Happy Birthday Roger Waters: Performing ‘Comfortably Numb’ With Van Morrison & The Band

Co-founding Pink Floyd member Roger Waters celebrates his 73rd birthday today. The British bassist behind one of the world’s most popular rock bands was a central figure in the group’s evolving expansive psychedelic style. As the primary songwriter behind such classics as Dark Side Of The Moon, Wish You Were Here and The Wall, Waters inserted himself among the highest echelon of rock musicians.

In July 1990 Waters staged a concert in Berlin, Germany that was later officially released as a live concert film The Wall – Live In Berlin. Held near the Berlin Wall which had fallen just months before, Waters and his backing group The Bleeding Hearts Band featuring the likes of Rick Di Fonzo, Snowy White and Andy Fairweather-Low were joined by an all-star roster of artists for a performance of The Wall. Guest performers at the concert intended to support the World Memorial Fund for Disaster Relief included Joni Mitchell, Cyndi Lauper, Bryan Adams, Jerry Hall, Scorpions, The Rundfunk Orchestra, The Rundfunk Choir and others.

One of the clear highlights of the concert event was the performance of the well-known Floyd staple “Comfortably Numb” that featured lead vocals by Van Morrison and additional vocal support by The Band members Levon Helm, Rick Danko and Garth Hudson. The stirring collaboration can be viewed in the officially shared video footage below:

Waters will appear next month with The Who, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Neil Young at both Desert Trip weekends being held October 7 – 9 and October 14 – 16 at Empire Polo Field in Indio, California. Vocalists Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe of Lucius will again be joining Waters on stage at the inaugural festival. The following weekend Waters will also perform as part of Young’s annual Bridge School Benefit Concerts at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California on October 22 and 23.