live tracks from other concerts from the ‘On an Island’ tour: ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’ (Venice, 12 August 2006), ‘Dominoes’ (Paris, 15 March 2006), ‘The Blue’ (Vienne, 31 July 2006), ‘Take a Breath’ (Munich, 29 July 2006), ‘Wish You Were Here’ (Glasgow, 27 May 2006), ‘Coming Back To Life’ (Florence, 2 August 2006), ‘Find The Cost of Freedom’ (Manchester, 26 May 2006), ‘This Heaven’ (Vienne, 31 July 2006), ‘On The Turning Away’ (Venice, 12 August 2006), ‘Wearing The Inside Out’ (Milan, 25 March 2006), ‘A Pocketful of Stones’ (Vienne, 31 July 2006), ‘Where We Start’ (Vienne, 31 July 2006).

DVD includes 114 minutes of concert footage, plus a 36-minute documentary. Tracks on the DVD are: the complete ‘On an Island’ album, ‘A Great Day For Freedom’, ‘Astronomy Domine’, ‘Comfortably Numb’, ‘Echoes’ and ‘High Hopes’. Recorded live in GdaÅ„sk, 26 August 2006.

The second DVD includes a 5.1 surround-sound mix of the ‘On an Island’ album, three new Barn jams and the following audio-visual tracks: ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’, ‘Wearing The Inside Out’ and ‘Comfortably Numb’ (from the Mermaid Theatre, 7 March 2006), ‘On an Island’ and ‘High Hopes’ (from the AOL Sessions, April 2006) and ‘The Blue’, ‘Take a Breath’ and ‘Echoes’ (from ‘Live from Abbey Road’, August 2006).

Memorabilia consists of: a reproduction postcard, ticket, backstage pass and artist’s pass; a large double-sided poster, a guitar pick/plectrum and seven photographs.

- Five-disc vinyl version: Five LPs. Boxed, with a 20-page booklet and web pass to download concert.

LP #1: ‘Speak To Me’, ‘Breathe’, ‘Time’, ‘Breathe (Reprise)’, ‘Castellorizon’, ‘On an Island’, ‘The Blue’, ‘Red Sky at Night’, ‘This Heaven’. LP #2: ‘Then I Close My Eyes’, ‘Smile’, ‘Take a Breath’, ‘A Pocketful of Stones’, ‘Where We Start’. LP #3: ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’, ‘Wot’s… Uh The Deal’, ‘Astronomy Domine’, ‘Fat Old Sun’, ‘High Hopes’. LP #4: ‘Echoes’, ‘Wish You Were Here’, ‘A Great Day For Freedom’, ‘Comfortably Numb’.

Fifth LP includes ‘On The Turning Away’ (Venice, 12 August 2006), ‘The Blue’ and ‘Echoes’ (from ‘Live from Abbey Road’, August 2006), plus two Barn jams (recorded January 2007).

Performing at Gdańsk were: David Gilmour (Guitars, Vocals, Saxophone), Phil Manzanera (Guitar), Richard Wright (Keyboard, Hammond Organ), Guy Pratt (Bass), Jon Carin (Keyboard, Lap Steel), Steve DiStanislao (Drums), Dick Parry (Saxophone), Leszek Możdżer (Piano) and The Symphony Orchestra of the Polish Baltic Philharmonic, conducted by Zbigniew Preisner.

Facts about the concert and what it commemorated:

GdaÅ„sk was the final show of the ‘On an Island’ tour: 26 August 2006. It was also David’s first ever performance in Poland.

It marked the 26th anniversary of the founding of Solidarity, the inspirational trade union.

Solidarity was founded in the GdaÅ„sk shipyard in September 1980, after strikes the previous month by shipyard workers – the first successful strike behind the Iron Curtain.

David was invited to perform in GdaÅ„sk by Poland’s former President and Solidarity leader, Lech WaÅ‚Ä™sa, and the Mayor of GdaÅ„sk, PaweÅ‚ Adamowicz.

GdaÅ„sk is the sixth-largest city in Poland, as well as the country’s maritime capital.

The Polish Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra was conducted by Polish composer, Zbigniew Preisner.

Renowned Polish pianist, Leszek Możdżer, also joined David and the band on-stage.

All of the songs from David’s ‘On an Island’ album featured orchestral accompaniment, as well as ‘A Great Day For Freedom’, ‘Comfortably Numb’ and ‘High Hopes’.

The arrangements on the Pink Floyd tracks are by the late Michael Kamen.

‘A Great Day For Freedom’, a song about the optimism which followed the collapse of the Berlin Wall (from Pink Floyd’s 1994 album, ‘The Division Bell’), was only performed once during the 2006 tour – in GdaÅ„sk.

As had been the case with Paris, and would be the case with several other cities, Amsterdam got two concerts. Both were at the Heineken Music Hall and were, according to your comments, rather good.

