See also: The Bleeding Heart Band. Roger Waters is an English musician and singer-songwriter who started his career as bassist of Pink Floyd. Before his departure from Pink Floyd, he started touring and recording under his own name in 1984. His first tour band featured Waters on vocals, bass and guitar alongside lead guitarist Eric Clapton, rhythm guitarist/bassist Tim Renwick, keyboardist Michael Kamen, organist/bassist Chris Stainton, drummer Andy Newmark, saxophonist Mel Collins, and backing vocalists, Doreen Chanter and Katie Kissoon. Current members of his band include keyboardist, guitarist and vocalist Jon Carin (from 1999 to 2000 and since 2006), guitarists/vocalists Dave Kilminster (since 2006) and Jonathan Wilson, bassist/guitarist Gus Seyffert, drummer Joey Waronker (all since 2017), organist Robert Walter, saxophonist Seamus Blake and backing vocalists Amanda Belair and Shanay Johnson (all since 2022).
In March 1983, the last Pink Floyd album with Waters, The Final Cut, was released. It was subtitled: "A requiem for the post-war dream by Roger Waters, performed by Pink Floyd". Waters wrote all the album's lyrics and music, causing Rolling Stone to view the work as "essentially a Roger Waters solo album".[1] In 1984, Waters released his first solo album, The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking, the album featured guitarist Eric Clapton, keyboardists Andy Bown and Michael Kamen (both previously Pink Floyd collaborators) horn players Raphael Ravenscroft, Kevin Flanagan, Vic Sullivan and David Sanborn, percussionists Andy Newmark and Ray Cooper and backing vocalists Madeline Bell, Katie Kissoon and Doreen Chanter.[2]
In support of the album, he toured in June and July 1984 with Clapton, Kamen, Newmark, Kissoon and Chanter alongside guitarist/bassist Tim Renwick, organist/bassist Chris Stainton and saxophonist Mel Collins.[3] [4] Tour undersold tickets causing some concerts at larger venues to be cancelled,[5] despite Clapton's fame, but did better in 1985,[6] though by then Clapton had been replaced by Jay Stapley along with Renwick by Andy Fairweather-Low and Stainton had also departed but was not replaced. The tour continued in 1985 between March and April,[7] during the tour the band also played some Pink Floyd songs, as well as the first time some songs from The Final Cut were performed live.
In 1986, Waters contributed songs and a score to the soundtrack of the animated film When the Wind Blows, based on the Raymond Briggs book of the same name. His backing band featured himself, Stapley, and Collins with guest keyboardist/vocalist Paul Carrack, bassist John Gordon, keyboardists Nick Glennie-Smith and Matt Irving, drummers John Lingwood and Freddie Krc and former Pink Floyd backing vocalist Clare Torry.[8] The album was credited as Roger Waters and The Bleeding Heart Band;[9] other artists on the soundtrack include David Bowie, Hugh Cornwell, Genesis, Squeeze and Paul Hardcastle.
In 1987, Waters released Radio K.A.O.S., which featured Waters, Collins, Fairweather-Low, Stapley, Carrack, Glennie-Smith, Irving and Lingwood alongside drummer Graham Broad, multi-instrumentalist Ian Ritchie.[10] Waters toured in support of the album in 1987; the touring band included returning members Fairweather-Low, Stapley, Collins, Kissoon, Chanter, with new members Graham Broad on drums and Paul Carrack on keyboards and vocals.[11] [12] The setlist included both Waters solo and Pink Floyd material[13] and saw Waters splitting lead vocals with Carrack on several songs.[14] After the tour concluded in November 1987, Waters' next show was a performance of Pink Floyd's The Wall on top of the recently fallen Berlin Wall in July 1990. The show featured various guest performers supported by The Bleeding Heart Band which featured Fairweather-Low, Glennie-Smith and Broad with new member Rick Di Fonzo on guitar, and original tour personnel guitarist Snowy White, keyboardist Peter Wood, and backing vocalists Stan Farber, Joe Chemay, Jim Haas and John Joyce.[15] On 21 August 1990[16] [17] an album and video of the concert was released under the name The Wall – Live in Berlin.
