Pink Floyd AND ROGER to reform?!!! - Progressive Rock Music Forum

Mason rules out Floyd reunion
An interview with Nick Mason:
Paul Taylor

The Manchester Online reports:

THE Pink Floyd fan grapevine is buzzing with suggestions that Roger
Waters may return to the fold, 20 years after his acrimonious departure,
for a reunion tour which could net $100m.

If so, no one has yet told Nick Mason, Floyd's longest-serving member.

"I don't know where this one has come from," the exasperated drummer
says, scotching the rumour.

"There is no chance of that happening. I don't think there is any reason for
Roger to rejoin the fold and I am not sure that David would be happy with
that anyway."

The David in question is, of course, guitarist David Gilmour, the third
person to don the creative mantle of Pink Floyd.

First, there was Syd Barrett, chief architect of Floyd's psychedelic
beginnings in the mid-sixties, who became increasingly unstable through
drug abuse and psychiatric problems.

One night in 1968, on the way to a gig, Mason's book recalls, Pink Floyd
simply didn't bother stopping to pick up Barrett, and that was that.

Stepping forward as principal songwriter, Waters saw Floyd through one of
the most lauded rock albums ever - The Dark Side Of The Moon - and on
through a gargantuan touring phase to The Wall, one of the high
watermarks of rock as a significant art form.

Before leaving for a solo career, Waters' behaviour was "beginning to
border on the megalomaniac", Mason says in his book.

For instance, at Waters' insistence, long-serving keyboard player Rick
Wright was told, just before The Wall tour, that he was no longer a
member of the band, but was asked to play the tour anyway as a waged
performer.

Since the mid-eighties, Gilmour has been at the helm of Floyd, the band
currently "resting" - in one of those frequent phases where no one knows
what comes next or if indeed there is a "next".

"It's really down to David," says Mason, 59. "If David wants to do it, we
will work again."

In the meantime, Mason's lavishly-illustrated Inside Out: A Personal
History Of Pink Floyd is the first biography of the band written by one of its
members.

Real life
"What, hopefully, comes over in the book is that it is just like real life. It is
a mixture of great fun and people being quite cruel to each other," he
says.

"There is a pattern which is that when the band are united in determination
to achieve specific goals, everyone works together pretty well. It is when
you start achieving the goals that it all gets more difficult."

THAT lost soul of Barrett has particular resonance. In 1975, Barrett, obese
and shaven-headed, wandered uninvited into Abbey Road studio where
Floyd were recording, indulged in desultory conversation and left.

He now lives in Cambridge and spends his days painting. Since that day,
almost 30 years ago, Mason has had no direct contact with his old
bandmate. "Most of us feel that that is the way it should be," Mason adds.

"I think there is still a watching brief, and we have certainly tried to make
sure there is a royalty stream directed to him, and we know how he is and
what is going on. He is very well looked after by his brother.

"I just don't think it would be the right thing for us to start popping in and
visiting him."

The saying goes that if you remember the sixties, you weren't there. Yet
Mason found the decade flooded back easily as he wrote.

"That is still one of the curious things, that everyone thought we were the
psychedelic kids, and, with the exception of Syd, we absolutely weren't,"
he says.

From fancy light shows, the Floyd experience blossomed into cutting edge
technology, grand theatricals and flying, inflatable pigs. When punk
happened, it was against just such excess that it was protesting. Did Floyd
get too big for their boots?

"I would have to confess to feeling 'Ooh, let's get bigger'," says an
unrepentant Mason. "There was some fantastic stuff came out of punk
and, looking back, that kind of stadium rock had become a bit grandiose
and over the top.

"But we still knew we had a fan base, still believed in the music we were
making."

The episodic career of Floyd gives Mason plenty of time to indulge his love
of racing classic cars. The lay-off before 1987's A Momentary Lapse Of
Reason album was so long that Mason did not even feel confident about
doing all the drum parts, calling in session musicians, instead.

He will not let his skills get so rusty again, he says, but asked when he
may take up his sticks in the service of Pink Floyd again, he replies: "God
knows".

For the moment, Floyd fans will have to content themselves with the
legions of Pink Floyd tribute bands who do the rounds. "They are terribly
good," Mason says of these soundalikes.

"They tend to be able to play rather better than we do, or certainly as well
as I do. They remember everything, whereas I constantly say, `Yes, it
goes something like that'."

Nick Mason signs copies of his book Inside Out: A Personal History Of Pink
Floyd ( Weidenfeld and Nicolson) at HMV, 90 Market Street, Manchester on
Friday, October 15 at 5pm.

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asuma Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: July 23 2004 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 230	Posted: October 11 2004 at 13:27
	world tours are nice, because there are usually three canadian stops along the way. toronto, montreal, and vancouver (a 2 hour ferry ride). however, there have been bands that never make it out to the west cost. but they would probably go to seatle (a longer ferry ride, but i would do it to see floyd).
	Remember all advice given by Asuma is for entertainment purposes only. Asuma is not a licensed medical doctor, psychologist, or counselor and he does not play one on TV.

Bryan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: April 01 2004 Status: Offline Points: 3013	Posted: October 11 2004 at 15:45
	It's not going to happen. People in Pink Floyd communities are laughing at this report. It's not like this is the first time there's been a report that PF is reforming.