What do you remember about those nights? You can jog your memory here and here, if need be.

Here’s Stevie, photographed by Polly, in Amsterdam.

Stevie had a great time on tour. If you missed the Q&A session he did for us last year, you can find it here.

And finally… The chatroom will be open tomorrow between 14:00 and 16:00 (UK).

As one of the most pleasant of many surprises during David’s tour was the fantastic drumming (and not to mention ever-cheerful personality) of Steve DiStanislao, who you have taken to your hearts, I thought you might appreciate an update on what Stevie has been up to since the tour ended.

He is currently touring America’s East Coast with David Crosby and Graham Nash, who were most welcome – and rather special, don’t you think? – guests of David’s during the ‘On an Island’ tour.

As did David last year, they are performing in small, beautiful theatres in an attempt to achieve an intimacy that’s impossible with large venues. The next show is tonight, in Washington, DC. Please see the official Crosby & Nash site for details.

On behalf of everyone here, I’d like to wish Stevie the very best of luck with all that he does.

Your favourite Stevie moments are very welcome today. Do you have a favourite from the DVD, for example?

Our Blotto winner was… BrookC, who guessed seven of the 23 ‘Remember That Night’ songs in their correct order.

Congratulations! A tour programme, signed by David (along with a unique Blotto-related message), is your prize. Please let us know where we should send it.

Well done also to Gabrielle, Graham and Marko, for totalling an impressive six, and to Chantelle, Chris Parkinson, Piergiorgio, Tim Taylor and Tomasz – who correctly guessed a slightly less impressive, but still honourable, five.

Thank you all for playing along.

Today’s picture is one of Polly’s, this one taken during rehearsals at Bray Studios last May.

Keep reading for the latest of Phil’s Q&A, which I’m glad you’re enjoying.

Lastly, thank you very much for the kind words about the new OAIPod and David’s re-vamped MySpace page. I’m glad that you like them.

You and the band seemed very relaxed during the ‘On an Island’ tour: a lot of laughing during the concerts, a lot of eye contact between you and David. He always watched over to you when you played your solo for the ‘On an Island’ track. Is there one funny moment you remember with pleasure? (Werner)

Yes, when he performed ‘On the Turning Away’, a track that Stevie and I had never rehearsed and that Guy hadn’t played for 14 years. Not exactly a pleasurable moment, but one that certainly I’ll remember!

I’d like to know what do you think of the band, especially of Stevie and Guy? (Emilio)

I love them all.

Do you do any kind of warm up before going on stage? I know you do a sound check, but I mean just before you step out. (Robyn S)

Highly recommended, but don’t. The group hug that Madonna does is not really our style!

What was your favourite destination on the Gilmour tour and why? (Simon J)

Venice. It’s like going back in time and there is something very ‘otherworldly’ about it – and appropriate for the tour, as we were literally ‘On an Island’.

If every band member on the tour was given the opportunity to suggest a venue/city for the tour schedule, where would you have suggested (regardless of the venue capacity)? (Tom B)

The Malekon, Havana – next to the Nacional Hotel.

So, I’ve finally told you just about all there is to know.

Here’s a summary of ‘Remember That Night’:

- It’s released on Monday 17 September in Europe, Tuesday 18 September in North America.

- There will be two discs (DVD-9 dual layer discs, in fact, which allow a greater playing time).

- There will be high-resolution versions in both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD to follow the standard release. I’ll let you know the release date as soon as I can.

- Disc one is the concert, containing 23 songs from the Royal Albert Hall gigs of May 2006. If you played Blotto, you’ll know them by now. Click here if you don’t.

- Disc two is full of extras.

- For starters, there are five bonus songs from the Royal Albert Hall: ‘Wot’s… Uh The Deal, ‘Dominoes’, ‘Wearing The Inside Out’, ‘Arnold Layne’ and ‘Comfortably Numb’.

- There will be three documentaries. The main one, ‘Breaking Bread, Drinking Wine’, contains behind-the-scenes tour footage from the rehearsals in Bray right through to the final show in GdaÅ„sk.

- There’s also a short film from America’s West Coast. Richard Wright is to blame for shooting some of the backstage footage.

- The third is a documentary on the making of the ‘On an Island’ album. This is an edited version of the Electronic Press Kit (EPK), but with some extra songs from the recording sessions.

- The tracks ‘Castellorizon’, ‘On An Island’, ‘The Blue’, ‘Take A Breath’ and ‘High Hopes’, from London’s Mermaid Theatre (March 2006), will be included.

- ‘Astronomy Domine’, as recorded for the ‘Live From Abbey Road’ television series, is on there…

- As is ‘This Heaven’ from the AOL Sessions. (This has been re-edited, by the way, so is an improvement on the version that can be found on the ‘Live And In Session’ disc.)