Following the show, Waters continued to work on his third solo album Amused to Death, which work had started on in 1987,[18] with producer and keyboardist Patrick Leonard.[19] The album features guest appearances from guitarist Jeff Beck alongside various session musicians including live members Graham Broad, Andy Fairweather-Low, Rick DiFonzo, Doreen Chanter, Katie Kissoon, Jon Joyce, Stan Farber and Jim Haas as well as other guest appearances from soul singer P.P. Arnold, Eagles drummer Don Henley and members of Toto.
Prior to the release of Amused to Death, Waters performed at Guitar Legends festival in Seville, Spain on 18 October 1991.[20] The band featured guitarists Andy Fairweather-Low and Snowy White, keyboardists Peter Wood and Patrick Leonard, drummer Graham Broad, guest bassist Tony Levin, and backing vocalists Katie Kissoon and Doreen Chanter.[21] The concert featured a debut live performance of "What God Wants, Part I"[22] and a guest appearance from singer and pianist Bruce Hornsby on "Comfortably Numb".[23] This show would be Waters' last for almost 8 years.
After Amused to Death was released, a tour did not happen. Instead, the first time material was played was at Waters' In the Flesh tour in 1999, the band for this tour included returning members Andy Fairweather-Low, Snowy White, Graham Broad and Katie Kissoon, as well as new members guitarist/vocalist Doyle Bramhall II (who had previously worked with Eric Clapton), keyboardist/guitarist/vocals Jon Carin (who had worked with post-Waters Pink Floyd), organist Andy Wallace and new backing vocalist P. P. Arnold (who had recorded with Waters on Amused to Death).[24]
This tour, Waters' first in 12 years,[25] did financially well[26] and even had some shows at smaller venues being upgraded to larger venues.[26] The tour continued into 2000 with the band staying the same except for the addition of Prince collaborator Susannah Melvoin joining on backing vocals and various guest saxophonists, including former member Mel Collins, Memphis Horns members Wayne Jackson (on trumpet) and Andrew Love as well as jazz musicians Ed Calle, Don Menza, Steve Tavaglione and various other musicians,[27] a live album and DVD of the tour was recorded mainly on 27 June 2000 at Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Oregon,[26] which featured saxophonist Norbert Stachel.[28] The tour continued into 2002, taking a break in 2001, with new a change in band members. Bramhall and Melvoin departed and were replaced by Chester Kamen and Linda Lewis respectively, as well as Carin being replaced by Harry Waters (Roger's son),[29] soon after the tour began, Lewis was replaced by Carol Kenyon and saxophonist Norbert Stachel as a permanent member.[30] This leg also featured a guest appearance from Waters former Pink Floyd bandmate Nick Mason on 26 and 27 June.[31] [32] The tour concluded at the Glastonbury Festival on 30 June.[33] [34]
The next time Waters performed live was with his former Pink Floyd bandmates at Live 8 in July 2005 at Hyde Park, musicians at that show were the bands Classic line-up of David Gilmour (guitar, vocals, pedal steel), Waters (bass, vocals, guitar), Richard Wright (keyboards) and Nick Mason (drums), as well as mutual collaborators Jon Carin (keyboards, vocals, lap steel),[35] Tim Renwick (guitar, bass),[36] Dick Parry (saxophone)[37] and Carol Kenyon (backing vocals).[38] [39]
Waters' next release after Live 8 was French: [[Ça Ira (opera)|Ça Ira]], a classical style opera which worked had started on in 1989.[40]
