Words by Riley Fitzgerald
Graphic by Storm Thorgerson

David Gilmour is proofreading a book of Syd Barrett‘s lyrics.

The news arrives from a new livestream run in conjunction with the Pink Floyd guitarist’s wife and novelist Polly Sampson.

Before covering Leonard Cohen‘s song ‘Who By Fire‘ with daughter Romany on harp, David Gilmour answered a number of fan questions.

One asked whether he had any touring plans in the immediate future.

“Gosh, I have got no plans at the moment to go touring,” Gilmour revealed. “Touring comes after writing and recording an album for me in my normal rulebook of things.”

David Gilmour also shared that one project he is currently involved with is proofreading a book of lyrics by Pink Floyd’s original creative visionary Syd Barrett.

The guitarist shared he had been listening to Barrett’s original vocal demos to better decipher Syd’s idiosyncratic lyrics.

“It’s kind of sad and moving to kind of listen to old Sydney singing away on his own,” Gilmour reflected.

“I can remember being there in the room when he was doing these things,” he added. “and it’s a source of constant sadness.”

David Gilmour was initially a friend of childhood Barrett’s.

He would later join Pink Floyd in January 12 1968 as a guitarist and co-lead vocalist on account Barrett’s notorious mental breakdown making him less and less predictable onstage.

The pair’s time in Floyd was brief, as Barrett would unceremoniously be ejected from the group within weeks of Gilmour’s joining.

Syd’s musical talents would not be lost upon Gilmour, who, through learning to mimic Barrett’s experimental guitar parts – many of which he had, in turn, inspired by earlier instructing Barrett on guitar or was otherwise familiar with on account of their shared influences – was able to further develop his own style on what would go on to become Pink Floyd’s best-known albums The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals and The Wall.

Barrett would pass away in 2006, leading to Pink Floyd’s Syd Barrett Tribute concert in 2007 (which was also the band’s last public performance).