Rattle That Lock Tour
The Rattle That Lock Tour was a concert tour by English rock musician David Gilmour to promote his fourth solo studio album, Rattle That Lock, released worldwide on 18 September 2015 by Columbia Records.[1] The tour commenced with a preview show at the Brighton Centre in England on 5 September 2015 and concluded with five performances at London's Royal Albert Hall on 23, 25, 28, 29, and 30 September 2016, encompassing multiple legs across Europe, South America, and North America.[2][3] The album Rattle That Lock debuted at number one on charts in 13 countries and reached the top five in 25 territories worldwide, marking Gilmour's first solo release since On an Island in 2006.[4] Spanning roughly a year, the tour's initial leg featured European dates in September and October 2015, followed by Gilmour's inaugural performances in South America during December 2015, with shows in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile.[5] A North American leg took place in March and April 2016, including multiple nights at major venues such as the Hollywood Bowl and Madison Square Garden.[1] Subsequent European dates in summer 2016 highlighted several landmark events, including a free outdoor concert on 25 June in Wrocław, Poland—Gilmour's largest show to date, performed with a 30-piece orchestra conducted by Zbigniew Preisner—and two sold-out nights at the ancient Pompeii Amphitheatre in Italy on 7 and 8 July, the first rock concerts with an audience at the site since Pink Floyd's 1971 filming.[6][4] Additional stops included the Circus Maximus in Rome and the ancient Roman arena in Nîmes, France, emphasizing Gilmour's affinity for historic venues.[7] Gilmour was accompanied by a core touring band comprising guitarist Phil Manzanera, bassist Guy Pratt, keyboardists Jon Carin and Chuck Leavell (with Kevin McAlea on select dates), drummer Steve DiStanislao, saxophonist João Mello, and backing vocalists Sarah Brown, Louise Clare Marshall, and Durga McBroom.[8] The setlists blended material from Rattle That Lock—such as the title track, "5 A.M.," and "Faces of Stone"—with Pink Floyd staples like "Comfortably Numb," "Wish You Were Here," and "Time," often closing with expansive renditions of "Run Like Hell" and "Sorrow."[2] The tour's production incorporated innovative lighting and visuals, including a circular screen for custom films, and was documented in the 2017 concert film David Gilmour Live at Pompeii, directed by Gavin Elder.[4]Background and Development
Announcement and Planning
The Rattle That Lock Tour was first announced on March 4, 2015, through David Gilmour's official website, revealing an initial itinerary of eight European concerts scheduled for September 2015, including three nights at London's Royal Albert Hall.[9] This marked Gilmour's return to the road after a nine-year absence from full-scale touring since his 2006 On an Island Tour.[10] Tickets for these dates went on sale March 6, 2015, with the shows positioned to coincide closely with the release of Gilmour's fourth solo album, Rattle That Lock, on September 18, 2015.[9] Subsequent announcements expanded the tour's scope amid strong demand. On July 16, 2015, four North American dates were revealed for March and April 2016, covering Los Angeles, Toronto, New York, and Chicago—Gilmour's first performances in the region in a decade.[11] Five days later, on July 21, 2015, four additional North American shows were added in the same cities due to overwhelming interest, bringing the leg to eight concerts.[12] Further growth came on February 2, 2016, when 12 new European dates were announced for June and July 2016, spanning Poland, Austria, Italy, Germany, France, Belgium, and the United Kingdom, including four more nights at the Royal Albert Hall.[13] In preparation for the tour's launch, a special preview performance was scheduled and announced on July 26, 2015, for September 5, 2015, at the Brighton Centre in England, serving as a warm-up event to test production elements and refine the live presentation.[14] The set of approximately 4,000 tickets sold out rapidly, reflecting early anticipation. Planning for the tour drew inspiration from historic and atmospheric venues to honor Pink Floyd's legacy, with the initial European leg featuring performances at ancient Roman amphitheatres such as the Arena Pula in Croatia and the Théâtre Antique d'Orange in France.[15] This choice culminated in two landmark shows at Pompeii's Roman Amphitheatre on July 7 and 8, 2016—the first concerts there since Pink Floyd's seminal 1971 filming of Live at Pompeii—emphasizing a thematic continuity with the band's cinematic history.[16]Album Promotion Tie-In
