Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets

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Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets
NickMasonsSaucerfulOfSecrets 2022-10-28.jpg
Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets in 2022. Left to right: Lee Harris, Guy Pratt, Nick Mason, Gary Kemp, Dom Beken
Background information
OriginUnited Kingdom
Genres
Years active2018 (2018)–present
Labels Legacy
Spinoff of Pink Floyd
Members
Website thesaucerfulofsecrets.com

Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets are an English rock band formed in 2018 to perform the early music of Pink Floyd. The band comprises the Pink Floyd drummer and co-founder Nick Mason, the bassist Guy Pratt, the guitarists Gary Kemp and Lee Harris, and the keyboardist Dom Beken. As many fans had discovered Pink Floyd with their bestselling 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon , Mason wanted to bring their earlier material to a wider audience.

Contents

The band made their debut in May 2018 at Dingwalls, London, before embarking on a European tour in September 2018 and a North American tour in 2019. A 2020 European tour was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2020, the band released a live album and film, Live at the Roundhouse .

Formation

Pink Floyd, one of the most commercially successful and influential rock bands of all time, [1] were formed in London in 1965 by Syd Barrett (guitar, lead vocals), Nick Mason (drums), Roger Waters (bass guitar, vocals), and Richard Wright (keyboards, vocals). Barrett left in 1968, and was replaced by David Gilmour; Waters left in 1985 and Wright died in 2008. [2]

While Gilmour and Waters continue to perform Pink Floyd material in their solo shows, Mason worked on Pink Floyd reissues and compilations. [3] After assisting with Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains , a 2017 museum exhibition about Pink Floyd, Mason said: "You end up feeling like you belong to English Heritage. Everything you talk about and do is something that happened forty years ago. It was actually beginning to make me feel a bit old." [4]

In 2018, the guitarist Lee Harris, formerly of the Blockheads, approached the bassist and Pink Floyd collaborator Guy Pratt about Mason forming a band to perform Pink Floyd's early psychedelic material, recorded while Barrett was the bandleader. [3] The new band was joined by the vocalist and guitarist Gary Kemp of Spandau Ballet and the keyboardist Dom Beken, [3] a collaborator of Wright. Pratt and Beken previously worked together in the electronic band Transit Kings. [5] Mason stressed that Kemp was not "taking the place" of Barrett, but that "it was to do with who had the enthusiasm for it, and Gary did". [6] According to Mason, in early rehearsals, "The interesting thing was that it all sort of began to sound good straight away. That was mainly, I think, driven by their enthusiasm." [3]

As many fans had discovered Pink Floyd with their bestselling 1973 album TheDark Side of the Moon, Mason wanted to bring their earlier material to a wider audience. [5] He said he did not want to perform as a tribute act similar to the Australian Pink Floyd Show or perform shows similar to those by Waters and Gilmour; [4] the band wanted to "capture the spirit" of the music rather than recreate it. [6] They received the blessings of Gilmour and Waters. [7] The band takes its name from the second Pink Floyd album, A Saucerful of Secrets (1968). [5]

Performances

On stage at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, England 22 April 2022 Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets, Birmingham - 2022-04-22 - Andy Mabbett - 04 (cropped).jpg
On stage at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, England 22 April 2022

Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets made their debut at a sold-out test show at Dingwalls, a 500-seat club in London, in May 2018. [8] This was followed by three small shows at the Half Moon, Putney, [9] a European tour in September 2018, [10] and a North American tour in 2019. [11] On 18 April 2019, Waters surprised the audience at the New York Beacon Theatre by joining the band to sing "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun". [3] A 2020 European tour was postponed to April 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [12] [13] A second North American tour was postponed from January 2022 to September. [14]

Releases

In September 2020, the band released a live album and film, Live at the Roundhouse . [15] A single featuring "See Emily Play" and "Vegetable Man" was released for Record Store Day. [16]

Band members

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Mason</span> English drummer, co-founder of Pink Floyd (born 1944)

Nicholas Berkeley Mason is an English drummer and a founder member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. He has been the only constant member since the band's formation in 1964, and is the only member to appear on every Pink Floyd album. He co-wrote Pink Floyd compositions including "Echoes", "Time", "Careful with That Axe, Eugene", and "One of These Days". In 2018, he formed a new band, Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets, to perform music from Pink Floyd's early years. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 as a member of Pink Floyd.

<i>A Saucerful of Secrets</i> 1968 studio album by Pink Floyd

A Saucerful of Secrets is the second studio album by English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 28 June 1968 by EMI Columbia in the UK and on 27 July 1968 in the US by Tower Records. The mental health of singer and guitarist Syd Barrett deteriorated during recording, so guitarist David Gilmour was recruited; Barrett left the band before the album's completion.

"A Saucerful of Secrets" is a multi-part instrumental composition by English rock band Pink Floyd from their 1968 album of the same name. It is nearly 12 minutes long and was composed by Roger Waters, Richard Wright, Nick Mason and David Gilmour. The track features guitar feedback, a percussion solo section and wordless vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Kemp</span> English actor and musician

Gary James Kemp is an English songwriter, musician and actor, best known as the lead guitarist, backing vocalist, and principal songwriter for the new wave band Spandau Ballet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guy Pratt</span> British bassist

Guy Adam Pratt is a British bassist. He has worked with artists including Pink Floyd, Roxy Music, Gary Moore, Madonna, Peter Cetera, Michael Jackson, the Smiths, Robert Palmer, Echo & the Bunnymen, Tears for Fears, Icehouse, Bananarama, Iggy Pop, Tom Jones, Debbie Harry, Whitesnake, Womack & Womack, Kirsty MacColl, Coverdale•Page, Lemon Jelly, the Orb, All Saints, Stephen Duffy, Robbie Robertson and A. R. Rahman. In addition to his work as a session musician, Pratt has been a member of the Australian rock band Icehouse, a founding member of the American rock band Toy Matinee, and is currently a member of the band Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">See Emily Play</span> 1967 song by Pink Floyd

"See Emily Play" is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released as their second single on 16 June 1967 on the Columbia label. Written by original frontman Syd Barrett, it was released as a non-album single, but appeared as the opening track of Pink Floyd, the US edition of the band's debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967).

"Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd, appearing on their second album, A Saucerful of Secrets (1968). It was written by Roger Waters, taking lyrics from a Chinese poetry book, and features a drum part by Nick Mason played with timpani mallets. It is the only song recorded by Pink Floyd to feature material from all five band members, as there are several different guitar parts recorded by both David Gilmour and Syd Barrett, although the guitar parts are buried in the mix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let There Be More Light</span> Song by Pink Floyd

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"Remember a Day" is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd, written and sung by their keyboardist Richard Wright, appearing on their second album, A Saucerful of Secrets (1968). It was performed by Pink Floyd only once, as an encore in May 1968; it was subsequently performed by David Gilmour in September 2008 in memory of Wright, who had recently died of cancer, on Later... with Jools Holland, and by Nick Mason during his Saucerful of Secrets tour. The dreamy, poetic lyrics are about nostalgia for the lost paradise of early childhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arnold Layne</span> 1967 Pink Floyd single

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"The Nile Song", written by Roger Waters and sung by David Gilmour, is the second song from Pink Floyd's 1969 album More, the soundtrack to the film of the same name. It was released as a single in 1969, and included on the 1971 compilation album Relics. While Pink Floyd never played the song in concert, Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets performed it in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pink Floyd</span> English rock band

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Point Me at the Sky</span> Song by Pink Floyd

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"Green Is the Colour" is a track on Pink Floyd's 1969 More. It was composed and written by Roger Waters and sung by David Gilmour. A tin whistle is heard in the song, played by drummer Nick Mason's then-wife Lindy. A live version of the song was released as the third single to promote The Early Years 1965–1972 box set in October 2016.

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<i>Live at the Roundhouse</i> (Nick Masons Saucerful of Secrets album) 2020 live album by Nick Masons Saucerful of Secrets

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References

  1. "Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Pink Floyd biography". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 17 May 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  2. "Floyd founder Wright dies at 65". 16 September 2008. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Greene, Andy (13 June 2019). "Why Pink Floyd's Nick Mason Finally Went Solo at 75". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  4. 1 2 Yates, Henry (July 2018). "Set the controls for 60s Floyd". Classic Rock . No. 250. p. 14.
  5. 1 2 3 Kielty, Martin (17 April 2018). "Nick Mason Forms Supergroup to Play Early Pink Floyd Music". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  6. 1 2 Richards, Sam (18 May 2018). "Why Nick Mason is rebooting Syd-era Pink Floyd". Uncut. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  7. Greene, Andy (10 December 2018). "Nick Mason on the State of Pink Floyd: 'It's Silly to Still Be Fighting'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  8. McCormick, Neil (21 May 2018). "Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets review, Dingwalls: thrilling return to weirdness of Sixties Pink Floyd". The Telegraph. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  9. Hunt, El (17 April 2018). "Nick Mason to perform early Pink Floyd material with supergroup". NME. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  10. Kielty, Martin. "Nick Mason's Pink Floyd Supergroup Announces Debut Tour". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  11. Greene, Andy. "Pink Floyd's Nick Mason to Play Pre-'Dark Side of the Moon' Songs on U.S. Tour". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  12. Munro, Scott (11 May 2020). "Nick Mason's Saucerful Of Secrets announce rescheduled European tour". Prog Magazine. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  13. Bailie, Geoff (19 April 2022). "Concert Review: Nick Mason's Saucerful Of Secrets – Ulster Hall, Belfast – April 14th, 2022". The Prog Report. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  14. Greene, Andy (21 March 2022). "Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets announces rescheduled Echoes tour dates". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  15. Pincombe, Sean (26 March 2020). "Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets 'Live at the Roundhouse' release delayed until September 2020" . Retrieved 7 July 2020. Further to the postponement of their 2020 tour, Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets 'Live at the Roundhouse' concert video and audio releases have also been delayed. Owing to the worldwide Coronavirus pandemic, the release has been pushed from April, and will now hit store shelves on September 18th 2020.
  16. "RSD '20 Special Release: Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets – "See Emily Play"/"Vegetable Man"". Record Store Day. Retrieved 26 January 2021.