In 2006, Waters started on The Dark Side of the Moon Live, which included a similar band to the In the Flesh tour with White, Fairweather-Low, H. Waters and Broad as well as Kenyon, Kissoon and Arnold, the tour also featured a returning Jon Carin and new guitarist/vocalist Dave Kilminster and former producer Ian Ritchie on saxophone.[41] The tour started at to Rock in Rio festival on 2 June 2006,[42] and continued into 2007 with personnel staying the same. In 2008 the band had some major changes, long-time members, Katie Kissoon (who had performed at every show up to that point except The Wall - Live in Berlin) and Andy Fairweather-Low (who had played at every show since 1985) both departed and were replaced by Sylvia Mason-James and a returning Chester Kamen respectively.[43]
On 10 July 2010, Waters made an appearance with his former Pink Floyd bandmate David Gilmour at a charity gig for the Hoping Foundation,[44] backing the band included Guy Pratt on bass and acoustic guitar (who had performed with post Waters Pink Floyd), Harry Waters on keyboards, Andy Newmark on drums, Chester Kamen on guitar and Jonjo Grisdale also on keyboards.[45]
Waters' next tour was a full staging of The Wall which toured between 2010 and 2013, the tour band included returning members Dave Kilminster,[46] Snowy White,[47] Graham Broad, Jon Carin, Harry Waters and John Joyce and new members G. E. Smith (guitar/bass), Robbie Wyckoff (lead and backing vocals) and Venice members[48] Kipp Lennon, Mark Lennon and Pat Lennon.[49] H. Waters and Joyce also performed on the original album. The tour started on 15 September 2010 in Toronto and concluded in Paris 21 September 2013. The tour featured a guest appearance from Gilmour on "Comfortably Numb" and "Outside the Wall" at London O2 show, 12 May 2011, Nick Mason also played tambourine on "Outside the Wall" at that show.[50]
In 2015, Waters headlined the Newport Folk Festival in Newport, Rhode Island, with Jim James (guitar, vocals), Tom Blankenship (bass) Patrick Hallahan (drums) Bo Koster (keys) and Carl Broemel (guitar, pedal steel) of the band My Morning Jacket, along with G.E. Smith (guitar) and Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig (backing vocals) of the band Lucius acting as a backing band.[51] This show also featured guest appearances from singer Amy Helm and fiddler Sara Watkins.
The next shows were three concerts in Mexico City on September 28, 29 and October 1,[52] [53] [54] [55] and at the Desert Trip festival on October 9 and 16.[56] The band for these shows was similar to that of The Wall tour, but included Wolfe and Laessig instead of the male vocalists.
Waters released his first solo album in nearly 25 years, Is This the Life We Really Want?, on 2 June 2017.[57] Musicians on the album included Gus Seyffert on guitar, keyboards and bass, Nigel Godrich and Jonathan Wilson on guitar and keyboards, Roger Joseph Manning Jr. and Lee Pardini on keyboards, Joey Waronker on drums and Wolfe and Laessig on vocals. Arrangements were provided by Godrich and David Campbell and the album was also produced by Godrich.[58]
The album had a tour to accompany it, the Us + Them Tour, which started in Kansas city on 26 May 2017 and ran till 9 December 2018 at Monterrey and included legs in North America, Europe and South America, included larger line-up changes, with Smith, White, Broad and H. Waters, departing and Seyffert, Wilson, Waronker and Drew Erickson joining,[59] [60] replacing the musicians and saxophonist Ian Ritchie returning.[61] Erickson left due to an injury[62] and was replaced by Bo Koster.[63] [64] [65] A live album and video of the tour called was released on 2 October 2020,[66] which included Amsterdam shows of 18 – 23 June 2018 at the Ziggo Dome.[67]