The Rattle That Lock Tour served as the primary promotional vehicle for David Gilmour's fourth solo studio album, Rattle That Lock, which was released on September 18, 2015, via Columbia Records. The tour commenced just six days earlier, on September 12, 2015, in Pula, Croatia, enabling Gilmour to introduce fresh material to audiences in immediate conjunction with the album's launch and build early buzz through live renditions. This close alignment underscored the tour's role in amplifying the album's visibility during its initial rollout phase. Key promotional elements revolved around single releases that dovetailed with tour announcements and marketing visuals. The title track "Rattle That Lock" was issued as the lead single on July 17, 2015,[17] accompanied by a music video directed by Trunk Animation, which incorporated album-themed imagery drawing from Gustave Doré's illustrations of Dante's Inferno. The video premiered on Gilmour's official website and was disseminated across social media platforms to heighten anticipation for both the album and impending tour dates. Similarly, the single "Today" followed on September 7, 2015, with a behind-the-scenes making-of video released online, further intertwining the record's narrative with live performance hype. Central to the tour's promotional intent was the seamless integration of Rattle That Lock tracks into the setlists, positioning the new songs as the evening's focal point and emphasizing Gilmour's artistic independence in his post-Pink Floyd solo endeavors. This approach not only spotlighted the album's introspective themes but also reinforced its conceptual depth. Marketing campaigns amplified these connections through targeted website teasers and social media campaigns that evoked the album's motifs of personal reflection and Dante-inspired journeys, framing the tour as an extension of the record's exploratory spirit.Tour Overview
Legs and Itinerary
The Rattle That Lock Tour was structured across five legs from September 12, 2015, to September 23, 2016, encompassing 52 performances primarily in Europe, with extensions to South America and North America.[15] The tour grossed over $78 million, reflecting strong global demand.[18] The itinerary emphasized a mix of historic amphitheaters, arenas, and iconic halls, allowing Gilmour to showcase the album's material in diverse settings while building on his Pink Floyd legacy.[6] The first leg focused on Europe, running from September 12 to October 3, 2015, and included 11 shows across cities such as Pula in Croatia and multiple nights at London's Royal Albert Hall in the UK.[19] This opening phase kicked off the tour with performances in Mediterranean and Central European venues, highlighting ancient sites like the Arena in Pula to evoke a sense of historical resonance.[15] (Note: A preview show occurred on September 5 at Brighton Centre, sometimes considered separately.) The second leg shifted to South America, executed from December 11 to 20, 2015, with 6 shows across Brazil (São Paulo twice, Curitiba, and Porto Alegre), Argentina (Buenos Aires), and Chile (Santiago).[15] These concerts marked Gilmour's return to the region after many years, drawing large crowds to stadiums and drawing international attention to the tour's global reach.[20] Leg 3 brought the tour to North America from March 24 to April 12, 2016, featuring 11 shows in major U.S. and Canadian cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York.[19] The segment included multiple nights at venues like the Hollywood Bowl and Madison Square Garden, capitalizing on high demand with added dates to accommodate fans.[15] The fourth leg returned to Europe from June 25 to July 28, 2016, comprising 15 shows that incorporated orchestral elements, beginning in Wrocław, Poland.[6] This phase emphasized collaborative arrangements with a 30-piece orchestra, enhancing the production in open-air and historic settings across the continent.[20] The fifth and final leg consisted of five shows at London's Royal Albert Hall from September 14 to 23, 2016, concluding the tour with intimate performances in a familiar venue.[3][19]Venues and Notable Locations
