David Gilmour Recalls the “Rude and Insulting” Early Day of Pink Floyd, and the Dynamic Shift After Roger Waters Quit

Having joined Pink Floyd just a few years after the band formed, David Gilmour watched as the group reached iconic levels of stardom. Throughout their time in the spotlight, the band sold over 250 million albums. And in 1996, Pink Floyd entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. While thrilled about their accomplishments on stage, Gilmour explained the downside of fame and how it appeared to stifle their creativity.

Speaking with The Sun, Gilmour took fans on a journey through the early years of Pink Floyd. Before landing on magazines, television, and radio, Pink Floyd was like any other band, dreaming of performing in front of thousands. And although they watched that dream eventually come true – it came with a cost. “After you achieve these dizzying heights, people tend to show you way too much deference. It becomes hard to retrieve the setup you had when you were young.”

[RELATED: David Gilmour Says He Preferred This Pink Floyd Album Over ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’]

David Gilmour Discusses New Album ‘Luck And Strange’

While any band struggles with growing pains every now and then, Gilmour noted how it always worked out. “In the earlier stages of Pink Floyd, we could be as rude and insulting to each other about our personalities and our music as we wanted. And yet everything would be all right in the end.”

According to Gilmour, the dynamic changed when Roger Waters decided to quit the band in 1985. He told Rolling Stone, “We never managed to come to a common view of the dynamic that existed within the band, of who did what and whether or not it was right. It was an irritation to start with, and it became an impossible irritation towards the end.”

As for his own career, Gilmour prepared for the release of his new album, Luck and Strange. With the album releasing in September, the musician explained what fans should expect. “It goes all the way through without any concept album bulls**t.” With the release of Luck and Strange, the album marked the return of Gilmour, who released his last album back in 2015. The rockstar even hit the road to celebrate his new album.

(Photo by Matthew Eisman/Getty Images)