“Hey Hey Rise Up” includes original cast members David Gilmour and Nick Mason along with longtime bassist Floyd Guy Pratt and Nitin Sawhney on keyboards, but is based primarily on a vocal performance by Andriy Khlyvnyuk of Ukrainian band Boombox. Khlyvnyuk was on tour in the United States when the invasion began, but returned to his homeland to help defend his country. In late February, the singer posted on Instagram a recording of himself in Kiev’s Sofiyskaya Square singing the Ukrainian protest song “The Red Viburnum In The Meadow”. Dating back to World War I, the song has taken on a new meaning since the recent Russian invasion of the country. Gilmour, who played a show with the Boombox in London in 2015, was so inspired by the show that he rehearsed Khlyvnyuk’s vocals and incorporated them into this new song, which was titled the English translation of the last line: “Hey hey, rise get up and rejoice!” One and a half minutes, Gilmour unleashes a trademark guitar solo that seems to scream in agony. This is not a guitar that cries softly, but screams with anger and frustration. All proceeds from the song will be donated to support Humanitarian Aid to the people of Ukraine.
