We experience the warmest day of the year in England - with heat deaths in the London Underground. David Gilmour's houseboat MS Astoria resembles an oven. Only the cabin at the bow has air conditioning, which is why it is reserved for the owner. He receives barefoot in a heavy leather armchair, slurps black coffee and has something surreal about him: his head looks almost huge, his bulky body is in black clothes that stand in sharp contrast to his snow-white wreath of hair. When the famous guitarist and singer speaks, one has the feeling of listening to a philosophy lecturer from Oxford. David Gilmour is an awe-inspiring and respectful appearance.
eclipsed: David, you made it clear in advance that questions about Pink Floyd are undesirable. Why is this so important to you?
David Gilmour: Because I've had enough of it, it makes me sick! After all, I've been asked every possible question about this band, and not just once. It makes me feel like a hamster on a bike. It's always the same and terribly boring in the long run. Not to mention that I don't want to live in the past, but in the here and now. So I prefer to talk about my new album and my upcoming tour, but not again about my relationship with Roger or the music we made in 1975. That's old shit I don't care about anymore.
eclipsed: That sounds pretty bitter.
Gilmour: No, Pink Floyd were great, a great band. But it's over, and life goes on. Some people don't understand that, or they consciously ignore it. Therefore, I must ask you to have respect for my views and wishes.
eclipsed: Besides, you insist on being called David instead of Dave.
Gilmour: It's the same thing: It's about respect. I am a sixty-nine year old man who has had a long and extremely successful career and I want to be treated accordingly. It's okay if my closest friends or my wife call me Dave. But that doesn't apply to journalists who hardly know me.
eclipsed: Okay, David. Your new album is called "Carpe diem" and starts with the song "5 A.M.", five o'clock in the morning. Is this your preferred time to get up, at dawn?
Gilmour: That happens more often. I wake up when the first birds sing or the dawn sets in. It's great to sit down with a cup of tea, watch through the window and feel the dawn of a new day. This gives you the feeling of living more intensely and really exhausting every moment.
eclipsed: At sixty-nine, are you afraid time will run out on you?
Gilmour: I think that in general you should do as much as you can with your life, no matter how young or old you are. After all, nothing lasts forever. And that's the theme of this album, which my wife Polly has translated wonderfully into the lyrics.