In January 2020, Waters officially announced the This Is Not a Drill tour which was scheduled to happen in North America between July and October of that year[68] and was described as a "first farewell tour".[69] However, in March, the tour was postposed to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic outbreak,[70] [71] [72] [73] this was later changed to 2022.[69]
During the pandemic, Waters posted re-recordings of his previous songs on YouTube under the name The Lockdown Sessions, these recordings featured all the members of the Us + Them tour band,[74] and were later releases on an album in December 2022, along with a re-recording of Comfortably Numb called Comfortably Numb 2022.[75] [76] [77] [78]
The touring band was revealed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in June 2022,[79] and featured returning members Jon Carin, Dave Kilminster, Gus Seyffert and Joey Waronker, with new members Robert Walter on organ, Seamus Blake on saxophone and Amanda Belair and Shanay Johnson on backing vocals. Ian Ritchie had intended to be part of the tour but had to step down during rehearsals due to health issues.[80] The tour was extended to have legs in Europe between March and June 2023,[81] and South America between October and December 2023.[82] [83] [84] [85] [86]
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roger Waters | 1984–present | all releases | ||
| Jon Carin | ||||
| Dave Kilminster | ||||
| Gus Seyffert | 2017–present | |||
| Jonathan Wilson | ||||
| Robert Walter | 2022–present | |||
| Shanay Johnson | ||||
| Amanda Belair | ||||
| Seamus Blake | Roger Waters: This Is Not a Drill - Live from Prague (2023) |
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katie Kissoon | ||||
| Doreen Chanter | backing vocals | |||
| Mel Collins | saxophone | |||
| 1984–1985 | ||||
| 1984–1985 | ||||
| Eric Clapton | 1984 | |||
| Tim Renwick | none | |||
| Chris Stainton | ||||
| Andy Fairweather Low | 1985–2007 | |||
| Jay Stapley | 1985–1987 | |||
| Graham Broad | 1987–2016 | |||
| Paul Carrack | 1987 | |||
| Snowy White | lead and rhythm guitar | |||
| Peter Wood | 1990–1991 | The Wall – Live in Berlin (1990) | ||
| Nick Glennie-Smith | 1990 | |||
| Rick Di Fonzo | lead guitar | |||
| Joe Chemay | backing vocals | |||
| Stan Farber | ||||
| Jim Haas | 1990 | |||
| John Joyce | ||||
| Patrick Leonard | 1991 | |||
| Tony Levin | bass guitar | none | ||
| 1999–2008 | ||||
| Andy Wallace | 1999–2002 | |||
| Doyle Bramhall II | 1999–2000 | |||
| Susannah Melvoin | 2000 | |||
| Norbert Stachel | In the Flesh – Live (2000) | |||
| Harry Waters | Roger Waters: The Wall (2015) | |||
| Chester Kamen | none | |||
| Linda Lewis | 2002 | |||
| Carol Kenyon | 2002 | |||
| Ian Ritchie | ||||
| Sylvia Mason-James | 2008 | none | ||
| G. E. Smith | 2010–2016 | Roger Waters: The Wall (2015) | ||
| Robbie Wyckoff | 2010–2016 | |||
| Kipp Lennon | 2010–2013 | |||
| Mark Lennon | ||||
| Pat Lennon | ||||
| Bo Koster | ||||
| Jim James | 2015 | none | ||
| Tom Blankenship | bass guitar | |||
| Patrick Hallahan | ||||
| Carl Broemel | ||||
| Drew Erickson | 2017 | none | ||
| Jess Wolfe | 2015–2021 | |||
| Holly Laessig |
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking (1984) | ||||
| Raphael Ravenscroft | 1983 | horns | |||
| Kevin Flanagan | 1983 | ||||
| Vic Sullivan | |||||
| saxophone | |||||
| Ray Cooper | percussion | ||||
| Andy Quigley | voices | ||||
| Manning Redwood | |||||
| 1983 | |||||
| 1983 | |||||
| 1983 | |||||
| John Gordon | 1985 | bass guitar | When the Wind Blows (1986) | ||
| Freddie Krc | |||||
| Matt Irving | 1985 | ||||
| John Lingwood | 1985 | ||||
| Suzanne Rhatigan | 1986 | backing vocals | Radio K.A.O.S. (1987) | ||
| Steve Langer | |||||
| Vicki Brown | 1986 | ||||
| 1986 | trumpet | ||||
| trombone | |||||
| 1987–1992 | guitar | Amused to Death (1992) | |||