The Rattle That Lock Tour featured performances in several historic European amphitheatres and ancient Roman sites, which lent a timeless, immersive quality to the shows reminiscent of Pink Floyd's landmark 1972 film Live at Pompeii. The tour's European leg opened on September 12, 2015, at the Pula Arena in Croatia, a remarkably preserved first-century Roman amphitheatre that seats over 5,000 spectators and has hosted modern concerts since the 1970s, enhancing the atmospheric blend of antiquity and contemporary rock.[21] Other stops included the ancient Roman Arena di Verona in Italy on September 14, 2015, a 30,000-capacity venue built in 30 AD that amplified the grandeur of Gilmour's guitar solos against its stone arches, and the Théâtre Antique d'Orange in France on September 17, 2015, the world's best-preserved Roman theatre with its intact stage wall, creating an echoey, open-air resonance that underscored the tour's thematic echoes of classical endurance. Iconic indoor venues provided contrasting intimacy and prestige across the tour's global itinerary. In London, Gilmour performed five sold-out nights at the Royal Albert Hall in September and October 2015 (September 23, 24, 25, and October 2, 3), a Victorian-era concert hall renowned for its acoustics and history of hosting legendary acts since 1871, where the venue's ornate dome and tiered seating fostered a sense of communal reverence during the performances.[22] Across the Atlantic, the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago welcomed Gilmour on April 6, 2016, a restored 1889 landmark with opulent interiors and superior sound design, marking his return to the city after decades and contributing to a warm, enveloping sonic experience in its 4,000-seat auditorium.[23] Similarly, two nights at Madison Square Garden in New York on April 11–12, 2016, utilized the arena's storied status as a rock pilgrimage site—having premiered Pink Floyd's The Wall in 1980—to deliver high-energy shows amid its 20,000-capacity bowl, where the venue's electric buzz elevated the crowd's engagement.[24] The tour reached its emotional pinnacle with back-to-back performances on July 7–8, 2016, at the Anfiteatro di Pompeii in Italy, an ancient Roman amphitheatre buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD and excavated in the 18th century, serving as the exact site of Pink Floyd's 1971 filming that inspired the 1972 release—representing a 44-year return for Gilmour to this evocative ruin. The open-air setting under the stars, with the Vesuvius backdrop, imbued the concerts with profound historical symbolism, amplifying themes of legacy and transience in Gilmour's set.[25] Additional standout locations highlighted the tour's versatility in blending settings with musical innovation. The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles hosted shows on March 24–25, 2016, an iconic outdoor amphitheatre nestled in the Hollywood Hills since 1922, where the natural acoustics and hillside seating under clear skies created a cinematic, breezy ambiance that complemented the expansive soundscapes.[26] In Wrocław, Poland, the June 25, 2016, performance at Freedom Square integrated a 30-piece orchestra conducted by Zbigniew Preisner, transforming the open urban plaza—historically significant as a site of public gatherings—into a symphonic stage that enriched the orchestral arrangements with a communal, festive energy.[27]Setlist and Production
Standard Setlist
The standard setlist for the Rattle That Lock Tour typically featured 18 to 20 songs performed over approximately 2.5 hours, striking a balance between seven to eight tracks from David Gilmour's 2015 album Rattle That Lock and classic Pink Floyd compositions, with additional selections from his earlier solo work.[28][29][30] The concert opened with three tracks from the new album—"5 A.M.," "Rattle That Lock," and "Faces of Stone"—to emphasize the promotional focus on Rattle That Lock, before transitioning into familiar Pink Floyd material.[31][32] An acoustic segment midway through the first half highlighted introspective songs from the album, including "A Boat Lies Waiting" and "The Blue." The mid-set incorporated Pink Floyd staples such as "Wish You Were Here," "What Do You Want From Me," "Money," "Us and Them," "Time," "Breathe (Reprise)," and "Comfortably Numb," providing high-energy renditions of the band's iconic repertoire.[28][31] A representative standard setlist, drawn from multiple performances across the tour legs, is as follows:-
First Set:
- "5 A.M." (Rattle That Lock)
- "Rattle That Lock" (Rattle That Lock)
- "Faces of Stone" (Rattle That Lock)
- "Wish You Were Here" (Pink Floyd)
- "What Do You Want From Me" (Pink Floyd)
- "A Boat Lies Waiting" (Rattle That Lock)
- "The Blue" (Rattle That Lock)
- "Money" (Pink Floyd)
- "Us and Them" (Pink Floyd)
- "In Any Tongue" (Rattle That Lock)
- "High Hopes" (Pink Floyd)
- Second Set:
- Encore: