The series of venerable elders continues in Montreal. After Tom Jones (whom we adored), Ringo Starr (whom we photographed) and Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons who have all been performing in the metropolis in recent weeks, it was the turn of the Pink Floyd drummer , Nick Mason, to come and present his project Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets, in a St-Denis Theater filled with fans, Tuesday evening.
When it comes to Pink Floyd, we often hear about David Gilmour or Roger Waters, sometimes even the original singer Syd Barrett. But yet, drummer Nick Mason is the only member of Pink Floyd to have been on board from start to finish.
Unlike David Gilmour, he is a founding member.
Unlike Roger Waters, he never left the band.
And unlike keyboardist Richard Wright, he’s still alive.
So if there is ONE person in the world who could afford to revisit Pink Floyd’s work from start to finish, it’s him. And yet, he took the bet, with his project Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets, to put the emphasis on the very first years of the group, at the time when Barrett was the master of ceremonies of this young promising British psyche formation.
If most people know Pink Floyd because of their four famous albums released from 1973 to 1979 (Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals and The Wall), this project sheds light on everything that appeared before that.
And that’s precisely why we were there, too.
To see a member of Pink Floyd at work in the flesh, of course. But also, above all, because he will interpret the underestimated material of the excellent first years of the group.
Because versions of Money, Shine On You Crazy Diamond, comfortably Numb Where Another Brick in the Wall, you can hear tons of them, and good ones, from various tribute bands, from the Australian Pink Floyd Show (which goes on almost every year in Montreal, Laval and/or Quebec) to Brit Floyd, via Echoes. Roger Waters also performs several of them, as we could see again this summer at the Bell Centre. None of the titles he selects surprise us, however.
But hear Arnold Layne, See Emily Play, Remember a Day, A Saucerful of Secrets and Lucifer Sam in show? That is more rare. And yet… It is certainly among the material that has aged the best.
Of course, Nick Mason is the drummer. He is the only member to have never sung a title.
This means that we know in advance that we will not hear the distinctive voices of Barrett, Waters, Gilmour or Wright. On the other hand, the project can count on guitarist Gary Kemp (from the English new romantic group Spandau Ballet) and bassist Guy Pratt (faithful collaborator of Nick Mason for more than thirty years), who share the job on vocals, and manage both good enough to live up to PF’s tunes.
Throughout the 2h30 (with intermission) of the show, the group — completed by guitarist Lee Harris, and keyboardist Dom Beken, both excellent — brilliantly covered certain rather niche titles such as Candy and a Currant Bun, When You’re In, Burning Bridges and Childhood’s Endor Vegetable Man, which Syd Barrett apparently never finished writing, and which Pink Floyd never recorded. A rarity.
We do not deprive ourselves of classics like Astronomy Dominates or the long and intense Set The Controls For the Heart of the Sun and Echoes.
For any Pink Floyd fan, it was a unique opportunity to savor an unpredictable selection of lesser-heard tracks, performed by an admirable ensemble led by ‘commander’ Nick Mason. And to hear the veteran tell us some tasty anecdotes, as well as a tip or two about Roger Waters. For that alone, it was worth the detour!
Song grid
First part
One of These Days
Arnold Layne
Fearless
Obscured by Clouds
When You’re In
Candy and a Currant Bun
Vegetable Man
If / Atom Heart Mother / If (Reprise)
Remember a Day
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
Second part
Astronomy Dominates
The Nile Song
Burning Bridges
Childhood’s End
Lucifer Sam
Echoes
Recall
See Emily Play
A Saucerful of Secrets
bicycle
Bulk photos
We would love to give thanks to the author of this article for this outstanding content
