Words by Riley Fitzgerald
Graphic by Franco Origlia/Getty Images

Roger Waters has hit out against former Pink Floyd bandmate David Gilmour in a new Facebook post

Noting the massive fan response for a recent performance of 1979  composition ‘Mother’, Waters has elaborated on his current relationship with Pink Floyd.

“Nothing from me is on the website,” Waters remarks. “I am banned, by David Gilmour, from the website.”

Roger Waters left the group in 1985.

This makes Nick Mason and David Gilmour, legally speaking, the only two members of Pink Floyd.

As a result, it is only Mason and Gilmour who formally have a say in the group’s decision aiming.

Waters sought to address this state of affairs in an attempted “peace talk” held with Mason and Gilmour in 2019.

“I proposed all kinds of measures to get past this awful impasse that we have,” Waters shares. “It bore no fruit I’m sorry to say but one of the things I asked for – I suggested that because of whoever the 30 million of you that you are, who subscribe tot eh webpage, you do so because of the body of work the five of us created.”

As Waters suggest Pink Floyd boasts one of the largest Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter followings of any rock group, surpassing acts like Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan and almost rivaling that of the Beatles.

“In consequence,” Roger contends, “it seems to me it would be fair and correct if we should have equal access.”

“David thinks he owns it,” Roger Waters contends.  “I think he thinks that because I left the band in 1985 that he owns Pink Floyd. That he is Pink Floyd. That I’m irrelevant and I should just keep my mouth shut.”

In Pink Floyd biography Inside Out out drummer Nick Mason revealed Waters, upon leaving the group, attempted to have Pink Floyd legally dissolved.

By Mason’s account, Pink Floyd had a formal agreement which provided that should any member decide to leave they would give up having any voting rights and could no longer use the Pink Floyd name.

As a result the remaining member of the group continued to tour and release albums under the Pink Floyd name while Waters operated as a solo artist.

This said the specifics of the exact arrangement or what occurred during the years-long legal dispute which ensued has never fully been revealed.

“We’re all welcome to our opinions,” Waters adds. “But there have been rumblings and crumblings in the ranks. I’m told by friends of mine who follow these things. Some people are saying, ‘Why do we have to sit ad watch Polly Sampson for year after year and month after month, day after day, and the Von Trapps reading us excerpts from their novels? Yet we don’t get to hear anything Roger is doing”.

Waters refers to Gilmour’s weekly Von Trapped family livestream hosted in conjunction with Gilmour’s wife Polly Sampson.

Roger expresses that he would like his music, tours and film projects publicized via Pink Floyd’s social media channels.

“This is wrong,” Waters levels. “We should rise up. Or just change the name of to Spinal Tap and everything will be hunky-dory.”

Roger Waters urges for greater cooperation.

Give these comments, it seems that the longstanding acrimony between Roger and his Pink Floyd bandmates is far from water under the bridge.

Gilmour and Mason have yet to comment.

The full video below.

Social distancing is a necessary evil in Covid world. Watching "Mother" reminds me just how irreplaceable the joy of being in a band is. pic.twitter.com/F4fxQCfbd6

— Roger Waters (@rogerwaters) May 17, 2020