Welcome to the dotmusic chat with David Gilmour. Time to kick off ...

Dyolf from Greece asks: How many guitars do you have?? Do you keep collecting even now?

David: I don't know how many. Its over 100. I'm planning on selling most of them in the next year or so. I can't quite remember why I've got so many. The very first guitar I had I borrowed off my neighbour. He never quite got into guitar playing and I've still got it.

Lars Sande from Oslo, Norway asks: Do you own any Pink Floyd boots yourself? And if, what do you think about the sound quality in general?

David: The sound quality is usually dreadful, but I've got one with hundreds of things on. Not quite sure where they've got it from. For people like us who've done a lot over the years its not a major issue, whereas for people starting out its more difficult to cope with bootlegs.

Dan Pearce from Cambridge asks: I have tickets to one of your semi acoustic concerts in January at the Royal Festival Hall, will you be playing any of the Pink Floyd hits or will it be all your solo work?

David: More or less the same set list as I did last June. If you know that, great, or you'll find out! Quite a few pink floyd songs and one new song from the Bizet opera.

Keith Jordan from England, UK asks: David, do you sing in the shower and, if so, what do you sing most often? Is it available from all good bootleggers??? :-)

David: I sing all the time, in the bath, I don't take showers too often, I prefer baths - bathrooms have a nice little reverb in them. I like singing the Walker Brothers on karaoke.

Charlie Franks from Montserrat asks: Are any Pink Floyd, or solo, concert films going to be released onto DVD?

David: I am planning on releasing my last years Meltdown concert on DVD. When I'm not quite sure, hopefully quite soon if I can get it organised. And I think the Pulse recording we'll be releasing on DVD, but its quite complicated, it has to be completely remixed.

VoodooLord7 from Oklahoma, USA asks: I recall you saying in a previous interview that your favorite single of the 90's was Leonard Cohen's "Closing Time." Could you elaborate on this?

David: That was a great album by Leonard Cohen. I really liked the whole album and that song. I spent a lot of time trying to analyse what the lyrics meant.

Parisian from Paris asks: Is it true that you used your car-radio to record the intro of "Wish You Were Here" ?

David: Yes it is. We ran a lead out of Abbey Road studio into the car park and I fiddled with the radio.

Martin from Austria asks: Are you involved in other peoples work at the moment ?

David: At the moment I'm not realy involved in doing anything with anyone else. It is something I enjoy doing, it can be great fun. Playing with Paul McCartney at the Cavern was a highpoint.

Chris Burrows from Plymouth, UK asks: Are any of your children considering a career in music?

David: None of them seem to be at the moment.

Xavierdown from CT, USA asks: What band had the biggest influence on you and Pink Floyd?

David: I'm not really a big band sort of person. There are a lot of individual artists I prefer more. Everything I've ever listened to has had an influence on what I play. Its hard to be specific about that sort of thing.

floyd barber from Edinburgh asks: Having recently been blown away at an Australian Pink Floyd show i was wondering what you thought of the group?

David: I myself have seen the Aus Pink Floyd show a couple of times. Its enjoyable, its quite fun. Its hard to say exactly what it makes me feel. Theres an element of thinking its a joke, and an element of thinking its damn good. The first time I went we booked a box at Fairfield Hall in Croydon for a party night out. It was very entertaining. They have to pay to play Pink Floyd songs, but anyone can play them.

Mark Brown from Dell Rapids, South Dakota USA asks: David, this is about your early band Bullitt. It was years before there was a movie by that name. Was the band name actually spelled the same as the movie title, or is that a mistake that's been made in band histories all these years?

David: I think it was the same as the movie. I'm not sure when the movie came out. I really don't know which was first. I don't think we named it after the movie, but I could be proved wrong on that. It was late 66 I think. I can't remember why we called it that. I was living with my band in France and we just thought of a name, but as we approached the summer of love it just didn't seem to be appropriate!

