Roger Waters' three conditions for the Pink Floyd Live 8 reunion

The 2005 Live 8 reunion didn’t happen because everyone suddenly made up. Bob Geldof called each member separately, and David Gilmour initially said no. The whole thing only moved forward when the promoter Harvey Goldsmith managed to get the four of them on a conference call. Roger Waters agreed to do it, but only under three strict conditions.

First, Waters demanded that the entire band share the stage together — no separate backing musicians or split performances. Second, he insisted they donate any potential revenues from the performance to charity, not just the Live 8 event itself. Third, and most specific: Waters required that the band appear under the name Pink Floyd and perform a short set of three songs, not just a single hit. He wanted it to be a proper reunion, not a nostalgia cameo.

The band played “Breathe,” “Money,” and “Comfortably Numb” at Hyde Park. It was the last time all four original members performed together. Waters later said he agreed because he felt the political cause (Make Poverty History) was more important than his grudges. Gilmour said it was “a one-off for a good cause.” The set lasted about 23 minutes. No one expected it to lead anywhere else — and it didn’t.