Watch: Pink Floyd Partially Reunite in 2007 to Honor Syd Barrett With a Performance of the Band’s Debut Single “Arnold Layne”

On May 10, 2007, the members of Pink Floyd united for The Madcap’s Last Laugh, a tribute concert at the Barbican in London, honoring the band’s co-founder Syd Barrett, who died in 2006 at age 60. Since tensions were high within the band, Roger Waters performed his song “Flickering Flame” solo before David Gilmour, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright came out together, joined by Oasis‘ Andy Bell on bass, and delivered a semi-Pink Floyd reunion.

Together, they performed an early song written by Barrett, the band’s debut single, “Arnold Layne,” which was released several months before Pink Floyd’s debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.

[RELATED: The Crossdressing Thief Behind the Pink Floyd Debut “Arnold Layne’]

The Underwear Thief

Released on March 10, 1967, “Arnold Layne” was never featured on any of the band’s albums and followed the story of a cross-dressing man who stole women’s bras and panties off the clotheslines where Barrett and bandmate Waters grew up in Cambridge, England.

“Both my mother and Syd’s mother had students as lodgers because there was a girls’ college up the road, so there were constantly great lines of bras and knickers on our washing lines,” said Waters in 1967, “and ‘Arnold’ or whoever he was, had bits off our washing lines.”

Of the garment thief, who wasn’t really named “Arnold Layne,” Barrett said, “I thought ‘Arnold Layne’ was a nice name and fitted well into the music I had already composed.”

Shortly after its release, “Arnold Layne” peaked at No. 20 on the UK Singles chart, but was banned by radio stations, including BBC Radio London, which objected to its transvestite theme. “Arnold Layne’ just happens to dig dressing up in women’s clothing,” said Barrett in defense of the song. “A lot of people do, so let’s face up to reality.”

The seven-inch release of Pink Floyd’s 2007 performance of “Arnold Layne,” features a black and white photograph of clothes hanging outside on a clothing line along with a bowler hat, a nod to the band’s original 1967 video for the song.

The Madcap’s Last Laugh

Though they didn’t perform as a foursome, the 2007 performance marked the final time all four members of Pink Floyd came together for a concert. Before then, they performed together for the last time before at Live 8 on July 2, 2005.

Throughout the evening of the Madcap’s Last Laugh, other performers honoring Barrett included Chrissie Hynde, Robyn Hitchcock, Damon Albarn, Martha Wainwright, Kate McGarrigle, and others.

On “Arnold Layne,” the band was also joined by Jon Carin on keyboards, and Wright took over Barrett’s lead vocals.

“I love the rehearsal, just in a room, and we hadn’t played for a while,” said Gilmour. “The show was good fun.”

Wright would perform with Gilmour one more time after the Barrett tribute. On September 6, 2007, Wright joined Gilmour at the Odeon in London for a surprise performance of Gilmour’s On the Island track “Island Jam.” Both were joined by Phil Manzanera, Dick Parry, Guy Pratt, Steve DiStanislao, and Jon Carin for the jam out.

The show also marked Wright’s final performance before his death on September 15, 2008, at age 68.

Photo: (L to R) David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Nick Mason, and Rick Wright from the band Pink Floyd on stage at “Live 8 London” in Hyde Park on July 2, 2005, in London, England (MJ Kim/Getty Images)