David Gilmour Crashes His Child’s Open-Mic Night for First Live Performance in 4 Years

At 78 years old, David Gilmour remains one of the 20th century’s most revered rock musicians. The Pink Floyd frontman recently released Luck & Strange, or what he calls “the best album he’s made since Dark Side of the Moon.” And this week, Gilmour delighted a crowd of British pub-goers with an unexpected duet alongside his child.

David Gilmour Shocks Pub Audience

It’s no surprise that David Gilmour produced a musical offspring. His child, Romany Gilmour, an aspiring singer-songwriter, played a gig Monday (Sept. 9) at The Neptune Inn in Hove, England.

The pub’s regulars got the shock of their lives when Romany’s father joined them onstage. “Oh my gosh, you’re here. And you’ve brought your guitar,” they exclaimed.

“You’re going to come and upstage me?” the younger Gilmour jokingly continued. “OK, great.”

The 22-year-old singer-songwriter joined their father in a tender rendition of “Wish You Were Here,” marking David Gilmour’s first public performance since 2020. Dad and child strummed their guitars in unison, singing softly, How I wish, how I wish you were here / We’re just two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl, year after year.

It’s not every day that a bona fide rock legend makes a cameo while you’re having a pint or two with your mates. “Imagine having a beer and the greatest to ever lift the instrument randomly walks in and plays this,” one astonished fan commented on Instagram.

“How I wish I was there…” lamented another fan.

[RELATED: Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour Wishes He and the Band Could Sell Their Music Catalog]

‘Luck and Strange’ Is a Family Affair

David Gilmour elicited the side-eye from many Pink Floyd fans when he declared Luck and Strange “the best album I’ve made since Dark Side of the Moon, since 1973.” However, Gilmour’s pride is certainly understandable after clarifying the role his family played in the record.

Gilmour’s wife, the novelist Polly Samson, penned the majority of the lyrics on her husband’s fifth solo studio album. Their sons, Gabriel and Charlie, also lent their vocal and songwriting skills to the record. And Romany Gilmour contributes harp and vocals on “Between Two Points,” a cover of the 1999 song by the British band the Montgolfier Brothers.

Seeing his family’s collaboration “left me feeling I don’t need to stick with any pre-rule book or anything that’s gone before,” Gilmour told Billboard. “I can be freer to do anything I feel like. That became emphasized for me.”

Featured image by Mario Ruiz/EPA/Shutterstock

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