NICK MASON'S SAUCERFUL OF SECRETS: LIVE AT THE ROUNDHOUSE

Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets had its origins not with Nick Mason, but with guitarist Lee Harris (formerly with the new wave, post-punk band Blockheads). Harris realized that no one asks Nick Mason to do anything anymore and no one was really performing the ancient stuff from Pink Floyd's oeuvre. Harris happened to be good friends with bassist Guy Pratt, Pink Floyd's bassist since the A Momentary Lapse of Reason tour. Harris didn't think Mason would ever consider his idea, so he sold it to Pratt and Pratt loved it. And so Pratt took it to Mason and the idea took off.

So, Pratt was also friends with Gary Kemp, lead guitarist and backing vocalist of new wave band Spandau Ballet, and Dom Beken, keyboardist from The Orb and collaborator of Rick Wright who is responsible for maintaining Wright's archive. He suggested them to Mason and they started rehearsing just to see what would happen. A rehearsal with family and friends was well-received and then a sold-out test show at Dingwalls, a 500-seat club in London in May 2018. A couple more small shows eventually led to a European tour in September 2018, followed by a North American tour in 2019.

This package contains 2 CDs of the live set recorded from concerts held at The Roundhouse in London, on May 3 and 4, 2019. It also includes a DVD of the performance. The live set included performances of selected songs from Pink Floyd's albums from 1967 to 1972, all pre-Dark Side material. The only album that no material was taken from was the studio portion of Ummagumma. The set list also included the singles Arnold Layne, See Emily Play, and Point Me at the Sky. It also included the song Vegetable Man which was considered for either their second album or as their third single, but was scrapped (it later appeared in the The Early Years box set).

So, Mason didn't want this to be just a covers band. He let the members add their personalities to the songs. Some of them were extended, some of the bass lines were modified, additional guitar solos were added, more modern keyboards were melded into it, and slight rearrangements here and there. But although they had this freedom to put their own stamp on these early songs, they tried to be respectful of the originals. The end result is a refreshing experience giving us not just a taste of what these might have sounded like back in the day, but bringing them into the present in a very tasteful manner for newer generations to hear.

One thing that really touches me with this one is it's diversity. They pulled a wide range of different types of songs from a five-year period in which Pink Floyd was experimenting in many ways just find who they were as a band. From dizzying psychedelic wipeouts using many interesting effects, to whimsical fairy-tale psychedelic pop songs, to heavy rock and rollers, to grandiose and pompous displays of instrumental prog rock. The gang here really put some thought into these selections so that they would gel together in a seamless manner,

Highlights for me were performances of Astronomy Domine; the amazing riff of Lucifer Sam; the very robotic and electronic feel they gave to Obscured by Clouds/When You're In; a stunning performance of Remember a Day that would make Rick Wright proud; the seamless integration of the first part of "If" with selections from the Atom Heart Mother suite, ending with a reprise of the second part of "If"; the wonderfully complex bass riff of Let There Be More Light; an extended performance of Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun (complete with gong); the whimsical Bike; the fan classic One of These Days; and an amazing performance of the band's namesake, the instrumental A Saucerful of Secrets.

The band is tight, plays well together, and plays off of each other skillfully. Lee Harris is no David Gilmour or Syd Barrett, but he pulls off all the solos with grace and skill. Pratt's bass playing is, in my opinion, an improvement over Waters. Kemp's guitar work is also skilled and definitely has the effects down pat. Both Kemp's and Pratt's vocals are no replacement for the originals and that might be the only thing somebody might have something negative to say. However, they made these songs their own and stamped their personalities on it. The harmonies the two do together are a nice fit. Beken very much nailed Wright's style of playing and you even hear a little bit of his experience from The Orb here and there. He keeps with the original sounds when it seems right and ventures off into new territory in places where it seems to make the songs better than the originals. It's a nice and refreshing touch.

The star of the show is of course, Nick Mason. The pre-Dark Side period of Pink Floyd has some of the most complex and adventurous drumming Mason did during his career. At the age of 74 (at the time of the recording of this concert), he can still perform this amazing stuff in all its glory. I was quite impressed with his performance. And he hasn't forgotten how to use the mallets.

The lighting at the show was in the true Pink Floyd fashion. The Victorian features of The Roundhouse give it an almost surreal atmosphere. The building was originally constructed in 1847 and it contained a railway turntable inside of it. It reopened in 1964, first as a cultural centre with a theatre, and in 1966 as an arts venue. Both Pink Floyd and Soft Machine performed on its opening night. Performances were on a makeshift stage with power running from nearby buildings. So in a way, this 2019 performance was a way of making a full circle back to the beginnings of Mason's career.

The DVD also has some bonus features. There is a short film of some of their band rehearsals. This was nice and all that, but it was too short and not enough band banter to make it interesting. The meat of the bonus features are interviews with each of the band's members. This was a joy to watch to learn about how they all knew each other and how the band evolved and some of the history of Pink Floyd.

So, in closing, a big thank you to Lee Harris for having this gem of an idea. And a big thank you to Nick Mason for having the guts to bring this early period of Pink Floyd back to life and presenting it in such a refreshing and tasteful manner.

A well deserved five stars.

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