Latimer Replacing Gilmour

[JKL2000]

Camel threads are as common as Yes threads lately, eh? But this is also a Pink Floyd thread - goody!

I just read in a review on Amazon that supposedly Roger Waters had Andy Latimer try out for the guitar slot when he was going to tour DSOTM solo. First of all, did Roger play all of DSOTM on a tour? If so, I've forgotten it! Secondly, anyone know if this is true about Latimer trying out? I'd certainly think he's the best choice aside from God Gilmour himself, and also if God Rothery wasn't available. Of course, there are lots of others who would do a fine job - the main dude from Mostly Autumn is an excellent guitarist (I think they played all of DSOTM on stage themselves), and would have been a good fit for this too. I've often thought if Rothery were to leave Marillion (heaven forbid!), the Mostly Autumn guy could fill his shoes as far as the guitar went. Rothery's music writing contribution would still be missing of course. I know there are a ton of guitarists from various current and former Floyd tribute bands too. And of course there's John Petrucci, who could do an excellent job and has performed the whole album. Actually, I have that CD of Dream Theater playing DSOTM but have yet to listen to it. How does Petrucci do? I think I'm afeared of hearing James Labrie sing the words (although I basically like Labrie's vocals).

[ThomasKDye]

Actually, I have that CD of Dream Theater playing DSOTM but have yet to listen to it. How does Petrucci do? I think I'm afeared of hearing James Labrie sing the words (although I basically like Labrie's vocals).

Actually, they do really well with it. The only time they cut loose is when Petrucci goes a little nuts towards the end of "Any Colour You Like" (and hilariously, as if the gods of music were disapproving, his guitar cuts out for half a second while doing so). Theresa Thomerson gives the best version of "The Great Gig" I've ever heard, although they use an alternate vocal sample for "And I am not frightened of dying! Any time will do, I don't mind" and it sounds really goofy. In general though, they do it justice, and Labrie does a fine job. Seriously, though, how could Labrie be "worse" than Waters?

[battema]

Yes, it is true.

There was an interview a while back about Latimer auditioning for the band. His guitar playing was apparently highly regarded but he wasn't able to sing Gilmour's parts. Said that Waters was very kind and supportive but also honest about the vocal difficulties.

[zombywoof]

Yes, there was a Dark Side tour ... I saw it in 2006!

And yes, Andy tried out for Roger's band that year!

[JKL2000]

Seriously, though, how could Labrie be "worse" than Waters?

Well, if he was screeching "the lunatic is on the grass!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" or something it would be worse. But I guess he used his ballad voice.

There was an interview a while back about Latimer auditioning for the band. His guitar playing was apparently highly regarded but he wasn't able to sing Gilmour's parts.

Couldn't Waters have sung the Gilmour parts? I actually always though Waters' voice was fine, and while I prefer Gilmour's, it always seemed to me that Roger COULD have sung most of Gilmour's parts. Of course, I always thought Latimer's voice was fine. Let's face it - all us prog fans have had to be satisfied with a mediocre, mellow-sounding English vocalist often enough!

Yes, there was a Dark Side tour ... I saw it in 2006!

Help me remember the tour, because I don't think I've missed many of his solo tours, if any. Was the tour in support of any album aside from DSOTM? I don't remember a tour that was a DSOTM anniversary or anything. Anyone know where he played in NYC for the tour? Or perhaps he didn't play in the city but in Jersey or Long Island, in which case I'd probably have skipped it. It wasn't the In the Flesh Tour, was it? Or was it the tour to support the In the Flesh release? CTTOI, the only time I've seen Waters play anywhere other than MSG is when he played Radio City Music Hall for Pros & Cons (I didn't see him at Yankee Stadium).

[battema]

The tour was his last go before focusing on The Wall. It was a fairly different setlist from the In The Flesh tours, featuring Sheep, Leaving Beiruit, Have A Cigar among other more familiar tunes. The second half was all of DSOTM.

I saw the tour in Manassas VA, it was the first time I saw the band with Kilminster. He was absolutely fantastic; in particular I remember him just tearing it up on 'Any Colour You Like.'

I *could* be wrong, and I can't find the interview now (I think it was on Camel's website for a bit), but I *think* maybe it was Money or Time that gave Latimer some trouble.

[battema]

Ahhhh....here we go. It is midway down the page and in English: http://www.latimerish.com/p/miscelaneas.html

I was wrong about the song too: it was Wish You Were Here.

[JKL2000]

The tour was his last go before focusing on The Wall. It was a fairly different setlist from the In The Flesh tours, featuring Sheep, Leaving Beiruit, Have A Cigar among other more familiar tunes. The second half was all of DSOTM.