| Luis Conte | 1987–1992 | percussion | |||
| guitar | |||||
| Tim Pierce | |||||
| Steve Lukather | |||||
| B.J. Cole | pedal steel guitar | ||||
| Bruce Gaitsch | acoustic guitar | ||||
| David Paich | Hammond organ | ||||
| John "Rabbit" Bundrick | |||||
| Randy Jackson | bass | ||||
| John Pierce | |||||
| Brian Macleod | |||||
| Denny Fongheiser | drums | ||||
| 1987–1992 | |||||
| 1987–1992 | |||||
| Guo Yi & the Peking Brothers | |||||
| John Dupree | strings arranger and conductor | ||||
| commentary | |||||
| Alf Razzell | speech | ||||
| London Welsh Chorale | choir | ||||
| backing vocals | |||||
| Natalie Jackson | |||||
| Lynn Fiddmont-Linsey | |||||
| Jessica Leonard | |||||
| Jordan Leonard | |||||
| Screaming Kids | |||||
| harmony vocals | |||||
| 2017 | keyboards | Is This the Life We Really Want? (2017) | |||
| Lee Pardini | |||||
| David Campbell | string arrangements | ||||
| Nigel Godrich |
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985–1987 | lead and backing vocals | Torry contributed lead vocals on "The Great Gig in the Sky" on 26 August at Madison Square Garden and on 21 and 22 November at Wembley Arena during the Radio K.A.O.S. tour in 1987. She also contributed backing vocals to When the Wind Blows (1986) and lead vocals to "Home" and "Four Minutes" from Radio K.A.O.S. (1987) | ||
| Klaus Meine | 1990 | Then current members of Scorpions performed "In the Flesh?", "In the Flesh", "Run Like Hell" and "Waiting for the Worms" at The Wall – Live in Berlin concert. | ||
| Rudolf Schenker | ||||
| Matthias Jabs | ||||
| Francis Buchholz | ||||
| Herman Rarebell | ||||
| Ute Lemper | lead and backing vocals | Lemper, along with Waters and the Rundfunk Orchestra & Choir, performed "The Thin Ice" in Berlin and also played the Wife on "The Trial". | ||
| Lauper performed on "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)" and on "The Tide Is Turning" | ||||
| Dolby performed a Keytar solo on "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)" and also played the Schoolmaster on "The Trial" | ||||
| Sinéad O'Connor | 1990 | lead and backing vocals | O Connor, members of The Band and the Hooters performed on "Mother". | |
| Rick Danko | 1990 | Members of The Band with Sinéad O'Connor and the Hooters performed on "Mother", as well as on "Comfortably Numb" with Van Morrison, Roger Waters, the Band, and the Rundfunk Orchestra & Choir. | ||
| Levon Helm | 1990 | |||
| 1990 | Hudson performed a Sax solo on "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 1)" and played accordion alongside The Band bandmates on "Mother". | |||
| Eric Bazilian | guitar | The Hooters played acoustic instruments on "Mother" with Sinéad O'Connor, members of The Band. | ||
| Rob Hyman | melodica | |||
| Fran Smith Jr. | bass guitar | |||
| David Uosikkinen | tambourine | |||
| vocals | Mitchell and Galway performed "Goodbye Blue Sky" with the Rundfunk Orchestra & Choir. Mitchell also performed on "The Tide Is Turning" | |||
| James Galway | flute | |||
| Bryan Adams | Adams performed on "Empty Spaces/What Shall We Do Now?" and "Young Lust" alongside Waters and the Rundfunk Orchestra & Choir. He also performed on "The Tide Is Turning" | |||
| Jerry Hall | spoken word | Hall performed the opening monologue on "One of My Turns". | ||
| Van Morrison | lead and backing vocals | Morrison along with Rick Danko and Levon Helm of the Band performed on "Comfortably Numb" with Roger Waters and the Rundfunk Orchestra & Choir. He also performed on "The Tide Is Turning" | ||
| Tim Curry | lead vocals | Curry played the Prosecutor on "The Trial". | ||
| Marianne Faithfull | Faithfull played the Mother on "The Trial". | |||
| Albert Finney | 1990 | Finney played the Judge on "The Trial". | ||