- The ‘Dark Globe’ video that we’ve been showing on the website is included.

- The promo videos for ‘On an Island’ and ‘Smile’ are also on there.

- There’s a new version of ‘Island Jam’, featuring David, Richard, Stevie and Guy.

- There is also a fine photo gallery.

How does that sound?

Please hold on to your answer for the time being, because you’ll notice that there’s no comment form. That’s because the blog is closed for the weekend. I do, however, have a new poll for you. You can let us know how you rate this DVD by casting your vote.

Thank you all for your comments about the DVD. I think we’ve all enjoyed reading them.

Now, that’s your lot for this week. Back on Monday.

Have a good weekend… and please find time to play some of Syd Barrett’s songs on this, the first anniversary, of his death.

As if you didn’t already have enough to look forward to from the ‘Remember That Night’ DVD, here’s something else. (Don’t say that David isn’t good to you.)

In January, David recorded a new version of ‘Island Jam’, with Richard, Stevie and Guy.

I’m sure that you’ll love it. So sure, in fact, that it will be on disc two.

‘Remember That Night’ is released worldwide in September. Disc one contains 23 songs from the Royal Albert Hall, London. If you still don’t know which songs are on there, please click here.

By the way, for those who were confused: ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’ is plain old ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’ on this DVD. End of story.

A summary of what’s on disc two will follow tomorrow.

Today’s scheduled chat has been cancelled, sorry, but the chatroom will be open for business again next week. Please see the calendar for details of future sessions, and accept my apologies for any disappointment caused.

Sadly, this is the final part of Steve DiStanislao’s fan Q&A, which I hope you’ve enjoyed over the course of the month.

I’d just like to take this opportunity to extend our warm thanks and sincere appreciation to Stevie, who was extremely gracious with his time and gave some terrific answers to your questions.

Stevie, thanks very much.

Of equal importance, Stevie was genuinely flattered to be invited to participate in such a fan session, so I’m sure he’d like me to in turn pass on his thanks to everyone who sent in a question, and to all those who enjoyed reading his answers.

Thank you, all.

There’s no chat today, but the chatroom will be open tomorrow between 3PM and 5PM (UK). Everybody is welcome, so don’t be shy.

How tiring is playing a drum? You have to use two arms, two legs, beat strong also in different rhythms, one for the right arm, one for the left one, one other for the right leg, one other for the left one… It seems very tiring, or is it just my ignorance? (Lucia)

It’s really not as tiring as it seems. I try to keep as balanced as possible with good posture as well as pace myself like an athlete would. It takes more mental concentration than anything so as long as I stay focused and in decent shape physically, I’m fine.

What song do you prefer to play (from the ‘On an Island’ tour)? (Claudio)

I love playing them all, but ‘Fat Old Sun’ is one I just love to play. When it kicks into the jam/solo section, it just rocks! Sheer power from Mr Gilmour. I equally love to play ‘Shine On…’, ‘On an Island’, ‘This Heaven’, ‘Smile’, ‘Echoes’, ‘High Hopes’ and ‘Comfortably Numb’.

Would you like to do another tour with David? (Lesley)

There is nothing I would like more than to continue playing with David and this amazing band.

Following on from the 21 March update on where else in the world you’ll be able to see the ‘Live from Abbey Road’ music series, we can finally add a little more.

I already told you to look out for it on Fox channels in Italy, Sony in Latin America, Lumiere in Cyprus, Ceska in the Czech Republic, YLE in Finland, Kanal 5 in Sweden, 365 Media in Iceland, Geo TV in Pakistan and the Sundance Channel in the United States.

Please also keep your eyes peeled if you’re in Belgium (VRT), Hong Kong (ATV), Malaysia (Media Prima), New Zealand (Rialto Channel), Norway (TV2, Zebra), Singapore (MediaCorp TV 12), Spain (Multicanal) and Thailand (UBC).

It will also be shown on Culture Networks in Italy, as well as Fox.

I don’t have full details, but am told that the series will be shown on Star TV across Asia (35 countries) and on Melody Entertainment and Arab Venture across the Middle East (28 countries).

Good news for Australia and Japan…

In Australia, the series launched this month on XYZ’s music channel MAX (available on Foxtel Digital and Austar Digital). The show featuring David’s performance is due to be broadcast on Sunday 20 May, with the entire series repeated in late June (I’ll remind you, don’t worry). XYZ have the series for three months exclusively.

However, I hear that ABC will also be showing the series in July. This is as yet unconfirmed, so I’ll tell you more when I know more.

In Japan, the series started on Friday 20 April, so sadly you’ve missed the first show (but not the all-important one). ‘Live from Abbey Road’ is broadcast at 8PM on Channel NHK NV.

Remember that David features in the eighth show in a series of 12.

