Grand hope can often lead to grand disappointment. In a series of events reminiscent of the Led Zeppelin hoopla that ignited what seemed like an endless supply of reunion rumors a few years back, hope for a Pink Floyd reunion was stoked a bit by an appearance of three former members of the group on stage during a performance of Roger Waters’ “The Wall Live.”

“The Wall Live” tour was entertaining the crowd at London’s O2 Arena, when the the three men appeared together for the first time since the “Live 8” event in 2005. Somewhat ironically, the O2 was the same venue where the surviving members of Led Zeppelin reunited for their one-time performance in December of 2007.

The appearance of David Gilmour and Nick Mason was a surprise to the assembled fans as well as those who subsequently got wind of the brief, unofficial “reunion,” igniting speculation that a more meaningful and longer-lasting reunion could be in the works. This is not the first time the idea of a Pink Floyd reunion has been bandied about by fans and other observers, in addition to a little tease or two from members themselves.

During 2008, drummer Nick Mason was reported to have said he believed a reunion was possible under the right circumstances. Around the same time, guitarist David Gilmour made it clear that he had no interest in a reunion, which some attributed to bad blood between Gilmour and Roger Waters. The recent appearance of both men on the same stage may be an indication that relations have improved, but Waters was quick to go on the record saying that he has no interest in a Pink Floyd reunion.

In an interview with the BBC’s Radio 4, Waters was quoted as saying, “I’m really glad that I was in that band for the 20 years that I was in it and I really enjoyed it. I think we did some great work together but I have no wish to do it ever again.”

Last spring, The Guardian reported that Waters had indicated it was Gilmour who was not interested in any kind of reunion, leaving him on his own to celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Wall with his “The Wall Live” tour. It’s pretty obvious that Waters and Gilmour have been in touch since that time and have patched things up at least enough to clear the way for Gilmour’s one-time guest performance of “Comfortably Numb” with Waters.

With both Gilmour and Waters going on the record indicating that they have no interest in a reunion, it seems as if Nick Mason may be the only one with any desire to reunite the remaining members of the group. I’m often skeptical about the possibility of big-name reunions like this, probably because I’m doubtful about whether the “old magic” can ever be resurrected.

In this particular case, I’m willing to entertain the notion that a Pink Floyd reunion might actually work. I happened to be idly flipping through the TV channels over the weekend and saw that David Gilmour’s “Live In Gdansk” show was being broadcast on Palladia. Having reviewed the CD here previously, it was a treat to catch the show in HD. I remain as impressed now as I was when I first listened to the CD. It think it was a great show that did justice to a number of Pink Floyd classics.

For now, it seems that a Pink Floyd reunion is not in the cards, but as always, I’m reluctant to say it cannot happen. Although we have seen Robert Plant sticking to his guns after expressing his disinterest in a Led Zeppelin reunion, history indicates that the best way to leave this story as it now stands is to simply say, “never say never.”