AFG: You didn’t see the broadcast (as you were in it, live in the moment!), but did you catch the film? If so, how did you like it?

DK: Well, I actually did see a bit of the broadcast!! We went back to the hotel after the show and I saw about twenty seconds of it on (Creative Director) Sean Evans’ laptop as he was showing Roger how the live feed looked & sounded – it also happened to be the ‘Money’ guitar solo, and it sounded great!! – but no, I resisted the urge to watch the whole thing on YouTube!!

As for the film, I was invited to a private screening a couple of weeks ago, but I was out of the country at the time… I’ve seen some clips though, and the quality is astounding!!

AFG: Conceptually, from what Roger said early on, TINAD was meant to be a little bit different, with actors employed at one point. From your perspective, how was the show different in its early stages versus the final result (and now, the film)?

DK: Yeah, he mentioned about the actors and stuff when we initially got together for rehearsals, but I never really knew the full extent of the original plan… I think it was (as he said) a little too ambitious at the time.

AFG: Was the setlist any different?

DK: Not that I know of… probably with the actors he would have wanted to do the whole of ‘The Bar’ though, so maybe we’d have dropped a song or two.

AFG: Was it always Roger’s plan to stage this show in the round, or were there discussions about extending Us + Them with another leg? There was, after all, a stadium-sized version of the show in the latter part of 2018.

DK: Yes, there were more touring plans for ‘Us & Them’ in 2020 involving arenas & stadiums, but obviously Covid hit and everything shut down for a few years…  So I don’t know how long the ‘in the round’ idea had been knocking about, but it was nice to try something new.

AFG: What were the challenges of performing in the round? Any technical challenges?

DK: I believe the main technical challenge was hanging the huge ‘monolith’ from the roof of the venue (as well as a giant PA!!). So that was a major headache due to the extreme weight (apparently it was the heaviest tour EVER!!!), and unfortunately it also meant that there were certain cities/venues we couldn’t play, as the venue’s roof literally wouldn’t support that much weight…

… all of which made standing underneath it a little daunting at times!!

Photo by Kate Izor

As for personal challenges, I think the most difficult thing for me was the absence of any speakers or monitors on stage. I mean, there were speaker cabinets on stage but they weren’t actually plugged in… they were only there to put your amps on!! We all used in-ears & plugged into these Rivera ‘Silent Sister’ isolation cabinets hidden beneath the stage, which actually sounded great!! But I really missed that interaction between the guitar & speaker… the feel of the sound hitting the back of your legs… It’s difficult to explain, but there’s a symbiotic relationship between guitar & speaker which affects the feel & sustain of the instrument, and that was obviously missing… so it took a little while to get used to that.

AFG: What were the challenges of touring post-COVID, just as things were starting to return to “normal”?

DK: Well, there was a nurse traveling with us on tour and we all had to have regular Covid tests every couple of days… We also had to stay in our ‘band bubble’ so; NO backstage hospitality, NO ‘meet & greets’, NO after show parties and obviously wearing face masks whenever we went outside… looking back it was such a surreal time!!

Photo by Mark Tiplady

AFG: When preparing for the tour, do you, Jonathan Wilson, and/or Jon Carin coordinate who plays which guitar parts, given that all three of you have played most of the material before?

DK: No. Roger likes to get involved in those decisions sometimes, so we generally just turn up at rehearsals & figure it out when we’re all together… I tend to learn all the guitar parts anyway, so I’m ready for whatever’s needed…

AFG: When you knew you’d be opening the show with a darker, slower version of Comfortably Numb, did you think it would resonate with the audience?

DK: I really had no idea!! Actually, it wasn’t until I saw Sean’s incredible visuals for that tune that I thought ’ok, this’ll work’. And obviously Shanay’s beautifully impassioned vocals were the icing on the cake…

AFG: Did you miss playing that iconic solo live, or were you secretly happy to finally get a break?

DK: Haha… no, I didn’t miss it… I mean, it’s not even my solo but I’ve probably played it as much as the ‘other’ David!! Haha…

AFG: Roger is the type of artist who workshops new material on the road—even if it’s just a song or two. Does he welcome new musical ideas from you and the rest of the band?

DK: He always welcomes ideas/comments/suggestions on any particular song that we’re working on… and he’s also more than happy to tell you if he thinks your idea’s shit!!! Haha… no, there’s been a few things I’ve suggested in the past that have ended up being part of an arrangement or whatever, but ultimately Roger has the last word.