If you see it in your local TV listings, please let me know when your fellow fan will be able to see it, so that I can add it to our calendar.

As always, I’d also love to hear your thoughts on the show.

I’ll be opening the chatroom to all and sundry between the hours of 2PM and 4PM (UK time) today. Everybody is welcome to call in.

Until then, here’s more from Stevie DiStanislao, who was kind enough to take part in a fan Q&A for us recently.

Speaking of which, thank you for all the questions sent in for Phil Manzanera last week. With so many good ones to choose from, please note that I am not considering any additional questions.

Which drummer inspired you to take up the drums in the first place? (Julie G Davies)

The drummer that first inspired me to play the drums is a fellow called John Ferraro. John was, and will always be, a mentor to me and I owe him a lot. He and my oldest brother were mates (I’m the youngest of four kids). I used to go over to his house where he would play and I would watch him for hours. When he went to the toilet, I would climb on the kit and start wailing away only to get kicked off when he returned. John turned me on to all kinds of bands and drummers. I remember the Beatles’ ‘Revolver’ and Black Sabbath’s ‘Paranoid’ as some of the first rock music I ever heard. I was six.

I’d like to know who your favourite drummers are and why. (Sue N)

Jeff Porcaro, because he always played the perfect thing for every song. His feel is unparalleled. Steve Gadd, for his unique groove and his ability to play every style under the sun. John Bonham, for his sheer brilliance and huge groove. John Ferraro, for his natural flowing feel. Nick Mason, for his unique style, sound and feel. Matt Cameron from Soundgarden/Pearl Jam cuz he just flat out rocks! The list goes on and on and on…

It’s time to reach for your Blotto cards again, folks…

The sixth song to be revealed from David’s ‘Remember That Night’ double-DVD – in the shops in September – is ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’, which will be the 15th song on disc one.

There are 23 songs on this disc (the second being made up of extras), all of which are from the Royal Albert Hall shows of May 2006.

Please mark the ‘15′ space on your cards with a tick, cross or suitable facial expression. If you guessed that ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’ would take the 15th spot, then you are right. (Smile!)

The aim of Blotto is to complete a line, either horizontally or vertically, on your Blotto card. You can only complete a line with correct guesses, so you must match the song to its numerical spot. If you manage to do so, please let us know by letting out an excited squeak of “Blotto!” and you’ll be entered into a prize draw.

If you’ve missed the other five songs revealed, then they were:

06: ‘On An Island’
08: ‘Red Sky at Night’
13: ‘A Pocketful of Stones’
18: ‘High Hopes’ and
20: ‘Wish You Were Here’ (with Stevie on drums, not Nick Mason).

Good luck to all who are playing.

Here are a few more of Stevie’s answers. My thanks to all who sent in a question for him.

If you have a question for Phil Manzanera, please be sure to send it to the right place (that’s here, not here). Thanks to everyone who has submitted a question so far. There have been some really good ones.

Have a nice weekend, all.

Do your arms ever get so tired you wonder if you will lose time? I notice during ‘High Hopes’ that you kept time by drumming against your leg while striking the bell. Why was this? (Graham Knight)

My arms used to get fatigued as a younger drummer because I thought I had to muscle everything out and over play, but as time went on I learned how to relax and let the sticks do the work. I keep time on my leg for consistency and to keep a sub-division going. The part is to play off 8ths on a foundry bell, so there is a lot of space between the beats, so I tap to keep the time in check. Also, Jon Carin is counting on me to keep it together for his part.

Do you always externalise your feelings that much? (Luis Malheiro)

It’s funny when people tell me that I make faces when I play. They say that I smile a lot, but the honest truth is that I’m not even aware of it. I guess I’m just transported by the music and I’m reacting to the feeling.

The legendary Phil Manzanera is the latest member of David’s ‘On an Island’ band to be cheerily roped in to answering some fan questions for us (following Guy Pratt and Steve DiStanislao).

Please make them good ones.

As always, no long lists of questions will be permitted. So that everyone gets an equal chance of having a question answered, I only want a maximum of three questions per person, please.

Long lists of questions will be deleted immediately, regardless of how good the questions are.

All suitable questions will be published for all to see, so please read what’s already been asked before submitting your question.

Obviously Phil cannot possibly answer every single one, so please make them as interesting as possible so that yours will stand out.

The chatroom will be opening shortly. It will be open between 12PM and 2PM (UK) today. Everyone is very welcome to call in.

Last, but by no means least, here are a few more of the answers that Stevie gave us to your questions recently.

Thanks to everyone who sent one in. There are still a few more to come, so there’s still time to see your question answered.

Your drumming was particularly excellent during ‘Astronomy Domine’ at Abbey Road. Prior to David’s tour, have you ever played Pink Floyd material before? (Julie G Davies)

Thanks for the nice compliment, I’m glad you dug ‘Astronomy’ at Abbey Road. Yes, I have played some Floyd material before in a few bands over the years but, as you know, it was nothing like the real thing.