Theo Beckers from The Netherlands asks: Are there more than the 5 songs as known made by Jokers Wild?

David: Yes there are the 5 on the single sided LP thing which we paid for ourselves and sold to friends. But then I have to confess we recorded a few songs for Jonathan King. Two tracks - the Sam and Dave song and on the other side ..... That's How Strong My Love Is by Otis Redding. You might have trouble finding a copy!

Fred Smith from New York asks: How old is too old to be a rock star?

David: Oooh ... about 30 I should think! I'm much too old to be a rock star if thats what I am!

Maura from Cleveland, OH, USA asks: Mr. Gilmour, what response do you have to people who criticize Pink Floyd for the recent "Best of" album, saying that the Floyd has never been a hit/singles-oriented band, and that therefore a "Best of" degrades its remarkable and unique history?

David: They have a point if they feel like that. I don't have anything to say to them. Everyone's entitled to their view. I think its a good introduction, its a precis or overview of our career.

Vicky from Wales asks: I hear you're an Arsenal fan. What do you think of the current Arsenal squad, and do you think they can win the Premiership this season?

David: I did have season tickets at the Arsenal for quite a few years. That was around the time they won the double. I'm sort of a really fickle football fan. I watch any team that's doing well and become unfaithful when they're not. But I do have a soft spot for Arsenal.

Tammy Baldwin from Canada asks: Any plans for a North American Tour? Please???

David: Its not a tour. All I'm doing is 5 dates, 3 in London next week and 2 in Paris. I'm very sorry I'm not planning on taking it anywhere else.

fixxlevy from Perth, WA asks: David, have you heard of an Icelandic band called Sigur Ros? There seem to be many comparisons made between their sound and yours circa late '60's/ early '70's.

David: I haven't heard them. I've heard of them, so I don't know.

Paulo R. Dallagnol from Florianopolis, Brazil - http://www.pinkfloydfan.ne asks: What kind of music you have been listening to in the past years? Has this caused an effect on you own music?

David: I'm constantly influenced by everything I hear. I haven't concentrated on any new bands lately. I like the Lemonheads (when they existed), I like some of Radiohead .... no I'm an old fogey I'm afraid.

Donna Young from Kansas, USA asks: Hello David, nice to have this opportunity. What is your proudest achievement musically?

David: The last one.

Kayne Coulson from Moberly, Missouri asks: Do you have a name for you favorite guitar and what kind of guitar is it?

David: No ... I don't, I don't really have a favourite guitar. Actually I tell a lie, I do have a nickname for a favourite old telecaster called "the workmate" as in the Black & Decker.

Matt Leppard from nowhere asks: Have you sneaked into any of Roger Waters' shows? If you did, would you?

David: Not yet no... I'm tempted but I haven't actually done it yet. If you see someone in a strange moustache, pull it off but careful you don't get the wrong person!

Rodolfo Araujo from Belo Horizonte - BRAZIL asks: Do you think that "Echoes - The Best Of Pink Floyd" will be the last album from Pink Floyd?

David: Who knows what the future will bring for any of us?

Robyn from San Diego asks: Are you still flying your planes? I would definitely love to go up sometime, but that barrell roll I don't know about!

David: I fly an aeroplane once in a while , yes .... I love it.

skanda from bombay, india asks: Having read from some reliable sources that you began reading sheet music only a few years ago, one question comes to mind: were you musically trained, or if not, how did you pick up scales, chords and ultimately leads?

David: Thats true ... I have not been musically trained, I picked it up pretty much by myself. The first instruction I had was from Pete Seger, he's a great American folk-singing chap. If you haven't heard of him, you should have. In the last few years I've picked up the saxophone and I'm going for instruction with my son. I've passed grade 2 so far!

Terrence Reardon(NOTWGAMEDB@AOL.COM) from Whitman, Massachusetts, USA asks: I am autistic and am a big Pink Floyd fan and had another question to ask and that is what got you into doing charity work for the Nordoff Robbins charity which works with people with autism?

