"I played anything I wanted to play… it reminded me that music first has to be fun." See Pete Townshend and David Gilmour team up to perform tracks by the Who, Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup, Screamin' Jay Hawkins and more in 1985

London's Brixton Academy has hosted its fair share of epic events in its history as a live music venue. However, few of those featured two generation-defining guitarists sharing the same stage — which is exactly what happened in November 1985 when Pete Townshend and David Gilmour came together for what would be known as Deep End Live.

The project, billed initially as Pete Townshend with Dave Gilmour and Deep End, played two nights (the second of which thankfully was captured on film) at the U.K. venue in support of Townshend's Double "O" charity, aiding those with drug and alcohol issues, and victims of domestic violence, as well as providing support for underprivileged musicians.

The Deep End band, which included Townshend, Gilmour and a whopping 16 other members, featured session greats such as Simon Phillips on drums and Chucho Merchán on bass, as well as a full brass section.

Highlights of the nearly 90-minute performance include Townshend's version of “After the Fire,” originally written for Roger Daltrey's album Under a Raging Moon, Screamin' Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell on You,” the Who anthem “Won't Get Fooled Again” and the Townshend solo tune “Give Blood” — the latter, driven by the intricately cascading assault of Gilmour's looping riff. Townshend and crew never sounded better performing this underrated classic, which closes the show on a high.

A third show was expected to take place in Brixton, with talk of a potential tour that included international dates. But surprisingly poor ticket sales led to those plans being axed.

In an interview with David Letterman just weeks after the shows took place, Townshend explained how the project freed him up creatively. "I played anything I wanted to play,” Townshend said of the show's eclectic set list. "I did ‘Put a Spell on You,'… I did a Miles Davis song called ‘Walking.’ I did old blues things, and I did kind of early Who things. I had such a good time. It reminded me that music first has to be fun."

Gilmour was armed on the night with a couple of 1984 reissues, including his now iconic EMG SA single-coil–loaded Candy Apple Red Strat (which would go on to sell at auction in 2019 for $615,000), which he played through a combination of two Fender Twin Reverbs and Mesa/Boogie Mark I. His effects included a Boss HM-2, CE-2 Chorus and DD-2 Delays, as well as his famous MXR rack-mounted Digital Delays.

Townshend kept it simple with a pair of thinline Washburn acoustics, which he occasionally swapped out for a Takamine EN-10C, now housed within London's Hard Rock Cafe Vault.

Deep End wasn't the first time the pair had worked together, as just the year prior, Townshend had penned lyrics for the tracks “Love on the Air" and “All Lovers Are Deranged” from Gilmour's second studio album, About Face. Gilmour would return the favor by lending guitar parts to tracks on Townshend's fifth solo record, White City: A Novel.

Had this project been a success, you can't help but wonder what might have been — particularly as both Gilmour and Townshend were in transitional periods with Pink Floyd and the Who, respectively. Luckily, we have this performance captured for us to enjoy.

Earlier this month, David Gilmour released his sixth solo studio album, Luck and Strange, with tour dates kicking off next month that include stops at the Circo Massimo in Italy, the Intuit Dome, Madison Square Garden, the Hollywood Bowl and London's Royal Albert Hall.

Meanwhile, Townshend celebrated 60 years of the Who in 2024 and expects more shows from the band in the future. He recently dropped a solo collection Live In Concert 1985–2001, a 14-CD box set which features even more cuts from the Deep End shows, including a fun performance of the Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup–penned track (later made famous by Elvis Presley), That's All Right, Mama.