Disonant1 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Newbie Joined: October 05 2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 12	Posted: October 11 2004 at 16:51
	well...bullocks! it was a nice rumor while it lasted
	One of the Girls Who Rock Prog!

threefates Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: June 30 2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 4215	Posted: October 14 2004 at 21:17
	Mason rules out Floyd reunion An interview with Nick Mason: Paul Taylor The Manchester Online reports: THE Pink Floyd fan grapevine is buzzing with suggestions that Roger Waters may return to the fold, 20 years after his acrimonious departure, for a reunion tour which could net $100m. If so, no one has yet told Nick Mason, Floyd's longest-serving member. "I don't know where this one has come from," the exasperated drummer says, scotching the rumour. "There is no chance of that happening. I don't think there is any reason for Roger to rejoin the fold and I am not sure that David would be happy with that anyway." The David in question is, of course, guitarist David Gilmour, the third person to don the creative mantle of Pink Floyd. First, there was Syd Barrett, chief architect of Floyd's psychedelic beginnings in the mid-sixties, who became increasingly unstable through drug abuse and psychiatric problems. One night in 1968, on the way to a gig, Mason's book recalls, Pink Floyd simply didn't bother stopping to pick up Barrett, and that was that. Stepping forward as principal songwriter, Waters saw Floyd through one of the most lauded rock albums ever - The Dark Side Of The Moon - and on through a gargantuan touring phase to The Wall, one of the high watermarks of rock as a significant art form. Before leaving for a solo career, Waters' behaviour was "beginning to border on the megalomaniac", Mason says in his book. For instance, at Waters' insistence, long-serving keyboard player Rick Wright was told, just before The Wall tour, that he was no longer a member of the band, but was asked to play the tour anyway as a waged performer. Since the mid-eighties, Gilmour has been at the helm of Floyd, the band currently "resting" - in one of those frequent phases where no one knows what comes next or if indeed there is a "next". "It's really down to David," says Mason, 59. "If David wants to do it, we will work again." In the meantime, Mason's lavishly-illustrated Inside Out: A Personal History Of Pink Floyd is the first biography of the band written by one of its members. Real life "What, hopefully, comes over in the book is that it is just like real life. It is a mixture of great fun and people being quite cruel to each other," he says. "There is a pattern which is that when the band are united in determination to achieve specific goals, everyone works together pretty well. It is when you start achieving the goals that it all gets more difficult." THAT lost soul of Barrett has particular resonance. In 1975, Barrett, obese and shaven-headed, wandered uninvited into Abbey Road studio where Floyd were recording, indulged in desultory conversation and left. He now lives in Cambridge and spends his days painting. Since that day, almost 30 years ago, Mason has had no direct contact with his old bandmate. "Most of us feel that that is the way it should be," Mason adds. "I think there is still a watching brief, and we have certainly tried to make sure there is a royalty stream directed to him, and we know how he is and what is going on. He is very well looked after by his brother. "I just don't think it would be the right thing for us to start popping in and visiting him." The saying goes that if you remember the sixties, you weren't there. Yet Mason found the decade flooded back easily as he wrote. "That is still one of the curious things, that everyone thought we were the psychedelic kids, and, with the exception of Syd, we absolutely weren't," he says. From fancy light shows, the Floyd experience blossomed into cutting edge technology, grand theatricals and flying, inflatable pigs. When punk happened, it was against just such excess that it was protesting. Did Floyd get too big for their boots? "I would have to confess to feeling 'Ooh, let's get bigger'," says an unrepentant Mason. "There was some fantastic stuff came out of punk and, looking back, that kind of stadium rock had become a bit grandiose and over the top. "But we still knew we had a fan base, still believed in the music we were making." The episodic career of Floyd gives Mason plenty of time to indulge his love of racing classic cars. The lay-off before 1987's A Momentary Lapse Of Reason album was so long that Mason did not even feel confident about doing all the drum parts, calling in session musicians, instead. He will not let his skills get so rusty again, he says, but asked when he may take up his sticks in the service of Pink Floyd again, he replies: "God knows". For the moment, Floyd fans will have to content themselves with the legions of Pink Floyd tribute bands who do the rounds. "They are terribly good," Mason says of these soundalikes. "They tend to be able to play rather better than we do, or certainly as well as I do. They remember everything, whereas I constantly say, `Yes, it goes something like that'." Nick Mason signs copies of his book Inside Out: A Personal History Of Pink Floyd ( Weidenfeld and Nicolson) at HMV, 90 Market Street, Manchester on Friday, October 15 at 5pm.
	THIS IS ELP

benny bouncer Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: March 18 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 149	Posted: October 15 2004 at 17:11


gdub411 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: August 24 2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3484	Posted: October 15 2004 at 17:22
	Well if we can't get Roger then Let's get Syd

Disonant1 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Newbie Joined: October 05 2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 12	Posted: October 16 2004 at 01:08
	I'm with Benny . How's about a revisit to Pompeii with Floyd? IF that happened...I would definitely have died and gone to Floyd heaven. Listen, if I ever win the lottery (like 300 Million), I'll fly us all to Pompeii and make an offer to Gilmour, Rogers and Mason that they can't refuse. Promise
	One of the Girls Who Rock Prog!

Havoc Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Groupie Joined: September 16 2004 Status: Offline Points: 44	Posted: October 16 2004 at 14:42
	So it's up to David... I think we may have someday another PF album.
	"Jesrusalem boogie to us perphaps... but to the birds it meant that supper was ready!"