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

A good way to get nostalgic and dust off old Pink Floyd records and singles from the period 1966-1972, before the brilliant Dark Side of the Moon brought them into the elite of progressive rock. Nick Mason demonstrates well-preserved drumming skills for his 75 years. He is accompanied by long- time Pink Floyd colleague, the excellent bass guitarist Guy Pratt, who performed with them on The Delicate Sound of Thunder and PULSE concert tours and participated in the recording of some of David Gilmour's solo projects. The main vocalist is Gary Kemp, best known as one of the founders and lyricist of the new wave band Spandau Ballet and a long-time Pink Floyd fan.

Yes, this is not a tribute band in the usual sense, although such compositions as Fearless, Remember a Day are performed very close to the original. There are some great improvisations - the juicy, highlighted synthesizer part in Obscured by Clouds or the more electronic version of Interstellar Overdrive. The presence of two singing guitarists allows for a fairly accurate copy of the voices of all four Pink Floyd musicians. For example, you can believe that Syd Barrett would sing Arnold Layne in approximately the same way today, and Gary Kemp's vocals in If turned out to be very similar to Roger Waters. At the same time, there is no complete copying. The musicians boldly introduce elements of creativity into the old Pink Floyd classics, the keyboard player doesn't try to play like Richard Wright, and Gary Kemp doesn't strive to be David Gilmour or Roger Waters. I really liked the inventive and mischievous way Guy Pratt sang The Nile Song, one of the few Pink Floyd songs in the hard rock style. It is also pleasing that during the concert the band boldly performs the complex suites Atom Heart Mother (a shortened version, but really great!) and A Saucerful of Secrets (creatively reworked, but with the original layer preserved), and I am sure that more than one music lover will secretly wipe away a tear, listening to these songs that are more than 50 years old. I listened with pleasure. With no less pleasure I award this concert 4 stars.

Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets continue to perform concerts. I found on YouTube the 2023 concerts in Palmanova and Pompeii. The setlist is approximately the same, but Echoes was also performed in Pompeii (logically). If such a possibility, I recommend finding, listening and enjoying.