Ok, I remember that show - he played at MSG. I did get pretty f*cked up, but it was because the stranger I sat next to was generous I wasn't that blown away by them playing DSOTM - Leaving Beirut and Sheep made much more of an impression.

[Squigelyfox]

I think the main reason Andy L didn't do this was because of his health. Probably a big insurance risk. IMO Waters turning him down because of vocals would have been rather daft. Hell, anyone with any common sense would have got another singer for the Floyd songs and let Andy play guitar!

[Banquo]

I was at that MSG show as well. Loved it! Certainly would've liked to have seen Andy in there, tho.

[JKL2000]

The shows I saw for Pros & Cons and Amused to Death were a bit of a letdown because of the lack of Clapton and Jeff Beck (I know Clapton played for one leg, but I saw the later leg so missed him - on the boots with Clapton on them, Clapton is unsurprisingly excellent). The replacements were ok, but just not as great, though I enjoyed the shows a lot regardless, especially the Pros & Cons show - one of my best concert experiences!

But without a world-class guitarist on the stage with Waters, there's always a Gilmour-shaped hole.

[battema]

For the first In The Flesh tours the guitarist was Doyle Bramhall III....he is a good player, but not quite the same style as Gilmour and it showed. That's why I was so pleased with Kilminster; he really has that same sense of flow and feel that Gilmour has. Latimer would've had it as well, of course.

Jeff Beck would have been fantastic as well, but was probably a bit outside of Roger's price range, especially on those first few tours

[Obscured]

I was at that MSG show as well. Loved it! Certainly would've liked to have seen Andy in there, tho.

I was there. And so was Nick Mason, sitting in on drums for the DSOTM set.
From my vantage point-
Better view from Ireland w/Mason-

[Obscured]

The tour went nearly 2 years; here's the entire concert from Argentina-

[GuitarGeek]

For the first In The Flesh tours the guitarist was Doyle Bramhall III....he is a good player, but not quite the same style as Gilmour and it showed.

That's Doyle Bramhall II, not III. And I thought he was fantastic. At the time, I preferred the more old school guitar tones he got on the old Floyd tone, versus the "modern" guitar tones that Gilmour got from his Candy Apple Red Strat with the EMG pickups and EQ system and his big effects rack. Doyle sounded like he was using passive pickups and a smaller pedal board. Yeah, he has that Texas blues thing going, but I thought it worked well and made for a good chance of pace.

And it's what finally led me to checking out his back catalog. I had been aware of Doyle since the early 90's when he was in Arc Angels with Charlie Sexton, Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon, but really hadn't paid much attention to him until he started playing with Roger.

A year or two later, Doyle put out a solo album called Welcome. Great record, recorded mostly live in the studio (there are some overdubs, but more for embellishing purposes, ie things like acoustic guitars, backup vocals, etc), "Without the use of Pro-Tools". He was interviewed in Guitar Player at the time, and asked what the hardest thing about playing with Roger Waters was and he said it was checking out of the big hotels, getting off the tour bus, and going back to touring in a van for his own record.

Roger also had Jon Carin, who played with Pink Floyd during the 87-94 era, making him one of only two musicians (the other being Tim Renwick) to tour with both post Roger Pink Floyd and with Roger as a solo artist. Carin mostly played keyboards, but he also sang lead vocals and played acoustic guitar on Dogs and played lap steel on Shine On You Crazy Diamond. Given that he ended up having to sing some of Roger's vocals on the Pink Floyd tours he played on, I think Jon essentially was doing the same job with both bosses, ie deputizing for Roger when working with Dave, and deputizing for Dave when working for Roger.

As for the 2006 tour, I thought was a good show, but I was a bit disappointed we didn't get Nick Mason in Cleveland (I gather that NYC was the only show Nick performed on for the US leg of the tour). I loved the comment from Snowy White in the tour program where he said that because he was never really into what was trendy, he'd essentially managed to avoid hearing Dark Side Of The Moon before he went to work for the band in 1977.

[JKL2000]

I was there. And so was Nick Mason, sitting in on drums for the DSOTM set.

Now THAT I don't think I remember at all. Or do I?

[Tangram]

The tour went nearly 2 years; here's the entire concert from Argentina-

Does this exist anywhere without the click track?

[Stickleback]

I remember being really excited about Andrew Latimer being asked to audition for Roger Waters. I felt he would really have done a stellar job on the guitar and the tour would have greatly boosted visibility for Camel. I think it's unfair that it was a vocals and guitar or nothing situation for Latimer (Kilminster didn't have to sing after all). Latimer was never a really good singer and certainly couldn't do justice to Gilmour's smooth vocals. I remember Andrew Latimer saying that he croaked his way through wish you were here.

[JJ88]

I remember this being mentioned at the time. I believe Andy became ill not long after this news emerged.