Roger Waters Reveals Pink Floyd Turned Down a Massive Amount of Money to Tour Again After Live 8

A Reunion That Ended Too Soon

Roger Waters has revealed that Pink Floyd rejected a massive amount of offer to tour again after their performance at Live 8. The charity event, organized by Bob Geldof in 2005, brought Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright back together on stage for what would be their final performance as a four-piece.

Waters admitted he “really loved” the reunion, calling the experience special. However, with Wright’s passing in 2009, the chance for the classic Dark Side of the Moon lineup to perform again is gone. While Gilmour has occasionally joined Waters at solo shows, the possibility of another full reunion is highly unlikely.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Pink Floyd (@pinkfloyd)

The Massive Amount Offer

Speaking to Word Magazine, Waters explained how quickly interest followed their Live 8 set. “Oh it was terrific. I really loved it. I hope we do it again. It was more than good,” he said. “If some other opportunity arose, I could even imagine us doing The Dark Side of the Moon again – you know, if there was a special occasion. It would be good to hear it again. Live 8 was so great.”

No such plan happened, but Waters revealed just how tempting the offer was. “The day they announced the Pink Floyd were to play Live 8, I went out to dinner with a friend and an offer arrived – literally bang on the dinner table – for the four of us, the Pink Floyd, to tour again. An offer of $250 million. Guaranteed.”

Why the Band Said No

The bassist did not say why the group declined, though he hinted it would have taken more than money to reunite. “A good reason. I don’t know. Something with a political or charitable connection,” he explained, suggesting the lack of such purpose may have influenced their decision.

Since Live 8, Waters and Gilmour have both continued performing as solo artists, keeping Pink Floyd’s music alive in their own ways. Yet the absence of a charitable or political cause like Live 8 made another reunion far less likely.

Awkward Silences and Final Words

Waters’ story adds to what many fans already know about the complicated relationships within the band. Gilmour’s wife, lyricist Polly Samson, described the atmosphere before Live 8. She said: “David wanted something as a full stop to the whole Pink Floyd thing.

“So, without a piece of music, I wrote Louder Than Words. It was an easy lyric to write because for years I’d noticed this thing. If you’re in a room with David, Nick [Mason] and Rick, or as I was in at Live 8 with David, Nick, Rick and Roger [Waters], nobody speaks.

“There is nothing but awkward silences. They have no small talk with each other, they have no big talk with each other, they just do not speak. If you happen to be the unlucky person in the room, it’s the most awkward feeling you can imagine.

“And then they get onstage with their instruments and suddenly they’re so eloquent, and the way they communicate is beautiful. And so I wrote Louder Than Words just to express that feeling.”