| Bruce Hornsby | 1991 | Hornsby sang on "Comfortably Numb" at Guitar Legends, Seville 1991.[87] | ||
| Mike MacArthur | 2000 | saxophone | MacArthur played saxophone on 2 June on the In the Flesh tour. | |
| Ed Calle | Calle played saxophone on 3 June. | |||
| Wayne Jackson | 2000 | trumpet | Jackson and Love performed on 6 June. | |
| 2000 | saxophone | |||
| Tim Gordon | 2000 | Gordon played saxophone on 7 June. | ||
| Shelley Carroll | Carroll played saxophone on the 10-11–13 June. | |||
| Don Menza | Menza played saxophone on the 16-17–19 June. | |||
| Steve Tavaglione | Tavaglione played saxophone on the 21-22–24 June. | |||
| Eric Walton | Walton played saxophone on 30 June & 1 July. | |||
| Mark Harris | Harris played saxophone on 3 July. | |||
| Steve Eisen | Eisen played saxophone on 6 July. | |||
| Nick Mason | Former bandmate Mason has made several appearances with Waters. First was in 2002 at Wembley Arena on 26 and 27 June, Next was in 2006 at 12 June show in Iceland,[88] 29 June in Ireland,[89] the 1 July show at Hyde Park in London,[90] the 12 July show in Italy,[91] the 14 July show in France[92] and various dates in 2007 in North America. He also played tambourine on Outside the Wall at London O2 show on 12 May 2011 alongside David Gilmour. | |||
| 2011 | Other former bandmate Gilmour performed vocals and lead guitar on Comfortably Numb and mandolin on Outside the Wall at London O2 show on 12 May 2011. | |||
| Eddie Vedder | lead vocals | Vedder sang on Comfortably Numb at Madison Square Garden at the 12:12:12 Hurricane Sandy benefit and later at Chicago United Center on July 24, 2017.[93] [94] | ||
| Sara Watkins | 2015 | fiddle | Watkins and Helm played with Waters at Newport Folk Festival. | |
| Amy Helm | lead and backing vocals |
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Cocker | 1990 | vocals | Stewart and Cocker were confirmed to perform in Berlin but were unavailable when the concert date was put back.[95] | ||
| Rod Stewart | 1990 | ||||
| Peter Gabriel | Gabriel and Springsteen were asked to perform in Berlin but either turned it down or were unavailable. | ||||
| Bruce Springsteen | |||||
| David Gilmour | Ex-Pink Floyd bandmates had apparently "been given the legal go-ahead to perform with Roger [in Berlin] but had not been contacted." | ||||
| Nick Mason | drums | ||||
| Rick Wright | 1990 | keyboards | |||
| Andrew Latimer | 2006 | Latimer, leader of the progressive rock group Camel had auditioned to be lead guitarist and Gilmour's vocal replacement on The Dark Side of the Moon Live tour, but it was felt his voice could not reach the same high notes.[96] | |||
| Michael Lennon | 2010 | backing vocals | Lennon (of the band Venice) was confirmed to be part of the touring band for The Wall Live tour but with drew due to vocal issues and was replaced his cousin Pat Lennon, also of Venice.[97] [98] |
| Period | Members | Releases | |
|---|---|---|---|
| February – December 1983 |
|
| |
| June – July 1984 |
| none | |
| March – April 1985 |
| none | |
| Winter 1985 |
|
| |
| Early 1986 |
|
| |
| October – December 1986 |
|
| |
| August – November 1987 |
| None | |
| July 1990 |
|
| |
| 1991 |
| none | |
| 1992 |
|
| |
| |||
| 1992 |
|
| |
| 1987–1992 |
with other session musicians |
| |
| July – August 1999 |
| none | |
| June – July 2000 |
|
| |
| February – April 2002 |
| none | |
| May – June 2002 |
| ||
| June 2006 – July 2007 |
| none | |
| April – May 2008 |
| ||
| September 2010 – September 2013 |
|
| |
| July 2015 |
| none | |
| September – October 2016 |
| none | |
| 2010–2017 |
| ||
| May – August 2017 |
| none | |
| September 2017 – 2022 |
|
| |
| 2022 |
|
| |
| June 2022 – present |
|
|