What are your favourite bands now? (GianLuca)

There are some local bands that I just love. Deccatree, Brett Bixby, Ray Lamontagne and Pedestrian, to name a few.

A year on from the first live shows, I wondered which items stick out in your mind as being symbolic of David’s ‘On an Island’ tour?

If you could list no more than six ‘things’ that will forever embody the album/tour experience for you, what would you choose?

Thanks to Luis G for inadvertently giving me the idea for today’s entry with his recent reference to David’s guitar strap, which once belonged to Jimi Hendrix.

Some other memorable ‘items’ could include Guy’s ‘Didn’t They Do Well?’ T-shirt, Polly’s photos, Ian’s exquisite Glassman statue… or our very own blog.

If you’re wondering about the photo above, then that’s Igor Sklyarov, a glass harmonica player who performs with his own trio. He was spotted by David busking on the streets of Venice and was invited to perform the wine glass intro to ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’ at the Piazza San Marco, which was undoubtedly one of the many highlights of the tour.

There is a chat later today. Doors open at 3PM and close at 5PM (UK). Feel free to drop in. Everyone is welcome to come and discuss their tour highlights, or whatever else they fancy.

Just please take note of the rules, written in red, on your way in. Some things are not open to discussion, for obvious reasons.

The rules will be the first thing you see when you enter the chatroom.

Here are a few more of Stevie’s answers to your questions. More to follow soon.

Which was the most enjoyable concert for you on David’s tour? (Lesley)

All of the shows were great, but I’d have to say The Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, mainly because my family was there. My Mother was literally in tears that night seeing me up there and even though my Dad had never heard of Pink Floyd (he’s a WWII vet and into Benny Goodman and Big Band music) he was totally blown away by David and the whole experience. I think it was his first real rock concert and he’s 80 years old. Now that’s a hip Dad. Also, a lot of my mates came to the show and are still in disbelief… Of course I have to mention the Royal Albert Hall shows, Vienne, then there was Gdansk and Abbey Road… It’s all just so great!

What has been the most beautiful city that you have visited during the tour? (Claudio)

I really enjoyed the beauty of Austria and the unique quality of Venice, Italy.

It’s that time again, so have your Blotto cards close at hand…

As it’s Friday the 13th… The fifth song to be revealed is ‘A Pocketful of Stones’, which will be the 13th track on the concert DVD.

Please mark the ‘13′ space on your cards accordingly. If you guessed that the 13th song would be ‘A Pocketful of Stones’, well done.

You probably don’t need reminding but, if you do, there are 23 songs on the concert DVD of David’s forthcoming double-disc set, ‘Remember That Night’ (hence 23 numbered spaces on your Blotto card). These songs are all taken from the Royal Albert Hall shows of May 2006.

The DVD is due for release on Monday 17 September in Europe and a day later, on Tuesday 18 September, in North America.

You probably don’t need reminding of Blotto’s aim, either. Just in case, you need to complete a line, either horizontally or vertically, on your Blotto card. Only correct guesses will complete a line (you must match the right song to the right space). If you complete a line, we’ll enter you into a prize draw… on the condition that you humour us by including “Blotto!” in your blog post.

There’s no chat today, but there will be more chat sessions next week and, of course, more Blotto. Please see the calendar for details.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

We’ll leave you with some more from Stevie.

What was the most difficult David Gilmour/Pink Floyd song to master on this tour, Steve? Not that it looked like you had trouble with any of them. (Geoff Duffy)

I’d have to say that ‘High Hopes’ really made me think. I had to play off beat 8th notes on a tuned foundry bell with a mallet in my left hand, over my left shoulder, while switching back and fourth between mallet and sticks for the choruses. Jon Carin and I had to really listen to each other and lock in together, because our parts had to be perfectly in sync. Also, since it has such an orchestral feel to it, I really had to pay attention to the dynamic shape of the tune, which made it a fun challenge.

How did you pick up ‘On The Turning Away’ so quickly when David sprung it on the band in Venice with no rehearsals? (EchoesBob)

First of all, I love that tune and fortunately I had listened to it enough to understand the form and the groove. At first I thought he was just going to play it by himself, and then I saw Guy come bounding back on stage and it was like, “Oh man, here we go!” I waited for a kind of cue from David and, when I got the nod, I came in with the time. It was so fun and fresh feeling to all of us. Sometimes it pays not to rehearse a tune.

Here are a few more of your questions, answered by Steve DiStanislao.

Thanks to Ian and Lucia, who submitted the following for Stevie’s consideration.

There are more answers to come, so stick with it.

The chatroom will be opening at 1PM and will stay open until 4PM (UK time) today.

Everyone’s welcome, so don’t by shy – we don’t bite.

Does it make a difference what material your drumsticks are made of? I mean, have you ever played drums with glass sticks, as it is possible? (Ian Pearson)

Wow, glass drumsticks. I’ve never tried it, but I suppose if they were a special tempered glass you might be able to use them. I’ve played some plastic polymer sticks called ‘Emmite’ that were cool, but they ended up shredding up like string cheese. I also tried carbon fibre sticks once, but they sent a shock through my body when I hit the drums, so I put those down pretty fast. I normally play sticks made out of hickory wood. It really does change the sound depending on what type of wood is used. For example, maple is generally a softer wood that has a pleasing sound, and hickory is a harder wood with a bit more of a solid feel and sound to it. Some sticks are made of oak, but they are way too dense-feeling for me. Also, the size of the stick, the shape of the tip and the weight are all contributing factors in creating a specific sound.

Have you never hurt someone, throwing your drumsticks? (Lucia)

Not that I know about, but when I do throw them I usually toss them up high and softly.

If you’re waiting for your Blotto fix, please grab your Blotto cards now.

The fourth song to be revealed is ‘On an Island’, which will be the sixth song on the concert disc.

There are 23 songs on this disc, all recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall last May. Disc two is made up of extras.

The double-DVD set, ‘Remember That Night’, will be available to buy in September. It’s due for release on Monday 17 September on the EMI label and on Tuesday 18 September on the Sony label.

Please mark the ‘6′ space on your cards appropriately. It’s only right if you guessed that ‘On An Island’ would be the sixth song.

If you need reminding, the aim of Blotto is to complete a line, either horizontally or vertically, on your Blotto card. Only correct song/space guesses will complete a line. If you guess well enough to complete a line, boldly declare “Blotto!” and we’ll enter you into a prize draw.

Good luck to all who are playing along.

The chatroom will be open between 4PM and 6PM (UK time) today, if you want to call in. Everyone’s welcome.

Here’s the latest from Stevie’s Q&A.

Thanks to everyone who sent in a question.

Was it difficult coming in to David’s band when the other members had played or worked together before? (LynnR)

I knew I had some HUGE shoes to fill, and I was pretty nervous coming into this band (who wouldn’t be?), but everyone was so welcoming, helpful and warm that all those feelings went away very quickly and we fell right into the music. I have to say that the chemistry was there from the start.

Describe David Gilmour in five. (Victor)

Renaissance Man, Great Father, Generous, Classy, A True Genius, A Gentleman… OK, that’s six.

Playing in David’s band and performing behind all those great musicians and special guests must obviously be a great thrill. Would you ever consider, when the time is right, writing a book of events as viewed by you (as Nick Mason did recently)? (Peter)

I’ve thought about writing a book about all these great experiences at some point, but I think that’s still a long way off.

Stevie has very kindly answered some of your questions – and was delighted to do so.

Starting today, I’ll be publishing more of his answers to a variety of questions over the next few weeks.

My thanks to those who submitted the following for consideration.

There’s no chat today, but the chatroom will be open tomorrow between 12PM and 2PM (UK). Everyone’s welcome, so don’t by shy.

When did you meet David Gilmour for the first time? (Werner)

I met David at the Royal Festival Hall after a show that I played with Crosby & Nash in ‘05. I was so nervous when I met him I was certain that he heard my knees knocking… When it came time for him to put the band back together, fortunately he thought of me and rang me up.

I’d like to know how you met up with David. Did you audition? Curious. (frank par)

I actually didn’t audition for David. He saw me play with Crosby & Nash at the Royal Festival Hall in ‘05. I later found out through David Crosby that Mr Gilmour was interested in working with me and I thought he was putting me on. Crosby and I like to play jokes on each other and I thought for sure he was up to one of his tricks. He kept saying “No, man, this is for real, you have to contact him, it’s important…” So, I did and it turned out to be no joke!

I have some good news, and some bad news, for you today.

The bad news is that, regrettably, the release dates for the limited edition ‘On an Island’ CD/DVD have been pushed back one week. Bah.

It will now be out across Europe on Monday 27 November, and everywhere else the following day.

However, the good news is that we have taken serious steps to ensure that fans who already have copies of the album, and who therefore only wish to purchase the bonus DVD, will not miss out.

You will be able to purchase the bonus DVD directly from David’s site, you will be limited as to how many you can buy (details to follow) and you will be able to pre-order your copy very soon. Rest assured that I’ll let you know before we start taking any orders.

This DVD boasts live versions of ‘On an Island’, ‘This Heaven’, ‘Smile’, ‘Take A Breath’, ‘High Hopes’ and ‘Comfortably Numb’ – all of which were recorded in New York for the AOL Sessions – plus ‘Astronomy Domine’ from London’s Abbey Road and ‘Take A Breath’ – a taster from the forthcoming ‘Live at The Royal Albert Hall’ DVD, which is due out early next year.