Photo by Kate Izor

AFG: When Roger releases a concert film, it’s more or less a concept film—with visuals set to his music—rather than a traditional concert film. The same could be said about his live shows: there’s always a beginning, a middle, and an end. It’s very cinematic in that regard.

DK: Yeah, it’s definitely not your typical rock show… not that I’ve ever actually seen a Roger Waters gig!!

I guess the closest I got was during the ‘Wall’ tour in 2012 when we were about to transition from arenas to stadiums… we had a couple of nights off before the first stadium show and Roger, being a perfectionist, wanted to see how the show would translate to the outdoors…

So, two nights before our stadium debut (at the Julio Martínez Prádanos National Stadium, Santiago, Chile) we all went down to the venue… some of the crew stood on stage in our places, they played a rough live recording of a previous gig over the PA, and Roger & band just sat in this huge, empty arena by the mixing desk (with cocktails!!) and watched the entire show…

I finally got to see the whole thing… the plane crash, giant marionettes, the wall being built, the hotel room, the wall coming down, everything… It was truly mindblowing!! I’d never seen anything like it… a bizarre hybrid of IMAX, rock show, Broadway production & acid trip!!! Haha…

AFG: Having now been part of four tours (The Dark Side of the Moon 2006–2008, The Wall 2010–2013, Us + Them 2017–2018, and This Is Not A Drill 2022–2023), has your experience with Roger changed the way you view popular guitar or rock music?

DK: No… I just feel incredibly privileged to be playing with one of the last rock legends still touring!! And not just touring, but still breaking new ground, breaking records, kicking ass and generally influencing the next generation!! It’s all very inspiring…

AFG: Has it changed the way you play guitar?

DK: Not really… I mean, I’m always trying to improve my playing – I practice all the time, working on new techniques, transcribing, whatever – but the one thing this gig did was make me more aware of guitar effects!! I know that probably sounds silly, but I’d never really bothered with effects… and I certainly never wanted to get into programming these huge, complicated, refrigerator sized Bradshaw type MIDI switching rack systems along with a sea of pedals!!

Photo by María RC

Actually, touring with Steven Wilson helped with that, too… when I joined Steven’s band (in 2015), he was very specific about which effects to use on certain songs… so, through Steven I got to meet the wonderful Daniel Steinhardt from GigRig, who (apart from helping me with my technophobia!) put together my first pedalboard for the ‘Hand Cannot Erase’ tour with Steven (2015-2016), and then two subsequent pedalboards for the ‘Us & Them’ & ‘TINAD’ tours with Roger.

I love his GigRig pedalboard systems, because (apart from sounding incredible) they really are idiot proof!! And it meant that I could get a little closer to the fabulous Floyd sounds that people know & love, without the need for huge racks, a master’s degree in electrical engineering and a diploma from the Juilliard School of Tap Dancing!!

AFG: You’ve been in the Floyd family for nearly two decades now. While we’re sure there were many great moments in the band, can you pinpoint a few that were extra special?

DK: Wow, that’s a difficult one… so many highlights!! Umm… Performing ‘Comfortably Numb’ with Eddie Vedder at the 12-12-12 Hurricane Sandy benefit was kinda epic… I mean totally terrifying, just to be on the same bill as all those other legends (not to mention the event being broadcast live to over two BILLION people!!!!)… but very memorable, and a worthy cause…

And speaking of worthy causes, playing the ‘Stand Up For Heroes’ event in New York in 2013 with Roger and the MusiCorps Wounded Warrior Band (a benefit for the Bob Woodruff Foundation) was humbling beyond words… those guys are truly inspirational…

The ‘Wall’ gig at Wembley Stadium also has a special place in my heart… partly because both my sisters were there, along with my manager and a bunch of friends…

DK: I have no idea, but I’m sure it’ll be something unique… maybe we could perform ‘Dark Side of the Moon’, actually ON THE MOON!!! Now that would be fun… although, probably not much atmosphere!!

AFG: Are there any plans at the moment?

DK: Roger always has plans… he’s a total workaholic!! I’m just hoping there’s some gig plans in there somewhere, as I really miss playing live…

AFG: Have you been involved at all with Roger’s next album, The Bar?

DK: Not as yet.. but it’s fine, as I’m busy enough recording my own solo album at the moment!!