Shine a light on the Dark Side

Nick Mason, that's him on the left of a very rare 5 man Floyd picture circa 1968, erstwhile drummer of the long dead band will release his memoirs "Inside Out - A Personal History of Pink Floyd" in September. I love this picture not just because of the rarity of showing Dave Gilmour and Syd Barrett at the same time but the poetry of it. Syd gazing to the stars, having already begun to lose his battle with drugs and descending into a schizophrenic wreck, Roger looking in a completely different direction and Nick, Dave and Rick staring straight at the camera. Sums up exactly what would happen to the band in later decades.

Rumours of Nick's scribblings have been circulating for years but suspicion fell on fat d*ve as the main sticking point to it's publication. Allegedly he was unhappy that the book would be of Nick's opinion only (fat d*ve was never the brightest plectrum in the guitar case).

I don't like fat d*ve! Fat d*ve for those who don't know was the Floyd's one time guitarist. After Roger decided to leave the band in 1986, fat d*ve, with one eye on his pension, decided to keep the band going. What followed were 2 horrendously bad studio albums, 2 embarrassingly successful world tours and 2 stinking live albums. Roger Waters was, is and for ever will be Pink Floyd, and he was displeased.

So why, for me, is Roger Waters the man? Well, setting aside the fact that he wrote all the bands greatest albums, designed the stage shows, influenced the LP artwork etc he is well known for being a complete bastard to work with and a grumpy old git to boot, QED, he is, therefore, my God.

Expectations are high for a thoroughly cracking read as witnessed from the drum stool of every Pink Floyd gig ever (the only ever present member of the band in a history spanning 40 years). Spinal Tap will, I suspect, have nothing on the true goings on from the murky depths of London in 1965, through the dawn of Pyschedelia to the emergence of one of Rock's greatest song writers. I smell early Christmas present.

Category:

• Music
• Pink+Floyd