How Gilmour and Mason Rebuilt Pink Floyd for the 1987–89 Tour

After Roger Waters officially left Pink Floyd in 1985, David Gilmour and Nick Mason were left with the name, a legal battle, and a mountain of expectations. The 1987 tour for A Momentary Lapse of Reason wasn’t just about promoting a new album — it was about proving Pink Floyd still existed.

Gilmour and Mason pulled together a touring band that included longtime sidemen like bassist Guy Pratt, keyboardist Jon Carin, percussionist Gary Wallis, and the crucial addition of guitarist Tim Renwick. To handle Waters’ old vocal parts, they brought in backup singers and occasionally used pre-recorded harmonies. The setlist strategy was careful: they opened with the new single “Signs of Life” but followed it immediately with “Learning to Fly” and then a run of classics like “Dogs of War” and “Shine On You Crazy Diamond.” They also played “Money,” “Comfortably Numb,” and “Wish You Were Here” — essentially treating the new material as bookends around the hits.

The gamble worked. Fans showed up in stadiums worldwide, and the tour became one of the highest-grossing of the late ‘80s. It proved that Pink Floyd could exist without its chief lyricist, at least for the moment.