David: NR is a charity thats supported by a lot of people in the music industry. We were persuaded into it by our insurance broker, he first got us involved in it. It's a really worthwhile thing. I have been for a visit to their centre in north London, its very inspiring.

Bryce from Dallas, TX asks: David, when it comes down to it, what is the most important thing to you about making music? What lured it you to it, and what keeps you lured to it? Do you feel that music is one of the few medium's that can reach almost anyone, on any level? Thanks!

David: Its indefinable what lured me to it, some records that came out in the 50s when I was a lad, just dragged me in. There wasn't a choice. Its something you're hooked by or not. I couldn't really say what keeps me lured.

Lynne from Floydian_Hemptress asks: Would you agree that the instrumental, Let's Get Metaphysical, on your About Face cd, was a precurser to the later alledged phenomenon, known as Pink Floyd's Publius Enigma?

David: No it had nothing to do with it, there was no connection. The second thing was some silly record company thing that they thought up to puzzle people with.

Col from Hull, England asks: If you walked into a pub and Rog was casually leaning on the bar would you go over and have a drink with him?

David: The last time that happened I was invited to a gig that Paul Carrick was doing at the Half Moon in Putney, quite a long time ago now. The person in front of me at the bar was Roger and I smiled and said "hello" and he gathered up members of his entourage and left!

Brent Ingalls from Ottawa, Canada asks: Are you still using your houseboat "the Astoria" for much recording these days?

David: Yes! Indeed I am. Its a very good and well-used studio, in fact for all sorts of people. My difficulty is getting a booking there myself! So I actually now have a small home studio as well.

Michael from Dallas, TX USA asks: Any career regrets?

David: Regrets, I have a few, but then again, too few to mention.

syd's ghost from chile asks: There are going to be new floyd cd's with old unreleased material?

David: No not really, there isn't. Anything we didn't use was so unfinished that it just wouldn't be worth it. And theres a lot of tapes of jamming and things that we did in '93 before the Division Bell. They are quite nice, some day perhaps they'll be put out. We talked about it at the time, but we never got round to it. They'd only be for major fans, serious jamming, you'd have to be a hardcore fan to be interested!

Michael from Dallas, TX USA asks: What's the latest on Syd? Have you heard anything?

David: The last I heard of Syd was when the producer of the documentary that was on telly a few weeks ago had received a letter from Syd's sister Rosemary saying Syd had enjoyed the program.

mark dalton from yorkshire uk asks: I heard you were doing some film soundtrack music, is this true ?

David: No its not. I did contribute a bit of guitar playing on a movie last year called the Triumph of Love. It was only a guitar overdub on a couple of tracks.

Florczak from Poland asks: Is there anybody out there?

David: Thats for me to know and you to wonder about! This could be one of the Australian Pink Floyd!!

dotmusic: Unfortunately only time for a few more questions...

brad smith from alexandria asks: How do you feel about the success of Echoes?

David: Obviously I'm happy about it, very happy about it. Its gratifying that people are still interested in us.

Bailey from Maine, US asks: Have you ever thought about what you would have chosen for a career if you hadn't turned out to be such a talented musician?

David: I've often thought about what would've happened if I hadn't joined PF. Its hard to know what would've happened. I was determined to make a living as a musician. But how I would've faired I couldn't know. The scale of what we have achieved still staggers me.

Brent Ingalls from Ottawa, Canada asks: I read that you had about 20 pieces of music on your computer do you plan another solo effort?

David: I've got many, over 100 pieces of music I've recorded on a home recording system. But they're snippets of music, some are very good, some aren't. I've got to play with them. To turn them into proper songs. I don't have a plan for a new album, or a deadline, I'm just sort of fitting it in when I can.

dotmusic: And with that teaser, David is off to prepare for his shows next week. He thanks everyone for taking part and for all their questions. Thanks to David Gilmour for answering them. Visit dotmusic again for more webchats soon.