Actually, there’s more bad news…

Sadly, we’ll have to wait until the New Year to see the rest of the band’s dynamic Abbey Road set, as the programme isn’t going to be aired on Channel 4 on Sunday 3 December after all. I’ll let you know the new broadcast date just as soon as I know it.

Thanks to everyone who submitted a question for drummer Steve DiStanislao. As good as they were, please note that I’m not taking any more questions into consideration.

If you’re really bored, could you help us to clear up a disagreement about the blog? Have a look at our latest poll to see what we mean.

There’s no chat today, but there’s one tomorrow from 4PM (UK time).

Until then, here are more answers to the questions you sent in for long-time Floyd bassist and resident blog funny man, Guy Pratt.

Who inspired you to pick up the bass? (Bas Swanenberg)

John Entwistle.

Who is your favourite other bass player? (Tim C)

Bernard Edwards.

If you had to choose just one, which is your absolutely favourite bass line of all time? (Nickster)

‘Good Times’ or ‘Forget Me Nots’ by Patrice Rushen. Or any number of Disco classics, which I’m afraid to say is where I think all the greatest bass lines are. Or ‘Teentown’ by Weather Report, or ‘What’s Goin’ On’, or any number of Studio 1 Reggae classics, or practically any Bob Marley song, or ‘The Real Me’ by The Who, or…

Do you like playing guitar the same way as bass? (Gian Luca)

No, I’m not as good. I really like playing guitar, but not the same way at all.

Was the bass your first instrument? (TomiSue)

I did briefly wrestle with the clarinet previously.

What’s you preferred bass guitar? (Dom)

Fender Jazz.

Well, this is it: David and Richard in Venice.

This polled 21% in our recent ‘Which of Polly’s photos is your favourite?’ poll, making it your favourite of all Polly’s photographs.

You can see the picture in its full glory by clicking here.

Let us know what you think of the result.

Don’t forget that there’s a chat today from 3PM (UK time), but you will need to know the usual password to enter, as this one’s for ‘Blog Irregulars’ only.

There’ll be a chat for everyone on Wednesday. Please keep an eye on the calendar for details of latest chat sessions.

I’m going to make the ladies wait until the end of the week for details of our latest competition (yes, I know, I’m so cruel…), so please be patient.

Thanks for all your questions for Steve. There have been some really good ones and there’s still time to submit yours, if you haven’t already done so.

There are more answers from Guy to come throughout the week, too.

You’re well known for playing with a number of established bands and artists. Have you ever had the desire to start your very own band and take the world of music by storm, or are you happy enough with your solo show as it stands now? (Neil Pudney)

I was about to start a band with Johnny Marr, as The Smiths had just imploded, when I first got the call from David back in ‘87. Now I’m too lazy and old and don’t have a manifesto.

Will there be more dates of your one man show, maybe in Europe? (Bas Swanenberg)

Yes.

Is it possible to bring your show to North America? (Bill S.)

I hope so.

Where else are you touring your ‘My Bass and Other Animals’ in the new year? (KenF)

- Everywhere hopefully. Check my site: www.guypratt.com.

I’ve heard lots of great things about ‘My Bass and Other Animals’ but living in Canada I will not have an opportunity to catch one of the shows. Just wondering if there is any chance you will record any of the performances for a DVD release? (Christopher Martin)

Probably, but I hope to get to Canada.

What made you decide to try the trial by silence that is stand-up? (Kieran Fleck)

I’ve always wanted to do something comedic, and realised I had a rich seam of material to mine, i.e. my life, but if I’d thought about how terrifying standing up on your own actually is, I would never have done it. I get absolutely terrified every time I do it still.

You mentioned the other day that you have a book coming up next year. What will it be about? Is it like a memoir or something not as personal? (Ayako)

It’s like a memoir, although it’s like the show, in that it’s basically just the amusing bits of my life.

Steve DiStanislao was thrilled at being invited to answer some fan questions, so please make them good ones.

Again, I won’t consider long lists of questions. I only want a maximum of three questions per person, so please don’t abuse Stevie’s kindness by taking advantage of this unique opportunity.

I’d much prefer it if everyone gets an equal chance of getting a question answered, so long lists of questions will be deleted immediately, even if they contain some really good questions.

All questions (well, almost) will be published here for everyone to see, so please read what’s already been asked before submitting questions of your own. The prevention of unnecessary repetition is always a good thing.

Not all questions will be answered, of course, so please try and make them as interesting as possible.

The latest answers from Guy about his career might help give you an idea of what makes it through my blog sieve.

There’s a chat going on right now, if you can make it. Everyone’s welcome.

On Lemon Jelly’s remarkable album ‘Lost Horizons’ I spotted your name in the credits of the wonderful track entitled ‘Nice Weather for Ducks’. What was your role on this track? Did you play bass? (Julie Gunn Davies)

Yes, isn’t that what I usually do? My duck call isn’t up to much.

Being somewhat of an Icehouse fan, I have to ask how that experience compares with working with David and the Floyd? (Erik)

I haven’t got the first idea of how to answer that. But before the first show of this tour, Jon Carin and Steve DiStanislao got to be in Icehouse for a day, as I’d been asked to do a TV show with Iva in Germany, and he asked if I could put a band together. So we went to Munchen and mimed ‘Hey Little Girl’.

Who was the one person that influenced you the most? (Renee B.)

My father.

Do you plan to do a little more on the singing side? I would love to hear more of your distinctive voice. I know it’s more yelling than singing that you do, but I love it. (Karen)

Why, thank you, Karen. I’m only really happy as a backing singer, to be honest. Unless it’s shouting, of course.

What was your most musically challenging session gig? (EchoesBob)

I remember doing something for Jeff Beck a few years back that kept me on my toes. When I played on the score of ‘The Last Action Hero’, Michael Kamen did actually ask me to play something that, after a few tries, I had to confess I just couldn’t.

What is your most memorable gig and why? (Tim C)

Venice with Pink Floyd. Because we were on a bloody great oil rig in the lagoon.

Are you involved with your father-in-law’s next album? (KenF)

I hope so.

Alas, we’ve sadly come to the last pair of shoes…

Do you know who they belong to? For the very last time, let us know whose shoes you think they are – and include an interesting fact about this person, if you can.

The last pair belonged to Steve DiStanislao. Congratulations to those who guessed correctly.

Stevie has very kindly agreed to answer some of your questions, as Guy did recently. So, if there’s anything you’re itching to find out, please jot your thoughts down - but don’t send them just yet.

Details to follow later in the week, so please hold on to your questions until then.

In the meantime, here’s more from Guy.

What did you get Rick for Father’s Day? (Matt Parish)

Nothing, seeing as he’s not my father. It’s not a big day ’round our house, to be honest.

Do you get along with your father-in-law and have you ever purchased any of his solo efforts? (John NFF)

It is extraordinary that anyone thinks I would actually say I didn’t get on with Rick on a public forum. So, yes, I do. I have been around the world with him four times, and even sailed the Atlantic with him; I truly love the man… I did actually buy ‘Wet Dream’, but by the time ‘Broken China’ came out I was with Gala, so we got given one.

How did you happen to meet David? (Gian Luca)

Through Dream Academy and then Bryan Ferry.

Were you a Pink Floyd fan during your teenage years? (IMcK)

I went to ‘The Wall’ shows at Earl’s Court: front row, every night, both years, once on Acid. I knew then it was the best show I would ever see… and it’s quite sad that, 26 years later, I was right.

What’s your absolute favourite Pink Floyd or David Gilmour song? (Bas Swanenberg)

‘Comfortably Numb’, ‘I Can’t Breathe Anymore’.

What did you think about Roger playing with Pink Floyd at Live8? (Beau)

I was all for it, it was high time they sorted things out, although sadly David asked me to play on ‘Wish You Were Here’ and I had to say no as I was booked to play in Berlin with Roxy Music. That wasn’t easy, I tell you. We’d finished and were having dinner by the time Floyd went on, but there was no telly, so I was getting running commentary text messages from practically everyone I know every 10 seconds. I didn’t get to see it ’til about two weeks later.

Is it true that Roger Waters asked you to play bass on his ‘Amused To Death’ album? (Werner)

Good question! Roger didn’t, but his producer, my dear friend Pat Leonard, did. I asked David if it would be OK, and of course he said yes, but I think Pat bottled out of asking Roger… Probably for the best, as I live over here, if you know what I mean.

Thank you all for the messages left yesterday for Steve Di Stanislao. He was blown away by them.

There’s not much to report, as everyone is being extremely secretive at the moment, but you can hear a repeat broadcast of David’s Front Row interview with John Wilson today if you missed it when it originally went out.

You want BBC Radio 4 at 1:30PM UK time. Just click Listen Live for that.

So from Front Row to Front Cover…

Today’s rainy day blog suggestion comes from Piergiorgio, with a little extra from Nickster.

Since there’s been a lot of talk about the DVD (that’s David’s forthcoming DVD, not the Pink Floyd one that we don’t really want to discuss too much)…

If you could choose an image/title to put on the DVD cover, what would you choose and why?

And how about adding a ‘P.U.L.S.E’-type flashing light or similar gimmick? If so, what would work?

Please note that we’re a long way away from having the cover finished, so we won’t be showing it off just yet. Any requests for details about/examples of the artwork will be dismissed with a huff, so please don’t ask.